Fauna of New Caledonia - Fauna

Fauna

Further information: List of birds of New Caledonia, Endemic birds of New Caledonia, List of non-marine molluscs of New Caledonia, and New Caledonia Barrier Reef

The New Caledonia Great Barrier Reef is the second largest barrier reef in the world. Amedee island is a special marine reserve of coral reef lagoon, Ilot aux Goelands is a tiny lagoon island surrounded by a large shallow reef flat. The reef has great species diversity with a high level of endemism. Many groups have been under sampled and insufficiently studied, especially when considering hard bottoms of the intermediate coral reefs and external slopes of the barrier reef. This diversity includes oceanic and continental reefs forming islands, atolls, banquets, uplifted reefs, immerged reefs, fringing reefs, barrier reefs, patch reefs, and shallow or deep lagoons, and is home to endangered dugongs (Dugong dugon), and is an important nesting site for Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas). New Caledonia has a remarkable marine fauna due to the abundance of relic organisms from the Mesozoic. as for example some sponges of the Lithistideae and the Tetractinellideae considered as living fossils close to Cretaceous species. The endemic mollusc Nautilus macromphalus, one of the four Nautilus species know in the world. This mollusc seem to be identical to their Paleozoic anscestors and represent the only living group of cephalopods with an external shell. Cephalodiscus graptolitoides was described in 1993 by Dilly and is considered too as a living fossil member of the graptolites previously thought to be extinct for over 300 million years.

Today’s New Caledonian marine biodiversity has been evaluated to 9372 species, belonging to 3582 genera and 1107 different families. As important groups contributing to this diversity may be cited the molluscs (2151 species), the fish (1695 species), the Foraminifera (585 species), the Brachyura (552 species), and the marine macrophytes (454 species).

New Caledonia's animal land diversity was similar to that of some oceanic islands, particularly New Zealand, and as in these islands diversity was greater before being inhabited by humans. The island has no native mammals except for bats, and no native amphibians. The vertebrates are dominated by reptiles and birds. Today the island has yet 21 endemic species of birds, including one endemic family, the Rhynochetidae, represented by one living species, the Kagu. The island is also home to the unusual tool-using New Caledonian Crow. The separation of the Gondwana islands before the mammalian expansion that allowed the radiation of flightless birds (Moa, Kiwi, Sylviornis, Cagous) and Mesozoic reptilian forms such as the Tuatara of New Zealand.

Endemic species comprise 62 of 69 total. No crocodiles or terrestrial turtles remain on the islands. Two species of snake are found in the Territory, one on Grand Terre and the other on the Loyalty Islands. It is the home to a large number of skinks and other geckos.

The island Île des Pins is home to the Crested Gecko Rhacodactylus ciliatus and the world's largest gecko Rhacodactylus leachianus.

The island of Grande Terre has the greatest variety of reptiles, giant gecko, (Rhacodactylus leachianus) is present too, giant skink (Phoboscincus bocourti) and giant monitor lizards. The local sea snakes laticaudinae have venom ten times as strong as rattlesnake venom.

Before the arrival of Europeans, the only mammals in the island were six endemic bat species, included Rousettus, a large fruit bat, consumed by locals.

The world's highest biodiversity of Volutomitridae is in waters off New Caledonia.

Tropical invertebrates make up the bulk of the endemic fauna. They include freshwater sponges, annelid worms, molluscs terrestrial and freshwater, arachnids, scorpions and mygales of this many vicariant to the mygales of Queensland. There are fourteen endemic species of decapod crustaceans in rivers and lakes.

Mites, Pauropodes, Isopoda, Collembola and several families of Coleoptera and Homoptera inhabit the island.

Insects include Diptera, Lepidoptera, Psocoptera, Odonata, Ephemeroptera, Trichoptera, Dermaptera, Giant Coconut Grasshopper (Pseudophyllanax Montrouzier imperialis.) There are 521 species of Lepidopter, with 197 endemic (38%), notably the giant butterfly Montrouzier (Papilio montrouzieri Boisduval).