The term island raccoons is used as a generic term for four endangered and one (or two) extinct subspecies or species of raccoon ( Procyon ) endemic on small Mexican and Caribbean islands, such as Cozumel and Guadeloupe. [1] Other subspecies of raccoon living on islands, like that of the common raccoon (Procyon lotor) native to the Florida Keys, are generally not included under this term, since it was established at a time when all five (or six) "island raccoons" were considered distinct species. The five (or six) populations are:
After studies of their morphological and genetic traits in 1999, 2003 and 2005, only the Cozumel raccoon is still considered a distinct species, while the others were classified as subspecies of the common raccoon in the third edition of Mammal Species of the World published in 2005. [2] [3] [4] It is assumed that the four (or five) other island forms were introduced to their respective islands just a few centuries ago, probably by humans. [2] The Guadeloupe raccoon is even considered of the same species as the similar Bahamian raccoon. Its former scientific name Procyon (lotor) minor is listed as a synonym for Procyon lotor maynardi. [4]
Apart from the comparatively large Tres Marias raccoon, all island raccoons are smaller than an average-sized common raccoon, making them examples of insular dwarfism. With a weight between 3 and 4 kg (6.6–8.8 lbs), the Cozumel raccoon is the smallest type of raccoon, except for Procyon lotor auspicatus endemic on Key Vaca in the Florida Keys. [3] While a short and delicate skull is all in common except for the Tres Marias raccoon, the noticeable small teeth of the Cozumel raccoon suggest that it was separated from the mainland form long ago. The coat color of all island raccoons is gray or dark gray and on the underparts only few guard hairs cover the light brown ground hairs.
The last sighting of the Barbados raccoon occurred in 1964, when one specimen was killed by a car on a road near Bathsheba. [5] All four extant populations were classified as endangered by the IUCN in 1996, since less than 2,500 mature individuals were living in the wild and the population numbers continue to decline. [6] [7] [8] [9] Katherine W. McFadden gives an estimated number of fewer than 194 mature individuals of the Cozumel raccoons in her dissertation and argues that it should be even classified as critically endangered. [10] Apart from the fact that the Guadeloupe raccoon has been chosen as an emblematic species for Guadeloupe National Park, no conservation efforts have been made to protect these populations from extinction. Habitat destruction and hunting are the biggest threats to their survival. Considering their small ranges, they were most likely never numerous. While Kristofer M. Helgen and Don E. Wilson, who have done the most recent research about island raccoons, are of the opinion that the Cozumel raccoon should be considered a high conservation priority, the other three subspecies may themselves pose a threat to the insular ecosystem as invasive species. [2] [3]
The white-nosed coati, also known as the coatimundi, is a species of coati and a member of the family Procyonidae. Local Spanish names for the species include antoon, gato solo, pizote, and tejón, depending upon the region. It weighs about 4–6 kg (8.8–13.2 lb), and the nose-to-tail length of the species is about 110 cm (3.6 ft) with about half of that being the tail length. However, small females can weigh as little as 3.1 kg (6.8 lb), while large males can weigh as much as 9 kg (20 lb).
Procyonidae is a New World family of the order Carnivora. It includes the raccoons, ringtails, cacomistles, coatis, kinkajous, olingos, and olinguitos. Procyonids inhabit a wide range of environments and are generally omnivorous.
Procyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals comprising three species commonly known as raccoons in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon, is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and less well known. Genetic studies have shown that the closest relatives of raccoons are the ring-tailed cats and cacomistles of genus Bassariscus, from which they diverged about 10 million years ago.
The Tres Marias raccoon is a subspecies of the common raccoon endemic on the two main islands of the Islas Marías, an archipelago off the western coast of the Mexican state of Nayarit. Although sometimes considered to be a valid species, the Tres Marias raccoon is now regarded to be a subspecies of the common raccoon, introduced to the Islas Marías in the recent past. It is slightly larger than the common raccoon and has a distinctive angular skull. There are fewer than 250 mature individuals on the islands, they are hunted by the islanders and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated their conservation status as being "endangered".
The Barbados raccoon is an extinct subspecies of the common raccoon, that was endemic on Barbados in the Lesser Antilles until 1964.
The Cozumel coati, or Cozumel Island coati, is a coati from the Mexican island of Cozumel, in the Caribbean Sea. It is in the family Procyonidae, which also includes raccoons, olingos, and kinkajous.
The Cozumel raccoon is a critically endangered species of island raccoon endemic on Cozumel Island off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. It is sometimes also called the pygmy raccoon, dwarf raccoon, Cozumel Island raccoon, and Cozumel raccoon bear.
The fauna of Barbados comprises all the animal species inhabiting the island of Barbados and its surrounding waters. Barbados has less biodiversity than the other Antilles. Human activities are responsible for the change in the composition of the fauna, in particular, the replacement of native species. Species that are able to adapt to human presence have survived.
The Guadeloupe raccoon is a common raccoon subspecies endemic to the two main islands of Guadeloupe in the Lesser Antilles.
Cyclura rileyi, commonly known as the Bahamian rock iguana or the San Salvador rock iguana, is a critically endangered species of lizard in the family Iguanidae. The species is native to three island groups in the Bahamas, and is in decline due to habitat encroachment by human development and predation by feral dogs and cats. There are three subspecies: the Acklins ground iguana, the White Cay iguana, and the nominotypical subspecies.
The Ceram fruit bat or Seram flying fox is a species of megabat in the family Pteropodidae. It is endemic to the mountainous forests of two Maluku islands, Buru and Seram, including the Manusela National Park on Seram. They were once present on the nearby Ambon Island, but probably not anymore. The habitat has an area of less than 20,000 km2, and is decreasing due to logging. For this reason, and because of hunting by the local population, these species are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN since 1996.
The Bahamian raccoon, also called Bahama raccoon or Bahamas raccoon, is a subspecies of the common raccoon endemic on the New Providence Island in the Bahamas. The subspecies name, maynardi, comes from Charles Johnson Maynard, an American naturalist.
The Tres Marias cottontail or Tres Marias rabbit is a species of mammal in the family Leporidae.
The raccoon, also spelled racoon and sometimes called the common raccoon or northern raccoon to distinguish it from the other species, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest of the procyonid family, having a body length of 40 to 70 cm, and a body weight of 5 to 26 kg. Its grayish coat mostly consists of dense underfur, which insulates it against cold weather. The animal's most distinctive features include its extremely dexterous front paws, its facial mask, and its ringed tail, which are common themes in the mythologies of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas surrounding the species. The raccoon is noted for its intelligence, and studies show that it is able to remember the solution to tasks for at least three years. It is usually nocturnal and omnivorous, eating about 40% invertebrates, 33% plants, and 27% vertebrates.
A unique and diverse albeit phylogenetically restricted mammal fauna is known from the Caribbean region. The region—specifically, all islands in the Caribbean Sea and the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Islands, and Barbados, which are not in the Caribbean Sea but biogeographically belong to the same Caribbean bioregion—has been home to several families found nowhere else, but much of this diversity is now extinct.
The Bahama nuthatch is a nuthatch species endemic to the pineyards of Grand Bahama island in the Bahamas. It may be extinct as of 2019.
The northern hog badger is a species of mustelid native to South and East Asia.
The Sumatran hog badger is a species of mustelid endemic to the island of Sumatra in Indonesia.
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(help) (Dissertation at the Columbia University)