Editing Timor (section)

== Flora and fauna ==
{{see also|Timor and Wetar deciduous forests}}
Timor and its offshore islands such as [[Atauro Island|Atauro]], a former place of exile increasingly known for its beaches and coral{{Citation needed|reason=reliable source needed for the whole statement|date=October 2010}}, as well as [[Jaco Island|Jaco]] along with Wetar and the other [[Barat Daya Islands]] to the northeast constitute the [[Timor and Wetar deciduous forests]] [[ecoregion]]. The natural vegetation was [[Tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests|tropical dry broadleaf forests]] with an undergrowth of shrubs and grasses supporting a rich wildlife{{Citation needed|reason=reliable source needed for the whole sentence|date=October 2010}}. However much of the original forest has been cleared for farming,{{Citation needed|reason=reliable source needed for the whole sentence|date=October 2010}} especially on the coasts of Timor and on the smaller islands like Atauro. Apart from one large block in the centre of Timor only patches remain.{{Citation needed|reason=reliable source needed for the whole sentence|date=October 2010}} This ecoregion is part of the [[Wallacea]] area with a mixture of plants and animals of [[Asia]]n and [[Australasian realm|Australasian]] origin; it lies in the western part of Wallacea, in which Asian species predominate.

Many trees are [[deciduous]] or partly deciduous, dropping their leaves during the dry season, there are also [[evergreen]] and thorn trees in the woodland. Typical trees of the lowland slopes include ''[[Sterculia foetida]]'', ''[[Calophyllum teysmannii]]'' and ''[[Aleurites moluccanus]]''.

During the [[Pleistocene]] [[Epoch (reference date)|epoch]], Timor was the abode of extinct [[Island gigantism|giant]] [[monitor lizard]]s similar to the [[Komodo dragon]]. Like [[Flores]], [[Sumba]] and [[Sulawesi]], Timor was also once a habitat of extinct [[Insular dwarfism|dwarf]] [[stegodon]]ts, relatives of [[elephant]]s.

Fauna of today includes a number of endemic species such as the distinctive [[Timor shrew]] and [[Timor rat]]. The [[northern common cuscus]], a [[marsupial]] of Australasian origin occurs as well, but is thought to be introduced.<ref>{{cite iucn |author=Leary, T. |author2=Singadan, R. |author3=Menzies, J. |author4=Helgen, K. |author5=Wright, D. |author6=Allison, A. |author7=Hamilton, S. |author8=Salas, L. |author9=Dickman, C. |year=2016 |title=''Phalanger orientalis'' |volume=2016 |page=e.T16847A21951519 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T16847A21951519.en |access-date=6 July 2024}}</ref> The island have a great number of birds, mainly of Asian origin with some of Australasian origin. There is a total of 250 species of which twenty four are endemic, due to the relative isolation of Timor, including five threatened species; the [[slaty cuckoo-dove]], [[Wetar ground dove]], [[Timor green pigeon]], [[Timor imperial pigeon]], and [[iris lorikeet]].<ref>{{WWF ecoregion|name=Timor and Wetar deciduous forests|id=aa0204}}</ref>

[[Saltwater crocodile]]s are found in the wetlands whereas [[reticulated python]]s can be found in forests and grasslands of Timor. However, the population sizes and status are unknown.

Frog species in Timor include ''[[Duttaphrynus melanostictus]]'', ''[[Hoplobatrachus tigerinus]]'', ''[[Limnonectes timorensis]]'', ''[[Litoria everetti]]'', and ''[[Polypedates leucomystax]]''.<ref>Kaiser H, Ceballos J, Freed P, Heacox S, Lester B, Richards S, Trainor C, Sanchez C, O'Shea M (2011) The herpetofauna of Timor-Leste: a first report. ZooKeys 109: 19-86. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.109.1439</ref> A new species of [[Microhylidae|microlyhid]] frog belonging to the genus ''[[Kaloula]]'' has also recently been discovered in Timor.<ref>O'Shea, Marc and Sanchez, Caitlin. 2015. Herpetological Diversity of Timor-Leste: Updates and a Review of Species Distributions. Asian Herpetological Research, 6(2): 73-131. https://doi.org/10.16373/j.cnki.ahr.140066</ref>

[[Late Cretaceous]] fossils of marine vertebrates are known from Timor-Leste deposits. These include [[mosasaur]]s such as ''[[Globidens]] timorensis'', [[lamniforme]] sharks, [[coelacanth]]s and the [[Choristodera|choristodere]] ''[[Champsosaurus]]''.<ref>J. H. F. Umbgrove, Structural History of the East Indies</ref>