Elephant bird to carry off large primates; today, lemurs still retain a fear of aerial predators such as these. Another might be the perception of ratites retaining neotenic features and thus being mistaken for enormous chicks of a presumably more massive bird. The ancient Malagasy name for the bird is vorompatra, meaning "bird of the Ampatres". The Ampatres are today known as the Androy region of southern Madagascar. Like the ostrich, rhea, cassowary, emu, kiwi and extinct moa, "Mullerornis" and "Aepyornis" were ratites; they could not fly, and their breast bones had no keel. Because Madagascar and Africa separated before the ratite
Nepean Island (Norfolk Island) Native Rush. The Masked booby breeds onsite during the summer. From July to December Little shearwaters breed on the island. Other birds such as the Whale Bird, Grey noddy, Black noddy, Wedge-tailed shearwater, Brown noddy and Red-tailed tropicbird also breed on Nepean Island. It is a refuge for the endemic Marbled Gecko, which is now extinct on Norfolk Island. It is also home to the Phillip Island Skink. The island is home to Little Nipper Landcrabs and Freshwater crabs. Green turtles are often seen off the coast of the island. Nepean Island (Norfolk Island) Nepean Island (Norfuk: "Nepeyan Ailen") is