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List of mammals of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands facts for kids

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The Cocos (Keeling) Islands are a small group of islands in the Indian Ocean. They are located between Australia and Sri Lanka. This article tells you about the different kinds of mammals that live there. Most mammals found here are marine mammals, like whales and dolphins. There are only two types of land mammals, and they are not currently in danger.

Scientists and conservation groups keep track of how many animals are left in the wild. This helps us know if an animal needs protection. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) uses special categories to describe how safe or endangered a species is.

Understanding Conservation Status

Here are the main categories used to describe how safe a mammal species is:

EX Extinct This means the last animal of that species has died. It's gone forever.
EW Extinct in the wild These animals only live in zoos or special protected areas. They don't live in nature anymore.
CR Critically endangered These animals are in extreme danger of disappearing from the wild very soon.
EN Endangered These animals face a very high risk of disappearing from the wild.
VU Vulnerable These animals are facing a high risk of disappearing from the wild in the future.
NT Near threatened These animals are not in immediate danger, but they might be in the future.
LC Least concern These animals are common and not currently at risk.
DD Data deficient We don't have enough information to know if these animals are at risk or not.

Some animals were assessed a while ago using slightly different categories. You might see these instead of "Near threatened" or "Least concern":

LR/cd Lower risk/conservation dependent These animals needed special help to survive. If that help stopped, they might be in danger again.
LR/nt Lower risk/near threatened These animals are almost "Vulnerable," but they don't have special conservation programs yet.
LR/lc Lower risk/least concern These animals are not at risk.

Mammals of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Order: Chiroptera (Bats)

Bats are amazing mammals because they are the only ones that can truly fly! Their front limbs have become wings. About one out of every five mammal species in the world is a bat.

  • Family: Molossidae (Free-tailed bats)
    • Genus: Chaerephon
      • Wrinkle-lipped free-tailed bat, Chaerephon plicata LC
  • Family: Vespertilionidae (Vespers bats)
    • Subfamily: Vespertilioninae

Order: Cetacea (Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises)

The Cetacea group includes all whales, dolphins, and porpoises. These mammals are perfectly suited for life in the water. They have sleek, almost hairless bodies, a thick layer of blubber for warmth, and their front limbs and tails are shaped to help them swim fast underwater.

* Omura's whale, Balaenoptera omurai (possible) DD

  • Suborder: Odontoceti (Toothed whales)
    • Superfamily: Platanistoidea
      • Family: Ziphidae (Beaked whales)
        • Subfamily: Hyperoodontinae

* Genus: Mesoplodon ** Blainville's beaked whale, Mesoplodon densirostris DD

* Pygmy killer whale, Feresa attenuata DD

Order: Sirenia (Sea Cows)

Dugongs are sometimes called "sea cows" because they graze on seagrass. The dugong is not originally from the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. However, one dugong started living in the southern lagoon of the islands in 2002.

  • Family: Dugongidae

See also

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