Alopochen mauritianus

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Bibliography

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	ANSERIFORMES	ANATIDAE

Scientific Name:

Alopochen mauritianus

Species Authority:

(Newton & Gadow, 1893)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Mauritian Shelduck, Mauritius Shelduck

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Extinct ver 3.1

Year Published:

2008

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Bird, J., Butchart, S.

History:

2004	–	Extinct
2000	–	Extinct
1994	–	Extinct
1988	–	Extinct

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Alopochen mauritianus was endemic to Mauritius¹. Although the only specimens of the species are two carpometacarpii², it is known from numerous travellers' reports¹. By 1693, the species was rare and, by 1698, it was extinct¹.
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	In 1681, it was noted¹ to be plentiful "in the woods or dry ponds".
Systems:	Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	It was presumably heavily hunted because it was described as "not large, but fat and good".

Major Threat(s):

It was presumably heavily hunted because it was described as "not large, but fat and good".

Bibliography [top]

	Cheke, A. S. 1987. An ecological history of the Mascarene Islands, with particular reference to extinctions and introductions of land vertebrates. In: Diamond, A.W. (ed.), Studies of Mascarene island birds, pp. 5-89. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, U.K. Cowles, G. S. 1987. The fossil record. In: Diamond, A.W. (ed.), Studies of Mascarene Island birds, pp. 90-100. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, U.K.

Cheke, A. S. 1987. An ecological history of the Mascarene Islands, with particular reference to extinctions and introductions of land vertebrates. In: Diamond, A.W. (ed.), Studies of Mascarene island birds, pp. 5-89. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, U.K.

Cowles, G. S. 1987. The fossil record. In: Diamond, A.W. (ed.), Studies of Mascarene Island birds, pp. 90-100. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, U.K.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2008. Alopochen mauritianus. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 24 May 2012.
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