Mammal, reptile & amphibian checklists

  Common and Samoan names Scientific name Origin1
MAMMALS
Bats      
  Samoan fruit bat2 (pe’a vao) Pteropus samoensis N
  White-naped fruit bat2,3 (pe’a fanua) Pteropus tonganus N
  Sheath-tailed bat (pe’ape’avai) Emballonura semicaudata N
Rodents    
  Polynesian rat (isumu) Rattus exulans PI
  Roof rat (isumu) Rattus rattus MI
  Norway rat (isumu) Rattus norvegicus MI
  House mouse (isumu) Mus musculus MI
Others    
  Pig (pua’a) Sus scrofa PI
  Dogs Canis familiaris PI
  Cats Felis domesticus MI

Marine mammals (incomplete listing)

   
  Humpback whale (tafola) Megaptera novaeangliae N
  Sperm whale Physeter catodon N
  Dolphins   N
REPTILES
Sea turtles    
  Hawksbill sea turtle (laumei uga) Eretmochelys imbricata N
  Green sea turtle (laumei ena’ena, fonu) Chelonia mydas N
  Leatherback sea turtle4    
Geckos    
  Pelagic gecko (mo'o) Cyrtodactylus pelagicus N
  Polynesian gecko (mo'o) Gehyra oceanica N
  Mourning gecko (mo'o) Lepidodactylus lugubris N
  Stump-toed gecko (mo'o) Peropus mutilatus N
  House gecko (mo'o) Hemidactylus frenatus MI
Skinks    
  Snake-eyed skink (pili) Ablepharus boutonii N
  Micronesian skink (pili) Emoia adspersa N
  Azure-tailed skink (pili) Emoia cyanura N
  Lawes skink (pili oua) Emoia lawesii N
  Black skink (pili uli) Emoia nigra N
  Samoan skink (pili lape) Emoia samoensis N
  Moth skink (pili) Lipinia noctua N
Snakes    
  Pacific boa5 (gata) Candoia bibroni N
  Blind burrowing snake6 Typhlops braminus MI
AMPHIBIANS
  Marine toad6(lage) Bufo marinus MI
 
 
 

Footnotes:

1 N = native, PI = Polynesian introduction, MI = modern introduction
2 Also known as flying foxes
3Also known as white-necked, Tongan or insular fruit bat
4A juvenile was caught on longline gear near Swains in 1993.
5Ta'u Island
6 Tutuila Island

 

 

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National Park of American Samoa
Pago Pago, American Samoa 96799
Dept. Marine and Wildlife Resources
Box 3730, Pago Pago, American Samoa

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Peter_Craig@nps.gov, Editor