Papua New Guinea

A spectacular bird fauna includes a dozen species of birds of paradise found nowhere else including the Raggiana Bird-of-paradise (ARKive), the Ribbon-tailed Astrapia (ARKive), the Six-wired Bird-of-paradise (ARKive), and the Blue Bird-of-paradise (ARKive). Other endemic birds include the Fire-maned Bowerbird (ARKive), the Superb Pitta (ARKive), the Brown-headed Paradise Kingfisher (Surfbirds), the Blue-eyed Cockatoo (WPT), the Purple-bellied Lory (WPT), the New Britain Hawk-Owl (IBC), the Starry Owlet-nightjar (ARKive), the Manus Fantail (BirdLife Int'l), and the recently described Odedi Cettia haddeni (Avibirds).

Mammals unique to PNG include the Huon Tree Kangaroo (ARKive), the Tenkile (TCA), the Lowland Tree Kangaroo (PapuaWeb), the Papuan Forest Wallaby (Planet' Mammiferes), the Black Forest Wallaby (Planet' Mammiferes), Bulmer’s Fruit Bat (EDGE), the Bismarck Flying Fox (ARKive), the New Guinea Big-eared Bat (EDGE), the Bronze Quoll (UNSW), the Painted Ringtail (AMNH), the Woodlark Island Cuscus (Mammalian Species pdf file), Tate’s Triok (ARKive), the Fly River Water Rat (flickr), and the Giant Bandicoot (AMNH 4 MB pdf file).

Reptiles known only from PNG include the Striped Crown Snake (Bishop Museum), the Mount Rossel Forest Snake (Bishop Museum), the Bismarck Sharp-nosed Blindsnake (Bishop Museum), the Papuan Tree Snake (Bishop Museum), the East Papuan Keelback (Bishop Museum), the Fergusson Island Monitor (Varanus.nl), the Papua Forest Dragon (Bishop Museum), the Red-eyed Crocodile Skink (CalPhotos), the Slender Litter Skink (Bishop Museum), Pritchard's Snake-necked Turtle (eol), and the Variegated Giant Softshell Turtle Pelochelys signifera (WCT). Representing endemic genera are the Bismarck Ringed Python (Reptile Database), the Bougainville Coral Snake (Museum Victoria), and the Fojia Skink (Bishop Museum).

A rich variety of endemic frogs includes the Menawa Mountain Frog (Bishop Museum), Siegfried's Rainforest Frog (ARKive), the New Britain Land Frog (ARKive), Doria's Callulops Frog (Bishop Museum), the Michael Rainforest Frog (ARKive), the Milne Bay Mehely Frog (Bishop Museum), the Alotau Land Frog (Bishop Museum), a cross frog Oreophryne ezra (BBC), the Morobe Big-eyed Treefrog (Bishop Museum), the Rossell Island Treefrog (Bishop Museum), and the Pomugu Wrinkled Ground Frog (ARKive). Endemic genera include Barygenys (Bishop Museum), Genyophryne (Bishop Museum), and the world's smallest frogs Paedophryne (ScienceDaily)(BBC) .

Freshwater fish restricted to PNG include the Popondetta Blue-eye (IUCN Red List), the Lake Kutubu Rainbowfish (ARKive), the Lake Wanam Rainbowfish (ARKive), the Oktedi Rainbowfish (ARKive), and a blind sleeper goby Oxyeleotris caeca (p. 65 of Bishop Museum pdf file). Endemic genera include the Kiunga Blue-eye (ARKive), the Peacock Gudgeon (petfish.net), and a worm goby Gymnoamblyopus (FishBase). Endemic marine fish include the Sailback Houndshark (eol), Colin's Damsel (eol), Collette’s Blenny (eol), and the Tiny New Guinea Longtail Dragonet (eol).

Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing (ARKive) is the world's largest butterfly. Other endemic butterflies include Papilio weymeri (EntomID-PNG), Parantica rotundata (EntomID-PNG), and Parelodina aroa (EntomID-PNG). Other endemic arthropods include a longhorned beetle Rosenbergia straussi (Living Jewels), a jewel beetle Calodema ribbei (Coleop-Terra), a weevil Eupholus quintaenia (Living Jewels), a flower beetle Ischiopsopha jamesi (IFTA), a stalk-eyed fly Achias rothschildi (NHM-London), a damselfly Argiolestes annulipes (p. 60 of Bishop Museum pdf file), a jumping spider Tabuina varirata (CI), and a crayfish Cherax papuanus (ARKive). Endemic land snails include the Manus Green Tree Snail (PNG Snails), Paryphantopsis misimensis (flickr), Papustyla hindei (PNG Snails), and Rhynchotrochus louisiadensis (flickr). Endemic nudibranchs include Phyllidia goslineri (Sea Slug Forum) and Aegires petalis (Sea Slug Forum).

Orchids exclusive to PNG include Dendrobium engae (IOPSE), Cadetia collina (PNG Orchid News), the night-flowering Bulbophyllum nocturnum (Kew), and the endemic genus Ophioglossella (Malesian Orchid Genera). Endemic palms include Calyptrocalyx polyphyllus (PACSOA), Cyrtostachys bakeri (Kew), Drymophloeus hentyi (PACSOA), Hydriastele longispatha (PACSOA), and the endemic genus Brassiophoenix (PACSOA). Other endemic plants include the world's tallest banana Musa ingens (Plant Files), Rhododendron christianae (flickr), the Klinki Pine (ARKive), Hypserpa calcicola (CI), Xanthomyrtus angustifolia (PNGplants), Helicia subcordata (PNGplants), a cycad Cycas schumanniana (Cycad Pages), Acronychia richards-beehlerii (p. 23 of CI pdf file), and the endemic genera Lamiodendron (NLA) and Kairoa (CI).

Papua New Guinea includes portions of the East Melanesian Islands biodiversity hotspot (Biodiversity Hotspots). Other areas in PNG important for endemic species include the following terrestrial ecoregions: the Central Range Montane Rain Forests (EoE), the Huon Peninsula Montane Rain Forests (EoE), the Southeastern Papuan Rain Forests (EoE), the Louisiade Archipelago Rain Forests (EoE), and the Trobriand Islands Rain Forests (EoE).