Ferney reserve encloses 200 hectares of rainforest which is home to more than a 100 plant species, as well as numerous vertebrate and invertebrate species. Amongst plants, Ferney is the first site where Pandanus iceryi and Pandanus macrostigma were rediscovered after being thought extinct, whilst the forest was also found to house a couple of Eugenia bojeri.
Populations of each of these 3 species are classified as Critically Endangered as per the IUCN Red List, whilst most of the other plant species found in Ferney would be classified as Endangered or Vulnerable. Ferney and the surrounding forests of Bambou mountain range is home to the Mauritian Kestrel (Falco punctatus), currently classified as Endangered. The forest also houses an important population of Mauritian fruit bats (Pteropus niger), the only living native mammal of the island. The site is also frequently visited by the White-tailed tropic bird (Phaeton lepturus) and is expected to house a wide array of insects and invertebrates not yet described to science.
Plants |
Animals |
Common name: Bois poupart
Scientific name: Poupartia borbonica
Family: Anacardiaceae
IUCN Category: Critically Endangered
Other: Has a red vascular sap with velvety juvenile leaves |
Common name: Mauritian Kestrel
Scientific name: Falco punctatus
Eating habits: Geckos, Agamid lizards
Preferred habitat: Mid to high quality forests with large dead trees for nest-building
Threats: Monkeys and rats depredate chicks and eggs.Low habitat quality limits availability of proper trees for nesting as well as limited natural food resources. |
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Common name: Bois D’Eponge
Scientific name: Polyscias dichroostachya
Family: Araliaceae
IUCN Category: VU
Other: Endemic, Toxic leaves, same family as Ginseng |
Common name: Mauritian Fruit Bat
Scientific name: Pteropus niger
Eating habits: Principally fruits and floral structures of native/endemic plants, but loss of natural food source has bats foraging further afield and for exotics.
Preferred habitat: Roosts are commonly found near ridge tops with slopes of 30–45° in primary forest or in areas containing a mixture of native and introduced trees.
Threats: Hunting, Culling in orchards, forest degradation and fragmentation. |
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Common name: Ebony
Scientific name: Diospyros chrysophyllos
Family: Ebenaceae
IUCN Category: Critically Endangered |
Common name: Gecko
Scientific name: Phelsuma spp.
Eating habits: Diurnal arboreal predators feeding on other lizards/geckos. Also known to feed on nectar, pollen, tree sap.
Preferred habitat: Some spp are commonly found on palms and vacoas.
Threats: Habitat loss and fragmentation, depredation by rats and other exotic animals. |
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Common name: Bois Clou
Scientific name: Eugenia bojeri
Family: Myrtaceae
IUCN Category: Critically Endangered |
Common name: Paille-en-Queue à Brin Blanc
Scientific name: Phaeton lepturus
Eating habits: Fish predator
Preferred habitat: Cliffs, rocky mountain slopes
Threats: Loss of habitat, climate changes restricting foraging and migrating range. |
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Common name: Bois Perroquet
Scientific name: Olax psittacorum
Family: Olacaceae
IUCN Category: Critically Endangered
Other: Branches are yellowish-green with reddish petioles |
Common name: Mauritius black bulbul
Scientific name: Hypsipetes olivaceus
Eating habits: Largely frugivorous but also takes some insects and geckos
IUCN Category: Vulnerable
Preferred habitat: Nearly all native forests, favouring evergreen broadleaved forest. Threats: Habitat destruction, depredation by rats, competition from exotic species. |
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Common name: Vacoas
Scientific name: Pandanus iceryi
Family: Pandanaceae
IUCN Category: Critically Endangered
Other: Only species of Pandanus to have a single upright, palm-like trunk. thought extinct but was rediscovered in Ferney in 2004. |
Common name: Mauritius Grey White Eye
Scientific name: Zosterops borbonicus
Eating habits: Nectarivorous
Preferred habitat: Well dispersed across the island.
Threats: Depredation by rats, competition with exotic bird species. |
