Animalia Life

Dryolimnas cuvieri
SUBFAMILY
Rallinae
TAXONOMY
Rallus cuvieri Pucheran, 1845, Mauritius. Two subspecies recognized.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
French: Rвle de Cuvier; German: Cuvierralle; Spanish: Rascуn de Cuvier.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
12–13 in (30–33 cm); 5–8 oz (138–223 g) (aldabranus), 9–9.7 oz (258–276 g) (cuvieri). Orangy- to reddish brown foreparts, prominent white chin and throat, greenish olive upperparts, barred flanks and white lateral undertail-coverts. Juvenile duller and browner.
DISTRIBUTION
D. c. cuvieri: Madagascar; D. c. aldabranus Aldabra Atoll.
HABITAT
Forest, marsh, and mangroves (cuvieri); coral scrub (aldabranus).
BEHAVIOR
Permanently territorial. Often confiding. Vocal, with grunts, clicks, squeals, and a song of loud whistles; often calls at night. The Aldabra race is flightless.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Eats mainly invertebrates; also turtle eggs and hatchlings, and scraps at campsites (Aldabra).
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Monogamous; pair bond permanent. Breeds during rains in Madagascar (October through March); on Aldabra lays in Dec. Nest a bowl of leaves and grass on the ground, or a few twigs and leaves among rocks. Eggs three to six (usually three to four); young independent at 12–15 weeks.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not threatened. Nominate race common. In 2001 3,500–8,000 aldabranus individuals occurred naturally on three islands. Reintroduced to Picard Island in 1999, where it breeds and has a predicted population of 2,500 birds. Its survival depends on preventing the spread of feral cats and the introduction of populations to other islands to safeguard against extinction by catastrophic events.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
None known.

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