Christmas Island Flying-fox
EPBC Status: Critically endangered
SPRAT Species Profile: Christmas Island Flying-fox
Found in: Christmas Island (Indian Ocean Territories)
Threatened Species Strategy Scorecards:
Christmas Island Flying-fox Year 3 scorecard 2018 (PDF - 439.19 KB)
Christmas Island Flying-fox Year 3 scorecard 2018 (DOCX - 300.89 KB)
Year 3 Scorecard Summary (2018)
The Christmas Island Flying-fox is the last remaining endemic mammal persisting on Christmas Island. Roughly a quarter of the species’ habitat has been lost since the late 1880s due to mining and other developments. Ongoing threats include predation by feral cats, poisoning from environmental contaminants and physical disturbance and habitat change caused by Yellow Crazy Ants.
Conservation management is carried out by Parks Australia and overseen by the Christmas Island Flying-fox Advisory Panel and has focused on control of introduced animals and habitat restoration. Over 1000 feral cats have been culled since 2010 and there have been major control efforts for Yellow Crazy Ants. These actions have benefited a number of threatened species including the Christmas Island Flying-fox. Rehabilitation of nearly 200 ha of rainforest habitat over former mine sites since 1989 has included plantings of specific native fruiting trees to provision frugivores, including the Christmas Island Flying-fox. This species has been the subject of an intensive research effort over the last few years that has helped clarify population status, habitat use and threats. Work is ongoing to identify the main threats to the species and to prioritise management options to support recovery.
Further information
- Threatened species strategy
- 20 birds by 2020
- 20 mammals by 2020
- 30 plants by 2020
- Three year review of progress on priority bird and mammal species
Please note that this scorecard is due for review in Year 5 of the Threatened Species Strategy (2020). If you would like to contribute information on this species please provide your contact details to ThreatenedSpeciesCommissioner@awe.gov.au
Photo credit: © Inger Vandyke