Mascarene Teal

The Mauritius duck ( Anas Theodori ) is an extinct breeds of ducks that occurred in Mauritius and probably also in Réunion. The specific epithet honors the French naturalist Théodore Sauzier who had discovered the subfossil remains in the fossil deposit Mare aux Songes. The type material consists of a sternum fragment, two Coracoiden, eight humerus and two Tarsometatarsi that are in poor condition. All the bones of this type are significantly larger than the corresponding bones of the African Pygmy Goose ( Nettapus auripus ), the Bernie pension ( Anas bernieri ) and the Wanderpfeifgans ( Dendrocygna arcuata ), but shorter than the bones of the Madagascar Teal (Anas melleri ). The breastbone bar is shorter than the Wanderpfeifgans and Madagascar duck. The length of the Coracoides is 42 mm and varying the humerus 70-78 mm. The right tarsometatarsus measures 42 mm and suggests that the Mauritius duck had smaller feet than the Madagascar duck. In later excavations in Mauritius and Réunion further sternum, Tarsometatarsi and a Carpometacarpus and a skull fragment were brought to light.

Historical records relating to the Mauritius duck, there are few. So reported the Mauritian Governor Issac John Lamotius in 1681 that on the ponds in the woods occurred large numbers of flamingos, ducks and geese. 1693, the Mauritius duck by François Leguat has been described as rare. 1696 mentioned Lamotius ' successor Roelof Deodati last ducks in Mauritius. Also on ducks on Réunion, which probably represented this way, there are various reports. 1710 wrote Antoine Desforges - Boucher, governor of Réunion from 1723 to 1725 that had escaped from the once countless flamingos, doves, pond chickens, geese, ducks, larks, woodcocks, thrushes, lapwings and ravens only a small remnant of the insatiable greed of the settlers.