Marshall Islands Biodiversity CHM

Scientific name: Balaenoptera edeni
English name: Bryde's whale
Marshallese name: raj
Atoll workshop: Lae, Namdrik (with fishes, no distinction made as to species)
Traditional use: food

Scientific name: Balaenoptera musculus
English name: blue whale
Marshallese name: raj
Status or range: endangered, RMI, globally
Atoll workshop: Lae, Namdrik (with fishes, no distinction made as to species)
Traditional use: food

Scientific name: Balaenoptera physalus
English name: fin whale
Marshallese name: raj
Atoll workshop: Lae, Namdrik (with fishes, no distinction made as to species)
Traditional use: food

Scientific name: Balaenoptera acutorostrata
English name: minke whale
Marshallese name: raj
Atoll workshop: Lae, Namdrik (with fishes, no distinction made as to species)
Traditional use: food

Scientific name: Megaptera novaengliae
English name: humpback whale
Marshallese name: raj
Status or range: endangered, U.S.
Atoll workshop: Lae, Namdrik (with fishes, no distinction made as to species)
Traditional use: food

Suborder Odontoceti

Family Physteridae (sperm whales)

Scientific name: Physeter macrocephalus
English name: sperm whale
Marshallese name: raj
Status or range: endangered, RMI, U.S., globally
Atoll workshop: Lae, Namdrik (with fishes, no distinction made as to species)
Traditional use: food

Scientific name: Kogia simus
English name: dwarf sperm whale
Marshallese name: ?

Scientific name: Kogia brevicepps
English name: pygmy sperm whale
Marshallese name: ?

Scientific name: Family Delphinidae
English name: (dolphins, small toothed whales)

Scientific name: Peponocephala electra
English name: melon-headed whale
Marshallese name: ?

Scientific name: Feresa attenuata
English name: pygmy killer whale
Marshallese name: ?

Scientific name: Pseudorca crassidens
English name: false killer whale
Marshallese name: ?

Scientific name: Orcinus orca
English name: killer whale
Marshallese name: ?

Scientific name: Globicephala macrorhynchus
English name: short-finned pilot whale
Marshallese name: ?

Scientific name: Lagenodelphis hosei
English name: Eraser's dolphin
Marshallese name: ?

Scientific name: Grampus griseus
English name: Risso's dolphin
Marshallese name: ?

Scientific name: Stenella longirostris
English name: long-snouted spinner dolphin
Marshallese name: ke

Scientific name: Stenella coeruleoalba
English name: striped dolphin
Marshallese name: ke

Scientific name: Stenella altenuata
English name: pantropical spotted dolphin
Marshallese name: ke

Scientific name: Delphinus delphis
English name: common dolphin
Marshallese name: ke

Scientific name: Tursiops truncatus
English name: bottlenose dolphin
Marshallese name: ke

Scientific name: Steno bredanensis
English name: rough-toothed dolphin
Marshallese name: ?

Family Ziphidae (beaked whales)

Scientific name: Ziphius cavirostris
English name: Cuvier's beaked whale
Marshallese name: ?

Scientific name: Mesoplodon stejnegeri
English name: Stejneger's beaked whale
Marshallese name: ?

Scientific name: Mesoplodon densirostris
English name: Blainville's beaked whale
Marshallese name: ?

Scientific name: Mesoplodon ginkgodens
English name: ginkgo-toothed beaked whale
Marshallese name: ?

Suborder Pinnedia (seals)

Family Phocidae (true seals; unidentified seals have been recorded in the Marshalls, likely 1 of the 2 listed species, or both)

Scientific name: Mirounga angustirostris
English name: Northern elephant seal
Marshallese name: ?
Status or range: protected by mexican and californian law

Scientific name: Monochus schauinslandi
English name: Hawaiian monk seal
Marshallese name: ?
Status or range: endangered in Hawaii

TERRESTRIAL

Order Insectivora (insectivores)

Scientific name: Suncus murinus
English name: house shrew
Marshallese name: kijidrik ekun batun
Status or range: recently introduced, preys on skinks, mice, young rats

Order Rodentia (rodents)

Scientific name: Mus musculus
English name: house mouse
Marshallese name: kijidrik erik
Status or range: recently introduced

Scientific name: Rattus norvegicus
English name: Norway rat
Marshallese name: kijidrik
Status or range: recently introduced into Micronesia, met with environmental resistance

Scientific name: Ratlus exulans
English name: Polynesian rat
Marshallese name: kijidrik
Status or range: prehistorically introduced
Atoll workshop: Namdrik (no distinction made as to species)
Traditional use: medicine

Scientific name: Raltus rattus
English name: "indigenous" rat; "European" rat, roof rat
Marshallese name: kijidrik
Status or range: subspecies mansorius, prehististorically introduced; subspecies rattus recently introduced, major pest
Atoll workshop: Namdrik (no distinction made as to species)
Traditional use: medicine

Order Carnivora (carnivores)

Family Canidae (dogs)

Scientific name: Canis familiaris
English name: domestic dog
Marshallese name: kiru, kiru rorror
Status or range: introduced, prehistorically, recently; potential pest
Atoll workshop: Namdrik
Traditional use: food, income, guard, pet

Family Felidae (cats)

Scientific name: Felis catus
English name: domestic cat
Marshallese name: kuj
Status or range: introduced, potential pest
Atoll workshop: Namdrik
Traditional use: weather forecasting, pet

Order Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)

Family Suidae (pigs)

Scientific name: Sus scrofa
English name: domestic pig
Marshallese name: pik
Status or range: prehistorically introduced, pest
Atoll workshop: Namdrik
Traditional use: food, income, pet

Family Bovidae (horned ruminates)

Scientific name: Capra hircus
English name: domestic goat
Marshallese name: kot
Status or range: potential pest

REFERENCES

Abo, Takaji, Byron W. Bender, Alfred Capelle, and Tony DeBrum 1985. Marshallese-English Dictionary, third edition. University of Hawai'i Press, Honolulu, Hawaii

Barbehenn, Kyle R. 1974. Recent Invasions of Micronesia by Small Mammals. Micronesica, No. 10 (1), pp. 41-50

Bourne, W. R. P. 1981. Rats as Avian Predators: Discussion. Atoll Research Bulletin, No. 255, pp. 69-71

Buden, Donald W. 1995. Reptiles, Birds and Mammals of Mokil and Pingelap Atolls, Eastern Caroline Islands. Micronesica, Vol. 28 (1), pp. 9-23

_______ 1996b. Reptiles, Birds and Mammals of Ant Atoll, Eastern Caroline Islands. Micronesica, Vol. 29 (1), pp. 21-36

Reese, Ernst S 1987b Mammals of Enewetak Atoll, in Devaney, Dennis M., Ernst S. Reese, Beatrice L Burch, and Philip Helfrich (eds.).The Natural History ol Enewetak Atoll, Vol. II, Biogeography and Syslematics. United States Department of Energy, Washington, D.C.

Reeves, Randall R., Brent S. Steward and Stephen Leatherwood 1992.The Sierra Club Handbook of Seals and Sirenians. Sierra Club Books, San Francisco

Republic of the Marshall Islands Environmental Protection Authority 1997. Collected Environmental Regulations. Majuro, Marshall Islands

Republic ot the Marshall Islands Nitijela 1997. Marshall Islands Marine Resources Act, Bill No. 88. Majuro, Marshall Islands

_______ 1988. Marshall Islands Revised Code, 1996c. Reptiles, Birds and Mammals of Pakin Atoll,Vol. I and II. Majuro, Marshall Islands Eastern Caroline Islands. Micronesica, Vol. 29 (1), pp. 37-48

Domm, Steven and John Messersmith 1990. Feral Cat Eradication on a Barrier Reef Island, Australia. Atoll Research Bulletin, No. 338, pp. 1-4

Eldredge, Lucius G.1990. Annotated Checklist of Marine Mammals of Micronesia. Micronesica, Vol. 24 (2), pp. 217-230

Jackson, William B. 1967. Productivity in High and Low Islands with Special Emphasis to Rodent Populations. Micronesica, Vol. 3 (1), pp. 5-13

Jackson, William B, Stephen H.Vessey, and Robert K. Bastian 1987. Biology of Rodents of Enewetak Atoll, in Devaney, Dennis M., Ernst S. Reese, Beatrice L. Burch, and Philip Helfrich (eds.). The Natural History of Enewetak Atoll, Vol. I, The Ecosystems: Environments, Biotas, and Processes. United States Department of Energy, Washington, D.C.

International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Marshall, Joe T. Jr. 1950. Vertebrate Ecology of Arno Atoll. Atoll Research Bulletin, No. 3, pp. 1-38

_______ 1957. Atolls visited during the first year of the Pacific Rat Ecology Project. Atoll Research Bulletin, No. 56. pp. 1-11

Spennerman. Dirk H. R. 1997. Distribution of Rat Species (Rattus sp.) on the Atolls of the Marshall Islands; Past and Present Dispersal. Atoll Research Bulletin. No. 446, pp. 1-18

Tinker, Spencer Wilkie 1988. Whales of the World. Bess Press Inc. Honolulu, Hawaii

U.S. Fish and Wildlife 1996a. Pacific Islands (excluding Hawaii) Plants and Animals: Updated March 1, 1996. Listed, Proposed or Candidate Species, as Designated under the U.S. endangered Species Act.

________ 1996b. Candidates of endangered Species Act Protection�1996 Notice of Review. Q's and A's

_________ 1997. Hawaiian Islands Animals. Listed and Candidate Species, as Designated under the U. S. endangered Species Act.

Wildlife and Fisheries 1997. Code of Federal Regulations 50, parts 1-199. U. S, Government Printing Office. Washington, D.C.

Wiles, Gary J., A. Binion Amerson Jr. and Robert E. Beck 1990. The Mammals of Tinian, Mariana Islands. Micronesica, Vol. 23 (2), pp. 107-118

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