YouTube:	https://youtube.com/watch?v=a0EBpzqWeyI
Previous:	We're Breeding Mosquitos to Fight Malaria
Next:	Why Do Treehoppers Look…Like That?

Categories

Statistics

View count:	276
Likes:	57
Comments:	5
Duration:	12:20
Uploaded:	2026-06-17
Last sync:	2026-06-17 16:15

Check out Manta Sleep here https://tinyurl.com/54xsxtt4 and make sure to use bizarrebeasts for 10% off your order! And then, take a nap!



Of the five mammals native to Christmas Island, only one is left – the Christmas Island flying fox. The other four have gone extinct, along with several reptile species. And the weird thing is, the birds of Christmas Island are the cause… or, at least, their poop is.



Support the show by getting an Endling pin: https://complexly.store/products/endlings-hourglass-pin



Endlings portrait illustrations are by Zoe Keller. You can find out more about her and her work here: https://www.zoekeller.com/



Wondering if we used AI to create graphics (or thumbnails or scripts!) for this video? Nope! Every Complexly video is lovingly, painstakingly human-made.



Follow us on socials:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bizarrebeastsshow/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BizarreBeastsShow/

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social

#BizarreBeasts #christmasIsland #australia

-----

Sources:

https://archive.org/details/amonographchris00andrgoog/page/n41/mode/2up

https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/csp2.358

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/sep/15/scientists-fear-this-cute-and-chonky-flying-fox-could-be-one-cyclone-away-from-extinction

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/may/18/christmas-island-forest-skinks-lizard-extinct-aoe

https://christmasislandnationalpark.gov.au/discover/history/

https://blog.geolsoc.org.uk/2013/12/18/door-18-history-and-geology-of-christmas-island/

https://www.dcceew.gov.au/parks-heritage/national-parks/christmas-island-national-park/publications/final-report-christmas-island-expert-working-group

https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/biodiversity/threatened/strategy/priority-places/christmas-island

http://st1.asflib.net/MEDIA/ASF-CD/ASF-M-00247/HRK/6CI/CIPoster.pdf

https://news.uq.edu.au/2020-03-22-christmas-island-discovery-redraws-map-life

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S003101821930327X?via%3Dihub

https://shaimeirilab.weebly.com/uploads/5/5/3/3/5533843/ali_et_al._2020_redrawing_wallaces_line.pdf

https://www.dcceew.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/81746.pdf

https://www.christmas.net.au/nature-wildlife

https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/62618

https://www.britannica.com/place/Christmas-Island

https://prlgroup.com.au/about-us/our-history/

https://doi.org/10.71747/uow-r3gk326m.28139222

https://www.christmas.net.au/christmas-island-history

https://prlgroup.com.au/our-business/resources-energy/cirp-christmas-island-phosphates/

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/clock-is-ticking-the-australian-island-facing-an-uncertain-future/0ob1ta2k1

https://connectsci.au/az/article/37/1/1/267061/Mammal-extinction-by-introduced-infectious-disease

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0003602

https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/83098682/am00043-libre.pdf?1648936043=&response-content-disposition=inline%3B+filename%3DThe_decline_and_current_status_of_the_Ch.pdf&Expires=1776203363&Signature=AZClvi~teGJe-N0eH9yb9Vat-cyZ8IH4ZUv4lVyv8aJU3uapZ9DdIuJSWKIiR60BMx7eQTmOE64N6PRtY0uzMxRhJzNST-~zbnH-920WpxPHTCUIbdZsVNqxoegGxFRk2xSmg5zSH~Nbi4K~IRPx0npFGztdryWTJyEzK-UuqnPHZnoGyWnBzu~3Ot8Q7cSgW9mCWr9qPGwRZjBu7RMOPMRYBfZiQ2yaSZ5bE5Wgycoyb~U4pz0nOJWww12nJaVJJqKVKvlL5qcnpDCqXtKJA0jpzbML5kGf0y~WAkuXjiWnI7KYu0c65ALEcvwZR8ES728rWGSDHgR~jZhE6qU~Jw__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA

https://theconversation.com/and-then-there-were-none-australias-only-shrew-declared-extinct-265988

https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/10/christmas-island-shrew-officially-declared-extinct-iucn/

https://invasives.org.au/our-work/ending-extinctions/extinct-christmas-island-pipistrelle/

https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/136769/209549918

https://therevelator.org/extinction-christmas-island-bat/

https://www.dcceew.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/81746.pdf

https://christmasislandnationalpark.gov.au/discover/nature/animals/ci-flying-fox

https://www.dcceew.gov.au/sites/default/files/env/pages/2cd790fe-e19b-4c90-8589-d5f7026b5477/files/64801-conservation-advice.pdf

https://christmasislandnationalpark.gov.au/discover/nature/

------

Images:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ChMzqtHdWYE0uWv4If5MUdrYpFNbHia5JrMgF6DHcpY/edit?tab=t.0