Palau

Birds found nowhere else include the Palau Fruit Dove (iNaturalist), the Palau Ground-dove (eBird) (p. 25 of Darwin Initiative pdf), the Palau Swiftlet (eBird), the Palau Nightjar (eBird) (iNaturalist), the Palau Kingfisher (PBase) (eBird), the Palau Flycatcher (eBird), the Palau Cicadabird (eBird), the Dusky White-eye (eBird), the Palau Bush-warbler (eBird), the Palau Fantail or Melimdeleb (palau.biodiv-chm.org WM) (eBird), and the Morningbird (eBird). The Palau Owl (eBird) and the Giant White-eye (eBird) are endemic genera.

The Palau Fruit Bat Pteropus pelewensis pelewensis (iNaturalist) (PBase) is sometimes treated as a full species. The Large Palau Flying Fox Pteropus pilosus (IUCN) (BHL) is now extinct.

An endemic amphibian is the Palau Frog (AmphibiaWeb) (iNaturalist).

Reptiles unique to Palau include the Palau Bevelnosed Boa Candoia superciliosa (iNaturalist) (ARKive WM) , the Palau Tree Snake Dendrelaphis striolatus (iNaturalist), the Palau Blindsnake Ramphotyphlops acuticauda (Reptile Database), the Palau Dog-faced Mud Snake Cerberus dunsoni (iNaturalist) (AquaticSnake.org WM), the Palau Slender Gecko Hemiphyllodactylus ganoklonis (p. 54 of Smithsonian WM pdf), the Palau Ghost Gecko Gekko remotus (iNaturalist) (BHL), the Palau Gecko Gehyra brevipalmata (iNaturalist) (IUCN), the Palau Barred Gecko Lepidodactylus paurolepis (sauria.de) (ResearchGate), the Pandanus Moth Skink Lipinia leptosoma (Google Books) (GBIF), the Palau Snake-eyed Skink Cryptoblepharus rutilus (iNaturalist) (p. 144 of Mark O'Shea pdf), and the Palau Ground Skink Sphenomorphus scutatus (Reptile Database).

Marine fishes known only from Palau include the pygmy gobies Trimma tauroculum (Reef Builders) and Trimma kalum (PLAZI) and Trimma burridgeae (iNaturalist), the Dabra Goby Feia dabra (FishBase), the Palau Reef Sole Aseraggodes firmisquamis (ResearchGate), the Invisible Cardinalfish Ostorhinchus aphanes (ResearchGate), the Palauan Deepwater Cardinalfish Epigonus cavaticus (FishBase), the Whiteaxil Damselfish Pomacentrus albiaxillaris (ResearchGate) (iNaturalist), and a silverside Doboatherina palauensis (Springer) (Facebook). The False Saddled Snake Eel Evips percinctus (GBIF) (Internet Archive) is an endemic genus. The Palauan Primitive Cave Eel Protoanguilla palau (Guardian) (YouTube), known from a single fringing-reef cave, is the sole member of the family Protoanguillidae.

Arthropods restricted to Palau include the longhorn beetles Trirachys inhirsutus (iNaturalist) and Pelargoderus luteosparsus (iNaturalist), a click beetle Melanoxanthus cracens (p. 39 of Bishop Museum WM pdf), a darkling beetle Apterophenus dybasi (p. 53 of Bishop Museum WM pdf), a minute marsh-loving beetle Mexico palauensis (GBIF WM), a leafroller moth Icelita cirrholepida (Tortricid.net WM), a snout moth Endotricha peterella (figs. 136 & 139 at BHL), the damselflies Pseudagrion palauense (p. 20 of CBD pdf) and Drepanosticta palauensis (iNaturalist) and Teinobasis palauensis (p. 25 of Bishop Museum WM pdf), a dragonfly Agrionoptera cardinalis (iNaturalist), a hover fly Dissoptera palauensis (iNaturalist), a bee Heriades plumosus (GBIF), the ants Camponotus peleliuensis (AntWiki) (iNaturalist) and Romblonella palauensis (AntWiki), a cicada Purana carolettae (iNaturalist), a cricket Cardiodactylus esakii (iNaturalist), the katydids Oceaniphisis kororensis (OSF) and Biroa zimmermani (OSF) and Segestes unicolor (OSF) (iNaturalist), a mantis Acromantis palauana (iNaturalist), and a stick insect Diagoras ephialtes (Phasmida WM). An undescribed butterfly species in the genus Prosotas (p. 34 of Univ. Guam pdf) has been claimed.

Other endemic arthropods include a jumping spider Sobasina coriacea (BHL), a leaf-curling sac spider Clubiona jaegeri (p. 6 of NMNS pdf), a harvestman Paralomanius longipalpus (figs. 3-4 & 9 at AMNH WM pdf), a whip spider Sarax palau (PLAZI), and a millipede Salpidobolus lissior (MilliBase) (BHL).

Among at least 69 endemic land snails (friendsoftobi.org WM pdf) are Palaopartula calypso (ARKive WM), Palaopartula thetis (iNaturalist), Kororia palaensis (iNaturalist), Palaina (or Pseudopalaina) inflatula (Bishogai WM), Palaina albata (p. 27 of Tentacle pdf), Hungerfordia pelewensis (PLAZI), Omphalotropis cheynei (iNaturalist), Georissa zea (BHL), Sphendone insolita (ZooKeys), Palaeohelicina heterochroa (iNaturalist), Palaua minor (iNaturalist), Videna electra (iNaturalist), and Semperdon kororensis (BHL). An endemic subspecies of Golden Jellyfish Mastigias papua etpisoni (CRRF) (iNaturalist), a sea squirt Eudistoma inauratum (p. 29 of CEPF pdf), a sea anemone Entacmaea medusivora (PBase) (iNaturalist), and an undescribed sponge (p. 40 of CRRF pdf) are found in marine lakes.

A marine flatworm Nephtheaplana tropica (figs. d to f at BHL) has sometimes been considered the sole member of the endemic family Palauidae, but is often placed in the more widespread Plehniidae (WoRMS). Other endemic marine invertebrates include the Palau Nautilus Nautilus belauensis (Wikipedia), the corals Sinularia babeldaobensis (p. 10 of Zool. Med. Leiden WM pdf) and Anozopathes palauensis (GBIF), a crab Homola milkolk (ResearchGate), the shrimps Pinnotherotonia rumphiusi (GBIF) and Espeleonaushonia palauensis (ResearchGate), an amphipod Cyproidea excavata (Wikispecies), a sea star Aquilonastra starmeri (ResearchGate), the submarine cave-dwelling gastropods Pluviostilla palauensis (J-STAGE pdf) and Siaesella fragilis (GBIF), and a nudibranch Marionia bathycarolinensis (BHL).

Among 130 vascular plant species exclusive to Palau (Micronesica pdf) are many endemic orchids (all at Field Museum pdf): Bulbophyllum hatusimanum, Cleisostoma porrigens, Dendrobium brachyanthum, Dipodium freycinetioides, Liparis dolichostachya, Oberonia palawensis, Peristylus palawensis, Phreatia kanehirae, and Robiquetia palawensis.

Other endemic vascular plants include the national flower Bikkia palauensis (botany.cz), Trichospermum ledermannii (flickr), Phyllanthus palauensis (iNaturalist), Cyrtandra palawensis (Smithsonian), Ophiorrhiza palauensis (botany.cz), Selaginella palauensis (iNaturalist), Hedyotis korrorensis (iNaturalist), Oreogrammitis palauensis (iNaturalist), Pseuderanthemum inclusum (iNaturalist), and Cyclopeltis kingii (iNaturalist).

Trees known only from Palau include the palms Hydriastele palauensis (botany.cz) and Ponapea palauensis (flickr), Astronidium palauense (p. 46 of palaumoe.net WM pdf) (iNaturalist), Pandanus kanehirae (botany.cz), Manilkara udoido (botany.cz), Morinda pedunculata (botany.cz), Horsfieldia palauensis (botany.cz), Casearia hirtella (iNaturalist), Badusa palauensis (p. 50 of palaumoe.net WM pdf), Myrsine palauensis (iNaturalist), Osmoxylon ngardokense (PhytoKeys), Parkia parvifoliola (p. 18 of CBD pdf), Hedyotis cornifolia (iNaturalist), Timonius corymbosus (p. 17 of CEPF pdf), Drypetes nitida (botany.cz), Glochidion palauense (iNaturalist), Syzygium mesekerrak (JSTOR), Buchanania palawensis (botany.cz), Garcinia matsudae (iNaturalist), Claoxylon longiracemosum (iNaturalist), and Rauvolfia insularis and Sterculia palauensis (both on p. 15 of CEPF pdf).

Endemic non-vascular plants include a moss Trichostomum minutissimum (Fig. 1 at J-STAGE pdf) and a liverwort Bazzania watanabei (p. 2 of Micronesica pdf).