Banda Islands, Indonesia Photograph by Anasia-Cruise   Southeastern Asia: Small islands scattered across the Banda Sea in Indonesia Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests   2,900 square miles (7,500 square kilometers) -- about half the size of Hawaii Vulnerable

· Volcanic Vestiges
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Volcanic Vestiges

Step back in time to a prehistoric moment in the history of the Banda Sea. Large volcanoes are erupting all around you, changing the landscape forever. Fast-forward to the present and you will find younger, still-active volcanoes on the small Banda Sea islands and forests filled with endemic plants and animals.

Special Features

The geologic history of these islands is mixed. In some parts of the ecoregion, the landscape has been formed by millions of years of volcanic activity; other parts represent portions of the Australian continent that broke off as a result of tectonic shifts. The forests are similarly varied, ranging from evergreen and semi-evergreen rain forests to moist deciduous and dry deciduous forests.

	The genus name Myotis is derived from two Greek words, mys, meaning mouse, and otis, meaning ear. The name refers to the long, pointed, leaf-like projection that arises from the inside of the ear in this genus of bats. These animals are sometimes called mouse-eared bats.

Wild Side

There are few mammals in this ecoregion, but two bats that are endemic are the brown-bearded sheathtail bat, or tomb bat, and the Kai myotis. The sheathtail bat is considered vulnerable, while the insectivorous Kai myotis is considered endangered. Although these islands are small, they represent significant breeding grounds for all sorts of birds, including frigate birds, tropic birds, boobies, terns, and other, smaller species. Of the 38 endemic bird species, one is considered threatened: the Damar flycatcher.

Cause for Concern

The forests in this ecoregion are largely intact, with only about 20 percent of the native habitat destroyed. However, bird populations are seriously threatened by predatory rats and cats that have been accidentally released onto these islands. Fishermen also remove bird eggs to sell. Although the islands are largely uninhabitable, where human populations do exist, small-scale agriculture has resulted in some deforestation.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.