Editing Diego Garcia (section)

===Wildlife===
[[File:Coconut Crab.jpg|thumb|[[Coconut crab]]s are protected on Diego Garcia.]]
All the terrestrial and aquatic fauna of Diego Garcia are protected, with the exception of certain game fish, rats, and cats; hefty fines are levied against violators.<ref>[[#NRMP|Natural Resources Management Plan (2005)]], Appendix B.</ref>

====Crustaceans====
The island is a haven for several types of [[crustacean]]; "warrior crabs" (''[[Cardisoma carnifex]]'') overrun the jungle at night. The extremely large {{convert|4|kg|lb|adj=on}} [[coconut crab]] or robber crab (''Birgus latro'') is found here in large numbers. Because of the protections provided the species on this atoll, and the isolation of the east rim of the atoll, the species is recorded in greater densities there than anywhere else in its range (339 crabs/ha).<ref>[[#NRMP|Natural Resources Management Plan (2005)]], Appendix G, p. G-7.</ref>

====Mammals====
No [[mammal]] species are native on Diego Garcia, with no record of bats.<ref name="Stoddart_163_170">Stoddarrt, D. R. (1971): "Terrestrial fauna of Diego Garcia and other Chagos atolls". In: [[#Stoddart|Stoddart & Taylor (1971)]], pp. 163–170.</ref> Other than rats (''[[Rattus rattus]]''), all "wild" mammal species are feral descendants of domesticated species. During the plantation era, Diego Garcia was home to large herds of Sicilian donkeys (''[[Equus asinus]]''), dozens of horses (''[[Equus caballus]]''), hundreds of dogs (''[[Canis familiaris]]''), and house cats (''[[Felis catus]]''). In 1971, the BIOT Commissioner ordered the extermination of [[Free-ranging dog#Feral dogs|feral dogs]] following the departure of the last plantation workers, and the program continued through 1975, when the last feral dog was observed and shot.<ref>Bruner, Phillip, "Avifaunal and Feral Mammal Survey of Diego Garcia, Chagos Archipelago, British Indian Ocean Territory", 17 October 1995, pp. 3–23.</ref> Donkeys, which numbered over 400 in 1972, were down to just 20 individuals in 2005.<ref name="NRMP_G_4_27">[[#NRMP|Natural Resources Management Plan (2005)]], Appendix G, p. 4.27.</ref> The last horse was observed in 1995,<ref name="NRMP_G_4_27"/> and by 2005, just two cats were thought to have survived an island-wide eradication program.{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}}

====Native birds====
[[File:Red-tailed Tropicbird3.jpg|thumb|left|Several pairs of [[red-tailed tropicbird]] nest near the cantonment area.]]

The total bird list for the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia, consists of 91 species, with large breeding populations of 16 species. Although no birds are endemic, internationally important seabird colonies exist. Diego Garcia's seabird community includes thriving populations of species which are rapidly declining in other parts of the Indian Ocean. Large nesting colonies of [[brown noddy|brown noddies]], [[bridled tern]]s, the [[lesser noddy]], [[red-footed booby]] and [[lesser frigatebird]]s exist on Diego Garcia.

Other nesting native birds include [[red-tailed tropicbird]]s, [[wedge-tailed shearwater]]s, [[tropical shearwater]], [[black-naped tern]]s, [[white tern]]s, [[striated heron]]s, and [[white-breasted waterhen]]s.<ref>[[#NRMP|Natural Resources Management Plan (2005)]], paragraph 4.2.2.1.1.</ref> The 680-hectare [[Barton Point Nature Reserve]] was identified as an [[Important Bird Area]] for its large breeding colony of red-footed boobies.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.birdlife.org |title=Barton Point Nature Reserve |access-date=21 October 2012 |work=Important Bird Areas factsheet |publisher=BirdLife International |year=2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070710124603/http://www.birdlife.org/ |archive-date=10 July 2007 }}</ref>

====Introduced birds====
The island hosts introduced bird species from many regions, including cattle egrets (''[[Bubulcus ibis]]''), Indian barred ground dove, also called the zebra dove (''[[Geopelia striata]]''), turtle dove (''[[Nesoenas picturata]]''), Indian mynah (''[[Acridotheres tristis]]''), Madagascar fody (''[[Foudia madagascariensis]]''), and chickens (''[[Gallus gallus]]'').<ref>[[#NRMP|Natural Resources Management Plan (2005)]], paragraph 4.2.2.1.3.</ref>
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====Terrestrial reptiles and freshwater amphibians====
Currently, three lizards and one toad are known to inhabit Diego Garcia, and possibly one snake. All are believed to have been introduced by human activity. The house gecko (''[[Hemidactylus frenatus]]''), the mourning gecko (''[[Lepidodactylus lugubris]]''), the garden lizard (an agamid) (''[[Calotes versicolor]]''), and the cane toad (''[[Bufo marinus]]'').<ref>[[#NRMP|Natural Resources Management Plan (2005)]], paragraph 4.2.2.6.</ref> A viable population of a type of blind snake from the family Typhlopidae may be present, probably the brahminy blind snake (''[[Ramphotyphlops braminus]]''). This snake feeds on the larvae, eggs, and pupae of [[ant]]s and [[termite]]s, and is about the size of a large earthworm.

====Sea turtles====
Diego Garcia provides suitable foraging and nesting habitat for both the hawksbill turtle (''[[Eretmochelys imbricata]]'') and the green turtle (''[[Chelonia mydas]]''). Juvenile hawksbills are quite common in the lagoon and at Barachois Sylvane (also known as Turtle Cove) in the southern part of the lagoon. Adult hawksbills and greens are common in the surrounding seas and nest regularly on the ocean-side beaches of the atoll. Hawksbills have been observed nesting during June and July, and from November to March. Greens have been observed nesting in every month; the average female lays three clutches per season, each having an average clutch size of 113 eggs. [[Diurnality|Diurnal]] nesting is common in both species. An estimated 300–700 hawksbills and 400–800 greens nest in the Chagos.<ref>[[#NRMP|Natural Resources Management Plan (2005)]], Appendix K, pp. K-2–K-3.</ref>

====Endangered species====
Four reptiles and six cetaceans are endangered and may or may not be found on or around Diego Garcia:<ref>[[#NRMP|Natural Resources Management Plan (2005)]], paragraph 4.4.</ref>
Hawksbill turtle (''[[hawksbill turtle|Eretmocheyls imbricata]]'') – known; leatherback turtle (''[[Dermochelys coriacea]]'') – possible; green turtle (''Chelonia mydas'') – known; olive ridley turtle (''[[olive ridley|Lepidochelys oliveacea]]'') – possible; sperm whale (''[[Physeter macrocephalus]]'') – possible; sei whale (''[[Sei whale|Balaeonoptera borealis]]'') – possible;
finback whale (''[[Fin whale|Balaeonoptera physalus]]'') – possible; Bryde's whale (''[[Bryde's whale|Balaeonoptera edeni]]'') – possible; blue whale (''[[blue whale|Balaeonoptera musculus]]'') – possible; humpback whale (''[[Megaptera novaeangliae]]'') – possible; southern right whale (''[[Eubalaena australis]]'') – possible.<ref>Carroll L.E.. 2011. [https://researchspace.auckland.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/2292/11541/whole.pdf?sequence=9 Return of the Right Whale: Assessment of Abundance, Population Structure and Geneflow in the New Zealand Southern Right Whale] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304134152/https://researchspace.auckland.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/2292/11541/whole.pdf?sequence=9 |date=4 March 2016 }}. [[University of Auckland]]. Retrieved on 25 November 2015</ref>