French Southern and Antarctic Lands
Birds
unique to this
overseas territory of France
include the Amsterdam Albatross (ARKive),
the Kerguelen Pintail (AMAPOF),
and the Kerguelen Shag (IPEV).
MacGillivray's Prion Pachyptila
macgillivrayi (Philatélie
des TAAF)
is sometimes considered a full species distinct from
the Medium-billed Prion Pachyptila
salvini. The Amsterdam Duck Anas marecula (Smithsonian
pdf file) probably became extinct in the 18th century. Endemic
subspecies include the Europa White-eye (Conservation
Nature), Europa's race of the
White-tailed Tropicbird (Trevor
Hardaker), and the Kerguelen Lesser Sheathbill (AMAPOF).
Reptiles restricted to the territory include three species of
snake-eyed skinks, all sometimes considered subspecies of Cryptoblepharus boutonii:
Cryptoblepharus
bitaeniatus from Europa (Conservation
Nature), Cryptoblepharus
gloriosus from Glorioso Island (BHL),
and Cryptoblepharus
caudatus from Juan de Nova Island (SysTax).
The other endemic reptiles are the
Insular Dwarf Gecko Lygodactylus
insularis from Juan de Nova (SysTax),
a skink Amphiglossus
(or Scelotes)
valhallae
from Glorioso (fig. 5 at BHL),
and another skink Mabuya
infralineata
from Europa (Conservation
Nature) which is sometimes considered a subspecies of Mabuya comorensis (Biodiversity
Comores).
Marine fish known only from the French Southern and Antarctic Lands
include the Deep-water Spiny Plunderfish Harpagifer spinosus
(Philatélie
des TAAF), the Kerguelen Sandpaper Skate Bathyraja irrasa (eol), the
Sailfish Pike Channichthys
velifer (flores.by.ru),
and the icefish Channichthys
bospori, Channichthys
panticapaei, and Channichthys
aelitae
(all at flores.by.ru).
Insects found solely in the Crozet Islands include a weevil Christiansenia dreuxi
(Philatélie
des TAAF), a ground beetle Amblystogenium pacificum
(aramel.free.fr),
a gnat bug Phtirocoris
antarcticus (Philatélie
des TAAF), and a non-biting midge Microzetia mirabilis
(Insects
on Stamps). A marine invertebrate known only from Glorioso
Island is the coneshell Conus
veillardi (Conus
Biodiversity). Endemic invertebrates from Europa include a
termite Neotermes
europae (p. 3 of IRD
pdf file), a cockroach Elliptorhina
lefeuvri (Blattodea
Species File), and a leafcutter bee Megachile pauliani (Discover
Life).
The only endemic species of vascular plant is Lyallia kerguelensis
(flickr)
from Kerguelen. A non-vascular plant unique to Kerguelen is a
lichen Neuropogon
taylori (Philatélie
des TAAF).
Terrestrial ecoregions in the French Southern and Antarctic Lands
include Southern Indian Ocean Islands Tundra (EoE),
Amsterdam and Saint-Paul Islands Temperate Grasslands (EoE),
and Ile Europa and Bassas da India Xeric Scrub (EoE).
For details on the fauna of Tromelin, Europa, Juan de Nova,
and Glorioso see (p. 61 of ETIC
pdf file).