10 Animals & Birds Found in American Samoa

If you're hoping to spot some native land mammals during your visit to American Samoa, you'll be looking up at the trees rather than down at the ground. The islands are home to just two species of native land mammals, and they're both bats that'll have you craning your neck skyward.

Meet the pe'a (as locals call them) – the Samoa flying fox and the insular flying fox. These fascinating creatures have made the forests of American Samoa their home for centuries.

The pe'a fanua (insular flying fox) are the social butterflies of the bat world. You'll find them roosting together in large, bustling colonies that can be quite a sight to behold.

Their cousins, the pe'a vao (Samoa flying fox), prefer a quieter lifestyle. They roost solo or in small family groups with their young.

Here's how to tell them apart if you're lucky enough to spot them: pe'a vao sport distinctive white or yellow markings from their forehead down the back of their neck (quite the fashion statement). Meanwhile, pe'a fanua keep it classic with black heads and bodies, accented by a striking yellow band around their neck and shoulders.

The ūū is American Samoa's fascinating coconut crab and the world's largest arthropod. These remarkable creatures start life as tiny hermit crabs, hopping from shell to shell as they grow over the years.

What makes them truly special is their incredible transformation. Once they reach maturity, they ditch the shell life entirely and roam free – and they keep growing for decades! We're talking about crabs that can live up to 80 years old.

You'll find these nocturnal giants hiding inland, and they're surprisingly good climbers (yes, they actually scale trees). Their diet? Almost entirely coconut flesh, which their powerful claws can crack open with impressive ease.

According to locals, coconut crab is considered a delicacy throughout American Samoa and the South Pacific. However, because these creatures take so many years to mature, it's crucial to enjoy them responsibly.

Unfortunately, overharvesting has led to their extinction on many Pacific islands – a sobering reminder of why sustainable practices matter when it comes to these ancient mariners of the land.

You'll love spotting tiotala (kingfishers) during your visit to American Samoa; they're one of those birds you're almost guaranteed to see across the islands' diverse habitats.

These brilliant little birds are perfectly designed for their fishing lifestyle, with sharp, sturdy beaks that work like tiny spears when they dive for their catch. You'll find both Pacific kingfishers and white-collared kingfishers calling the islands home.

According to locals, there's a fascinating piece of traditional Samoan wisdom about these feathered weather forecasters. If you notice lots of tiotala around during your visit, it's time to pack an umbrella; they're known as harbingers of rain and wet weather.

While sea turtles are endangered and rarely spotted in most parts of the world, American Samoa is a delightful exception where these magnificent creatures are thriving.

You'll love discovering that green sea turtles are the most common species here, gracefully swimming through the territory's pristine lagoons and bays to feed. These gentle giants also choose American Samoa as their nesting ground, which is pretty special when you think about it.

Keep an eye out for hawksbill turtles too; they're around year-round, though in smaller numbers. The loggerheads, leatherbacks and olive ridley sea turtles prefer the deeper waters offshore, so spotting them is quite rare.

While you might stumble upon a turtle during your snorkelling adventures, we recommend trying your luck at the famous Turtle and Shark site LINK#TTD089. According to locals, when they sing traditional songs, turtles sometimes surface for air, and tourists have sworn they've witnessed this magical moment firsthand.

It's one of those experiences that sounds almost too good to be true, but hey, stranger things have happened in paradise!

You'll spot the Pacific pigeon (also called the Pacific imperial pigeon) throughout American Samoa's forests, and we can't get enough of this remarkable bird. Known locally as the lupe, this feathered friend calls not just our islands home, but several other South Pacific destinations too.

These birds have quite the appetite for fruit and berries, though they'll occasionally munch on leaves and flowers when the mood strikes them.

According to locals, the lupe is considered the king of American Samoa's birds. It's not just the largest forest bird you'll encounter here; it's also the most culturally significant in many ways.

What makes the lupe truly special is its role as nature's gardener. It's the only bird capable of eating and spreading the large seeds of some of our most important rainforest trees.

The cultural importance of the lupe runs deep in Samoan tradition. You'll find countless Samoan proverbs that reference the lupe and the traditional art of lupe-hunting, something we've learned during our time exploring the islands.

What's more, one theory suggests that American Samoa's starmounds LINK#TTD003, large stone monuments built by ancient Samoans, may have served partly as pigeon-trapping sites.

You'll also spot boobies (known locally as fua'o) soaring gracefully around American Samoa's coastlines. These impressive seabirds are quite the sight when you catch them in flight!

While you might see them anywhere along the coast, boobies prefer to nest in some pretty spectacular locations. They make their homes on the dramatic high cliffs of Pola and in the trees on Tutuila's remote northern shores. You'll also find nesting colonies in the cliff areas of Ofu-Olosega.

Keep an eye out for these three species during your visit: the masked booby, brown booby and red-footed booby.

From our experience, the best time to spot them is during their active feeding periods when they're diving for fish just offshore.

According to the National Parks Service, "With such diverse habitats, it is assumed that most of the 991 fish species recorded in Samoan waters—representing 113 families—can be found within or near the park. This remarkable diversity is nearly twice the number of fish species in Hawaii."

One fish species that gets people particularly excited (Nemo, anyone?) is the anemone fish, also known as clown fish or tu'u'u. You'll find orange-fin, Clark's, dusky and pink anemonefish in American Samoa.

Clownfish have a fascinating mutual symbiotic relationship with sea anemones. Unlike other fish that are paralysed by the anemone's poisonous tentacles, clownfish make their home amongst these very same tentacles. It's a remarkable adaptation that never fails to amaze snorkellers and divers alike!

We always enjoy spotting the segasegamau'u, a stunning subspecies of cardinal honeyeater that calls American Samoa home exclusively (apart from, well, Samoa). These gorgeous nectar-loving birds are perfectly designed for their job, with elegantly curved bills that slip effortlessly into flowers (though they're not picky eaters and will happily munch on insects too).

What makes them particularly delightful for birdwatchers is their adaptability. From coastal areas to village gardens and forest edges, these charming birds have made themselves at home just about everywhere on the islands. We've found that flower gardens are your best bet for spotting them.

While not as flamboyant as you might expect from a tropical bird, it's still worth keeping an eye out for the fui'a (or Samoan starling) during your visit to American Samoa. These charming medium-sized birds are found nowhere else in the world except here and in neighbouring Samoa.

What makes them so special to encounter is their adaptability. From our experience exploring the islands, these clever birds thrive everywhere from dense forests to the edges of villages, which means you're quite likely to see them during your stay.

Listen out for their distinctive loud, screeching calls echoing through the trees. They're particularly fond of nesting in the holes of large trees, where they raise their young safely away from predators.

These starlings have evolved impressively strong bills that allow them to pry open tough husks and poke into large fruits like esi (papaya). It's fascinating to watch them work their way through these challenging meals.

While American Samoa doesn't have an official territorial bird, the fui'a serves as a wonderful representative of the region's unique wildlife. After all, you won't find these beautiful birds anywhere else on Earth.

So, you're wondering about snakes in American Samoa? Well, you'll be relieved to know there are only two species, and neither poses any threat to visitors.

The first is the Australasian blind snake, a tiny black creature that's often mistaken for an earthworm. Growing just 13-15 cm (5-6 in) long, these harmless little snakes live quietly in garden soil and plantations, munching on termites and larvae.

The second is the gata or Pacific boa, which you'll only find occasionally on Ta'u Island. Interestingly, this species once lived on Tutuila too (archaeologists have found their bones there), but it mysteriously disappeared for unknown reasons.

These forest-dwelling boas are nocturnal creatures that prefer to keep to themselves, feeding on lizards, rats, small birds and bird eggs. From what we've experienced, you're unlikely to encounter either species during your visit – they're both shy and mind their own business.