ENDEMIC ANIMALS

Red headed Japanese wood pigeon

Latin name: Columba Janthina Nitens

Estimated population: 100

Confirmed habitat: Chichijima, Hahajima, Otoutojima

This critically endangered endemic sub species of the Japanese wood pigeon was facing a strong threat from habitat loss and was almost completely reduced due to mainly falling prey to wild cats on Chichijima island. With a significant effort, the numbers have been returning slightly owing to the reduction of feral cats and the establishment of a shielded sanctuary for the species.

Bonin white-eye

Latin name: Apalopteron familiare
Japanese name: 母島メグロ
Estimated population: 40-60
Confirmed habitat: Hahajima, Iwojima 

The Bonin white-eye or Hahajima meguro is a small songbird endemic to the Bonin Islands. Currently it is the only species in the genus Apalopteron. Taxonomically it wasplaced with the bulbuls, babblers and more recently with the honeyeaters, during which it was known as the Bonin honeyeater. Since 1995 it is known to be a white-eye in the family Zosteropidae, that is closely related to the golden white-eye of the Marianas Islands.

Bonin flying fox

Latin name: 
Japanese name: オガサワラカワラヒワ
Estimated population: 100-200
Confirmed habitat: Chichijima, Hahajima, Iwojima

The Bonin flying fox, Bonin fruit bat, or in Japanese Ogasawara giant bat is a species of flying fox in the family Pteropodidae. It is endemic to Bonin Islands. Its natural habitat is subtropical forests. It is threatened by habitat loss and there are only a limited number of individuals left in the world.

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