Mundia elpenor

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• Classification Schemes
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• Bibliography
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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	GRUIFORMES	RALLIDAE

Scientific Name:	Mundia elpenor
Species Authority:	(Olson, 1973)
Common Name/s: English – Ascension Crake, Ascension Flightless Crake

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:	Atlantisia elpenor was endemic to Ascension Island (to UK) from where it is known from numerous bones1, and Mundy's description and sketch from 16562. Its extinction was probably caused by the introduction of rats to the island in the 18th century, although it may have survived until the introduction of cats in 18152.
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It presumably lived in the near-desert interior of the island, feeding primarily on Sooty Tern Sterna fuscata eggs2.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):

Its extinction was probably caused by the introduction of rats and cats2.

Bibliography [top]

Ashmole, N. P. 1963. Subfossil bird remains on Ascension Island. Ibis 103b: 382-389. Olson, S. L. 1973. Evolution of the rails of the South Atlantic Islands (Aves: Rallidae). Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 152: 1-53.