Vol 3 Land Resource Inventory Report - Department of Environment ...

Land Mammals of the Fiji Islands
Alifereti Naikatini & Posa A. Skelton
Introduction
Mammals of the class Mammalia belong to the phylum Chordata of the Animalia
kingdom. They are characterised by many traits of which sweat glands (including
mammary glands in female), air-breathing, and giving birth to live young (except the five
species of monotremes that lay eggs). About 5,400 species in about 1,200 genera are
known ranging from the smallest at 3cm (a bat) to the largest at 33m (blue-whale). The
mammalian orders that are found in Fiji include Rodentia (mice, rats), Chiroptera (bats),
Carnivora (dogs, cats, mongoose), Perissodactyla (horse), Certartiopdactyla (whales) and
Primates (human). The Certartiopdactyla is covered separately from the land mammals in
this Inventory. The primates and some of the domesticated mammals (e.g. cattles, dogs,
cats, etc.) are noted in this brief, although no detailed information is provided with
regards to their status and diversity.
Fiji’s native mammals
Isolated islands with recent geological history such as those of Fiji do not have the
diverse mammal fauna that occurs on continental landmasses. Fiji‘s land or terrestrial
native mammals are few comprising entirely of six bat and flying fox species. (Alifereti –
are there any extinct mammals?)
Other non-native mammals were introduced by the early inhabitants of the islands (e.g.
rats, pigs, dogs,) and subsequent voyages. Domestic animals (cattle, goat, deer, sheep)
were introduced for various reasons, including economic agricultural development.
Fiji’s introduced species
Since the islands were first inhabited a number of introduced mammals were brought
along either deliberately for food or accidentally (as stow-aways). Most of the mammals
have had devastating impacts on the land, including extirpating some of the native
ground-nesting birds. Some of the introductions include the three species of rats: the
Polynesian rat (Rattus exulans) brought by early inhabitants; the Brown rat (Rattus
norgegicus); and the Black rat (Rattus rattus). The latter two rat species were brought
probably by European sea-voyagers, as was the House mouse (Mus musculus). Pigs (Sus
scrofa) were brought by the first inhabitants, most probably for food; however, many
become feral causing serious damage to the forest. Another unfortunate introduction to
Fiji was the Indian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus) that was introduced in 1883
from the West Indies to control rats in sugar cane fields. Fortunately, the devastation
caused by this pest has not yet made it to many of the outer islands (e.g. Taveuni), and
efforts should be made to continue to keep these islands mongoose-free. Deer (Dama
dama) were introduced to Wakaya island, as were goats (Capra hircus) and cats (Felis
catus) to some islands. Horses were introduced probably by the missionaries in the
1860s, and were illustrated in a wooden engraving in Reverend James Calvert‘s book
‗Fiji and Fijians: v. 2 Mission history‘, it was said to have caused such a fright to the
natives.
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