There are 41 species of mammals which are found in the American state of Hawaii. Of these, 24 are native, while the other 17 are invasive. Because Hawaii is so far from other land masses, only mammals which could fly and swim made it to the islands. Of the 24 native mammals, 21 are whales and dolphins. Two more are seals: the Hawaiian monk seal, which is endemic to Hawaii, and the northern elephant seal, which is the second-largest seal species. The last mammal species is Hawaii's only native terrestrial mammal, the Hawaiian hoary bat. The other 17 mammal species are invasive. The so-called "first wave" of invasive species were brought by the Polynesians when they first settled the islands. These are the Polynesian rat and the Kunekune, a Polynesian race of pig. After James Cook encountered Hawaii in 1778, European sailors introduced (both intentionally and inadvertently) mammals such as Norway or Brown Rats, black rats, house mice, feral cats, and feral goats. In 1883, the Indian grey mongoose was introduced to eat the abundant rodent populations on the islands.
In 1916, a group of brush-tailed wallabies escaped a zoo in Honolulu and established a colony in the Kalihi Valley, north of the city.
Order Chiroptera +Species DescriptionPhotoHawaiian Hoary Bat The Hawaiian Hoary Bat is the only native land animal in Hawaii. It is extant across O'ahu, Maui, Moloka'i, Hawai'i, Lana'i, and Kaua'i with it sometimes spotted on Ni'ihau and Kaho'olawe.
Order Carnivora (Native) +SpeciesDescriptionPhotoHawaiian Monk SealThe Hawaiian Monk Seal is endemic to Hawaii. It is closely related to the Mediterranean Monk Seal and the now extinct Caribbean Monk Seal. The Hawaiian Monk Seal is mostly found in the northwest islands of Hawaii like Laysan, Kure, Midway, French Frigate Shoals, and Necker Island. However the seals do live in the main islands as well and sightings are quite common.Northern Elephant SealThe Northern Elephant Seal is the largest seal in Hawaii and largest in all of the Northern Hemisphere, only being sightly smaller then the Southern Elephant Seal. Sightings of the seal are rare in Hawaii as they tend to live along the West Coast though they are still sometimes seen there.
Order Cetacea +SpeciesBlainville's Beaked WhaleBlue WhaleBottlenose DolphinCommon Minke WhaleCuvier's Beaked WhaleDwarf Sperm WhaleEden's WhaleFalse Killer WhaleFin Whale Humpback WhaleKiller Whale (Orca)Melon-Headed WhaleNorth Atlantic Right WhalePantropical Spotted DolphinPygmy Killer WhalePygmy Sperm WhaleRough-Toothed Dolphin Short-Finned Pilot WhaleSperm WhaleSpinner Dolphin Striped Dolphin
Order Artiodactyla +Species DescriptionPhotoAxis Deer These deer were released in Molokai by Kamehameha the V in 1860. The deer currently live in Molokai, Lanai, and Maui. There have been attempts to introduce them to the Big Island (Hawaii) though these efforts have failed.Feral GoatFeral Goats were introduced to Hawaii by Europeans in the 1700s as a source of food. Today, goats are found on every island in Hawaii except for Lanai and Kaho'olawe due to eradication programs there.MouflonMouflon were introduced to the island of Hawai'i in 1968 as a game animal to be hunted. They are now currently found there and on the island of Lanai.Feral Cattle Feral PigMule Deer
Order Carnivora (Invasive) +SpeciesFeral CatFeral DogIndian Grey Mongoose
Order Diprotodontia +Species Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby
Order Lagomorpha +SpeciesEuropean Rabbit
Order Perissodactyla +SpeciesFeral Donkey
Order Rodentia +SpeciesBlack RatHouse MouseNorway RatPolynesian Rat
References