Animals Indigenous to Guam

Guam's native fauna is a unique product of its isolation in the Mariana Islands. Due to the accidental introduction of the brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis) after WWII, many endemic birds have been decimated or extirpated in the wild. The following are species indigenous to the Mariana Islands (Guam and/or the northern islands), though several are now extinct on Guam itself:

Birds (many extirpated on Guam): Mariana fruit bat (Pteropus mariannus), Mariana crow (Corvus kubaryi – extinct on Guam, survives on Rota), Guam kingfisher (Todiramphus cinnamominus – extinct in wild, captive breeding), Guam rail (Gallirallus owstoni – extinct in wild, reintroduced on Cocos Is.), Micronesian starling (Aplonis opaca), Rufous fantail (Rhipidura versicolor), White-throated ground dove (Gallicolumba xanthonura), Micronesian imperial pigeon (Ducula oceanica), Mariana swiftlet (Aerodramus bartschi).

Reptiles/Amphibians: Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), Hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), Pacific reef heron (Egretta sacra), various skinks and geckos (some endemic).

Marine Life (native to surrounding waters): Blue whale, Humpback whale, Oceanic whitetip shark, Silvertip shark, numerous reef fish and corals.

Conservation efforts focus on snake control, captive breeding, and habitat restoration to return native birds to Guam's forests.