Fauna of Seychelles
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The Wildlife of Seychelles comprises the flora and fauna of the
Seychelles Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (french: link=no, République des Seychelles; Creole: ''La Repiblik Sesel''), is an archipelagic state consisting of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, V ...
islands off the eastern coast of
Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
in the western
Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by th ...
.


Human history and fauna

In common with many fragile island ecosystems, the early human history of Seychelles saw the
loss of biodiversity Biodiversity loss includes the worldwide extinction of different species, as well as the local reduction or loss of species in a certain habitat, resulting in a loss of biological diversity. The latter phenomenon can be temporary or permanent, de ...
including the disappearance of most of the
giant tortoises Giant tortoises are any of various large land tortoises Giant tortoise or giant tortoises may also refer to: * Galápagos giant tortoise, ''Chelonoidis nigra'' are a complex of the largest living species of tortoise. :: Pinta giant tortoise or ...
from the granitic islands, felling of coastal and mid-level forests and extinction of species such as the
Marianne white-eye The Marianne white-eye (''Zosterops semiflavus''), also known as Seychelles chestnut-sided white-eye or Seychelles yellow white-eye, is an extinct species of small bird in the white-eye family. Taxonomy Edward Newton described it as a full speci ...
,
Seychelles parakeet The Seychelles parakeet or Seychelles Island parrot (''Psittacula wardi'') is an extinct species of parrot that was endemic to the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean. It was scientifically named ''Palaeornis wardi'' by the British ornithologist Edw ...
,
Seychelles black terrapin The West African mud turtle (''Pelusios castaneus''), also known as the West African side-necked turtle or swamp terrapin, is a species of turtle in the family Pelomedusidae. ''Pelusios castaneus'' is a freshwater species and is endemic to West a ...
, and the
saltwater crocodile The saltwater crocodile (''Crocodylus porosus'') is a crocodilian native to saltwater habitats and brackish wetlands from India's east coast across Southeast Asia and the Sundaic region to northern Australia and Micronesia. It has been listed ...
. However, extinctions were far fewer than on other islands such as
Mauritius Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label=Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It incl ...
or
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
, partly due to a shorter period of human occupation (since 1770). The Seychelles today is known for success stories in protecting its flora and fauna. Arguably the first scientific study of Seychelles was that of the Marion Dufresne expedition in 1768, two years prior to settlement. Dufresne instructed Duchemin, captain of the vessel La Digue, to ...''especially give the greatest attention to the study and prospects of all the species of inland productions such as trees, bushes, plants, herbs, quadruped animals, birds, insects, freshwater fish, stones, soil, minerals. Nothing is unimportant. You must not avoid giving details and descriptions- everything is worthy of attention''. Their observations remain an intriguing window on Seychelles prior to human interference. Subsequent to settlement,
Fairfax Moresby Admiral of the Fleet Sir Fairfax Moresby GCB (29 November 1786 – 21 January 1877) was a Royal Navy officer. As a junior officer he took part in the unsuccessful expedition to capture Ferrol in Spain during the French Revolutionary Wars. He ...
's hydrographic survey in 1822, was the first scientific study in the islands, while early collectors included those of Pervillé, Wright and Mobius during the early to mid-19th century. The first major avian collector was Newton in 1865 followed by Lantz in 1877, both in the granitics. Abbott collected in the granitics in 1890 and in the Aldabra group in 1893. Voeltzkow also made general natural history collections on Aldabra in 1895. In 1882, Coppinger made extensive collections and observations. Several expeditions followed, most significant of which was the Percy Sladen Expedition aboard Sealark in 1905, when Gardiner made extensive collections in the granitics and outer islands. His collections for some islands remain the only records available into the 21st century. Studies subsequent to Gardiner were sparse up to the 1950s, though some residents of Seychelles made valuable contributions, notably Dupont, Thomasset, Baty and Vesey Fitzgerald. Visiting oceanographic expeditions also made some collections. In the 1950s, Smith conducted a major study of marine fish, while Cousteau also visited in 1954 aboard Calypso. Legrand collected Lepidoptera in the 1950s, while the Bristol University expedition of 1964-65 focussed on birds and insects. The contribution of
Royal Society The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...
to the knowledge of
Aldabra Aldabra is the world's second-largest coral atoll, lying south-east of the continent of Africa. It is part of the Aldabra Group of islands in the Indian Ocean that are part of the Outer Islands of the Seychelles, with a distance of 1,120 k ...
from 1966 is legendary and work on
Aldabra Aldabra is the world's second-largest coral atoll, lying south-east of the continent of Africa. It is part of the Aldabra Group of islands in the Indian Ocean that are part of the Outer Islands of the Seychelles, with a distance of 1,120 k ...
continued under the custodianship of
Seychelles Islands Foundation Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF) manages and protects the World Heritage Sites of Aldabra and Vallee de Mai. The foundation was established as a public trust in 1979, with the President of Seychelles as patron. The Board of trustees, appointed b ...


Present day conservation

In more modern times, International Council for Bird Preservation (ICBP, now
BirdLife International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...
) conducted a great deal of research on Cousin Island. In the second half of the 1980s and during the 1990s, many reports and published papers for the granitics were the result of work conducted on
Aride Island Aride Island is the northernmost granitic island in the Seychelles ( Bird Island is the northernmost Seychelles island overall). A nature reserve, it is leased and managed by the Island Conservation Society of Seychelles. History The name ‘Ari ...
first by Royal Society for Nature Conservation (now
Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts The Wildlife Trusts, the trading name of the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts, is an organisation made up of 46 local Wildlife Trusts in the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man and Alderney. The Wildlife Trusts, between them, look after more than 2, ...
) and then by the local NGO
Island Conservation Society The Island Conservation Society (ICS) was registered as an NGO in Seychelles on 25 March 2001. The Head Office, known as The Island Conservation Centre, is situated at Pointe Larue, Mahé. ICS focusses on protection and rehabilitation of the small ...
in Ramos national park, summarized in Annual Reports from 1987 to the present. Extensive scientific research is carried out since the 1990s and much of this is published in Seychelles in the scientific journa
''Phelsuma''
' (published by
Nature Protection Trust of Seychelles Nature Protection Trust of Seychelles ThNature Protection Trust of Seychelleswas established in 1992 as the first environmental non-governmental organisation registered in Seychelles and was active up to 2011 when it ceased operating. NPTS aime ...
). Although many of the conservation laws date back to British colonial days, the Seychelles government has strictly protected the natural heritage of the islands for many years. Seychelles is home to two
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
s run by th
Seychelles Islands Foundation
They are the atoll of
Aldabra Aldabra is the world's second-largest coral atoll, lying south-east of the continent of Africa. It is part of the Aldabra Group of islands in the Indian Ocean that are part of the Outer Islands of the Seychelles, with a distance of 1,120 k ...
, which is the world's largest raised coral
atoll An atoll () is a ring-shaped island, including a coral rim that encircles a lagoon partially or completely. There may be coral islands or cays on the rim. Atolls are located in warm tropical or subtropical oceans and seas where corals can gr ...
and also the Vallée de Mai on Praslin island, billed as the original site of the
Garden of Eden In Abrahamic religions, the Garden of Eden ( he, גַּן־עֵדֶן, ) or Garden of God (, and גַן־אֱלֹהִים ''gan-Elohim''), also called the Terrestrial Paradise, is the Bible, biblical paradise described in Book of Genesis, Genes ...
. The Cousin Island Special Reserve, purchased by International Council for Bird Preservation (ICBP, now
BirdLife International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...
) in 1968 and managed by Nature Seychelles, is an internationally known bird and marine sanctuary which has won several awards for conservation and ecotourism. Seychelles has six national marine parks including the St. Anne National Marine Park located adjacent to the capital, Port Victoria which are managed by the government parastatal, Marine Parks Authority. Much of the land territory (about 40%) and a substantial part of the coastal sea around Seychelles are protected as National Parks, including Marine Parks, and Reserves. Seychelles will soon become the first country to have half its land protected. A World Bank/Environment Facility project in 1999 and a project for rat eradication has led to a programme of restoration of private islands by the government, Nature Seychelles and private island owners. These islands include Fregate, Denis and Cousine. The management of these islands now employ full-time conservation officers and fund conservation programmes. The island restoration program has now been taken to the outer islands by the
Island Conservation Society The Island Conservation Society (ICS) was registered as an NGO in Seychelles on 25 March 2001. The Head Office, known as The Island Conservation Centre, is situated at Pointe Larue, Mahé. ICS focusses on protection and rehabilitation of the small ...
, with the first Island Conservation Centre opened at Alphonse Atoll in 2007.
Island Conservation Society The Island Conservation Society (ICS) was registered as an NGO in Seychelles on 25 March 2001. The Head Office, known as The Island Conservation Centre, is situated at Pointe Larue, Mahé. ICS focusses on protection and rehabilitation of the small ...
has also implemented other conservation programmes on islands including Conception,
North Island The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...
, Cosmoledo Atoll and Farquhar Atoll.


Flora species

The granitic islands of Seychelles are home to about 75 endemic plant species, with a further 25 or so species in the Aldabra group. Particularly well known is the coco de mer, a species of palm that grows only on the islands of
Praslin Praslin () is the second largest island (38.5 km2) of the Inner Seychelles, lying northeast of Mahé in the Somali Sea. Praslin has a population of around 7,533 people and comprises two administrative districts: Baie Sainte Anne and Gra ...
and neighbouring
Curieuse Curieuse Island is a small granitic island in the Seychelles close to the north coast of the island of Praslin. Curieuse is notable for its bare red earth intermingled with the unique coco de mer palms, one of the cultural icons of the Seychelles ...
. Sometimes nicknamed the 'love nut' because of its suggestive shape, the coco de mer is the world's largest seed. The
jellyfish tree ''Medusagyne oppositifolia'', the jellyfish tree, is a species of tree endemism, endemic to the island of Mahé, Seychelles, Mahé, of the Seychelles. It is the only member of the genus ''Medusagyne'' of the tropical tree and shrub family Ochna ...
is to be found in only a few locations today. This strange and ancient plant has resisted all efforts to propagate it. Other unique plant species include the '' Rothmannia annae'' found only on Aride Island Special Reserve. '' Lodoicea maldivica'' (sea coconut), ''
Deckenia nobilis ''Deckenia nobilis'' (cabbage palm or millionaire's salad) is a species of flowering plant in the family Arecaceae. It is monotypic within the genus ''Deckenia'', and is endemic to the Seychelles, where it is threatened by habitat loss. It was ...
'' (cabbage palm), ''
Nephrosperma vanhoutteanum ''Nephrosperma vanhoutteanum'' is a species of palm tree, and the only species in the genus ''Nephrosperma''. It is found only in Seychelles, where it is threatened by habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat r ...
'', ''
Phoenicophorium borsigianum ''Phoenicophorium'', the thief palm, is a monotypic genus of flowering plant in the family Arecaceae. The sole species is ''Phoenicophorium borsigianum''. It is endemism, endemic to the Seychelles, being is fairly widespread on the larger island ...
'' (thief palm), '' Roscheria melanochaetes'', and ''
Verschaffeltia splendida ''Verschaffeltia splendida'' ("Latanier Latte" or stilt palm) is a species of flowering plant in the family Arecaceae. It is the only species in the genus ''Verschaffeltia''. It is found only in Seychelles where it is threatened by habitat loss ...
'' (stilt palm), all of which are the only species in their respective genera, are
palm tree The Arecaceae is a family of perennial flowering plants in the monocot order Arecales. Their growth form can be climbers, shrubs, tree-like and stemless plants, all commonly known as palms. Those having a tree-like form are called palm trees ...
species which are endemic to the Seychelles.


Fauna species

The giant
tortoise Tortoises () are reptiles of the family Testudinidae of the order Testudines (Latin: ''tortoise''). Like other turtles, tortoises have a turtle shell, shell to protect from predation and other threats. The shell in tortoises is generally hard, ...
s ('' Aldabrachelys'') from
Aldabra Aldabra is the world's second-largest coral atoll, lying south-east of the continent of Africa. It is part of the Aldabra Group of islands in the Indian Ocean that are part of the Outer Islands of the Seychelles, with a distance of 1,120 k ...
now populate many of the islands of the Seychelles. The Aldabra population is the largest in the world. These unique reptiles can be found even in captive herds. It has been reported that the granitic islands of Seychelles supported distinct species of
Seychelles giant tortoise The Seychelles giant tortoise (''Aldabrachelys gigantea hololissa''), also known as the Seychelles domed giant tortoise, is a tortoise subspecies in the genus ''Aldabrachelys''. It inhabited the large central granitic Seychelles islands, but w ...
s, but the status of the different populations is currently unclear. Two of them, Arnolds giant tortoise and the
Seychelles giant tortoise The Seychelles giant tortoise (''Aldabrachelys gigantea hololissa''), also known as the Seychelles domed giant tortoise, is a tortoise subspecies in the genus ''Aldabrachelys''. It inhabited the large central granitic Seychelles islands, but w ...
are in the process of being re-introduced, after some individuals were discovered surviving among Aldabra populations. Flagship
species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
include: the Seychelles magpie robin and the Seychelles warbler, have been spectacularly rescued from the brink of extinction by
BirdLife International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...
,
Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts The Wildlife Trusts, the trading name of the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts, is an organisation made up of 46 local Wildlife Trusts in the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man and Alderney. The Wildlife Trusts, between them, look after more than 2, ...
,
Island Conservation Society The Island Conservation Society (ICS) was registered as an NGO in Seychelles on 25 March 2001. The Head Office, known as The Island Conservation Centre, is situated at Pointe Larue, Mahé. ICS focusses on protection and rehabilitation of the small ...
,
Nature Seychelles Nature Seychelles is a registered non-governmental association in Seychelles dedicated to environmental conservation. It is the national partner of BirdLife International and was formed as the replacement of Birdlife Seychelles in 1998. It is based ...
, private islands ( Fregate and Denis) and the Government of Seychelles. These birds, once restricted to one island each, have been translocated to many others. The national bird is the rare
Seychelles black parrot The Seychelles black parrot, Praslin parrot or kato nwar (''Coracopsis barklyi'') is a sombre-coloured, medium-sized parrot endemic to the Seychelles. Historically, it has been treated as a subspecies of the lesser vasa parrot, although it shows ...
. Seychelles has 12
endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
bird species. These are the Aldabra drongo,
Seychelles magpie robin The Seychelles magpie-robin (''Copsychus sechellarum'') is a medium-sized endangered bird from the granitic Seychelles in the Indian Ocean. This species of magpie-robin is approximately in length. With a body mass of in females and in males, t ...
,
Seychelles paradise flycatcher The Seychelles paradise flycatcher (''Terpsiphone corvina'') is a rare bird from the genus of paradise flycatchers (''Terpsiphone'') within the family Monarchidae. It is a forest-dwelling bird endemic to the Seychelles where it is native to the ...
,
Seychelles fody The Seychelles fody (''Foudia sechellarum'') is a small yellowish songbird that are native to the Seychelles islands of Cousin Island, Cousine Island, Frégate Island, and have been introduced to Aride Island, D'Arros Island and as of 2004 Denis ...
,
Seychelles scops-owl The Seychelles scops owl (''Otus insularis''), also known as bare-legged scops owl or syer (in Creole) is a rare scops owl species, which only occurs in the Morne Seychellois National Park on the Seychelles island of Mahé. Description It reache ...
,
Seychelles white-eye The Seychelles white-eye (''Zosterops modestus'') is a rare warbler-like perching bird from the family of white-eyes (Zosteropidae). It is endemic to the Seychelles. At one time thought to be extinct, it was rediscovered and is now listed as Vul ...
,
Seychelles swiftlet The Seychelles swiftlet (''Aerodramus elaphrus'') is a small bird of the swift family. It is found only in the Seychelles Islands in the Indian Ocean. It is 10–12 cm long with a wingspan of 28 cm and a weight of about 10 g. The upperp ...
,
Seychelles kestrel The Seychelles kestrel (''Falco araeus'') is a small bird of prey belonging to the genus '' Falco'' in the falcon family, Falconidae. It is endemic to the Seychelles Islands where it is the only breeding bird of prey. It is known in Seychellois Cr ...
, Seychelles blue pigeon,
Seychelles bulbul The Seychelles bulbul (''Hypsipetes crassirostris'') is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is a common endemic species of the Seychelles, breeding on Mahé, Praslin, La Digue and Silhouette as well as some smaller islands. Tax ...
,
Seychelles warbler The Seychelles warbler (''Acrocephalus sechellensis''), also known as Seychelles brush warbler, is a small songbird found on five granitic and corraline islands in the Seychelles. It is a greenish-brown bird with long legs and a long slender bill ...
and
Seychelles sunbird The Seychelles sunbird (''Cinnyris dussumieri'') is a small passerine from the sunbird family. It is named after the French explorer Jean-Jacques Dussumier. It is native to the Seychelles, where it is known as ''kolibri'' in Seychellois Creole. ...
. In addition, the islands were formerly home to the
Seychelles parakeet The Seychelles parakeet or Seychelles Island parrot (''Psittacula wardi'') is an extinct species of parrot that was endemic to the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean. It was scientifically named ''Palaeornis wardi'' by the British ornithologist Edw ...
, a species that became extinct in the late 1800s. Seychelles hosts some of the largest seabird colonies in the world. Islands such as Bird,
Aride Island Aride Island is the northernmost granitic island in the Seychelles ( Bird Island is the northernmost Seychelles island overall). A nature reserve, it is leased and managed by the Island Conservation Society of Seychelles. History The name ‘Ari ...
, Cousin,
Aldabra Aldabra is the world's second-largest coral atoll, lying south-east of the continent of Africa. It is part of the Aldabra Group of islands in the Indian Ocean that are part of the Outer Islands of the Seychelles, with a distance of 1,120 k ...
and Cosmoledo host many species of seabirds including the
sooty tern The sooty tern (''Onychoprion fuscatus'') is a seabird in the family Laridae. It is a bird of the tropical oceans, returning to land only to breed on islands throughout the equatorial zone. Taxonomy The sooty tern was described by Carl Linnaeu ...
, fairy tern, white-tailed tropicbird, noddies and
frigatebirds Frigatebirds are a family of seabirds called Fregatidae which are found across all tropical and subtropical oceans. The five extant species are classified in a single genus, ''Fregata''. All have predominantly black plumage, long, deeply forked ...
.
Aride Island Aride Island is the northernmost granitic island in the Seychelles ( Bird Island is the northernmost Seychelles island overall). A nature reserve, it is leased and managed by the Island Conservation Society of Seychelles. History The name ‘Ari ...
has more species of seabird and greater numbers than the other 40 granite islands combined including the world's largest colony of Audubon's shearwater and lesser noddy. The marine life around the islands, especially the more remote coral islands, can be spectacular. More than 1000 species of fish have been recorded. Since the use of
speargun A speargun is a ranged underwater fishing device designed to launch a tethered spear or harpoon to impale fish or other marine animals and targets. Spearguns are used in sport fishing and underwater target shooting. The two basic types are ''pne ...
s and
dynamite Dynamite is an explosive made of nitroglycerin, sorbents (such as powdered shells or clay), and Stabilizer (chemistry), stabilizers. It was invented by the Swedish people, Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel in Geesthacht, Northern Germa ...
for fishing was banned through efforts of local conservationists in the 1960s, the wildlife is unafraid of snorkelers and divers.
Coral bleaching Coral bleaching is the process when corals become white due to various stressors, such as changes in temperature, light, or nutrients. Bleaching occurs when coral polyps expel the zooxanthellae (dinoflagellates that are commonly referred to as alg ...
in 1998 has unfortunately damaged most reefs, but some reefs show healthy recovery (e.g.
Silhouette Island Silhouette Island lies northwest of Mahé in the Seychelles. It is the third largest granitic island in the Seychelles. It has an area of 20.1 km2 and has a population of 200, mostly workers on the island. The main settlement is La Passe ...
. The reefs comprise a vast selection of soft corals and hard corals alike. There is great diving and snorkeling opportunity. The taking of marine turtles was completely stopped in 1994, and turtle populations are now recovering on several protected islands, most notably Cousin Island,
Aride Island Aride Island is the northernmost granitic island in the Seychelles ( Bird Island is the northernmost Seychelles island overall). A nature reserve, it is leased and managed by the Island Conservation Society of Seychelles. History The name ‘Ari ...
,
Silhouette Island Silhouette Island lies northwest of Mahé in the Seychelles. It is the third largest granitic island in the Seychelles. It has an area of 20.1 km2 and has a population of 200, mostly workers on the island. The main settlement is La Passe ...
and
Aldabra Aldabra is the world's second-largest coral atoll, lying south-east of the continent of Africa. It is part of the Aldabra Group of islands in the Indian Ocean that are part of the Outer Islands of the Seychelles, with a distance of 1,120 k ...
. However, they continue to decline at unprotected sites. The use of gill nets for shark fishing as well as the practice of shark finning are now banned. The Seychelles are home to 26 species of terrestrial or semi-terrestrial crabs, and 5 species of terrestrial
hermit crab Hermit crabs are anomuran decapod crustaceans of the superfamily Paguroidea that have adapted to occupy empty scavenged mollusc shells to protect their fragile exoskeletons. There are over 800 species of hermit crab, most of which possess an a ...
, including the world's largest terrestrial invertebrate, the
coconut crab The coconut crab (''Birgus latro'') is a species of terrestrial hermit crab, also known as the robber crab or palm thief. It is the largest terrestrial arthropod in the world, with a weight of up to . It can grow to up to in width from the tip ...
(''Birgus latro''). The granitic Seychelles are home to the country's only true
freshwater crab Around 1,300 species of freshwater crabs are distributed throughout the tropics and subtropics, divided among eight families. They show direct development and maternal care of a small number of offspring, in contrast to marine crabs, which relea ...
, ''
Seychellum alluaudi ''Seychellum alluaudi'' is a species of freshwater crab endemic to the Seychelles, and the only true freshwater crab in that country. It lives in rainforest streams on the archipelago's granitic high islands. Although it may be abundant, little ...
'', which is endemic to the archipelago. Unusually for oceanic islands amphibians are native. Six species of
frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely Carnivore, carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order (biology), order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-f ...
are found here, five endemic and one introduced, as well as six endemic species of caecilian:
Praslin's caecilian ''Praslinia cooperi'', or Cooper's black caecilian, is a species of caecilian in the family Grandisoniidae. It is monotypic in the genus ''Praslinia''. It is found on Mahé and Silhouette Islands in the Seychelles. An old reported sighting on i ...
, the Frigate Island caecilian and four species of ''
Grandisonia ''Grandisonia'' is a genus of amphibian in the family Grandisoniidae The Grandisoniidae are a family of common caecilians found in Africa, Seychelles and India. Like other caecilians, they superficially resemble worms or snakes. The family wa ...
''. There are 20 species of lizard, including
gecko Geckos are small, mostly carnivorous lizards that have a wide distribution, found on every continent except Antarctica. Belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, geckos are found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from . Geckos ar ...
s,
skink Skinks are lizards belonging to the family Scincidae, a family in the infraorder Scincomorpha. With more than 1,500 described species across 100 different taxonomic genera, the family Scincidae is one of the most diverse families of lizards. Ski ...
s, the
Madagascar girdled lizard The Madagascar girdled lizard or Madagascar plated lizard (''Zonosaurus madagascariensis'') is a species of lizard in the family Gerrhosauridae. It is found in Madagascar, some outlying islands (Nosy Be and the nearby islands; Grande Glorieuse) a ...
and the endemic
chameleon Chameleons or chamaeleons (family Chamaeleonidae) are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of Old World lizards with 202 species described as of June 2015. The members of this family are best known for their distinct range of colors, bein ...
'' Archaius tigris'', as well as three land snakes (two native and one introduced).Amphibians and Reptiles of Seychelles
Retrieved on June 25, 2014


See also

*
List of birds of the Seychelles This is a list of the bird species recorded in the Seychelles. It includes a total of 279 species have been accepted by Seychelles Bird Records Committee (SBRC) as recorded in Seychelles up to 25 October 202SBRC This total includes 279 species pe ...
*
List of mammals in the Seychelles This is a list of the mammal species recorded in the Seychelles. Of the mammal species in the Seychelles, two are critically endangered and two are vulnerable.This list is derived from the IUCN Red List which lists species of mammals and includes t ...
*
List of amphibians of Seychelles There are twelve species of amphibians in Seychelles. These species include: * ''Ptychadena mascareniensis'' (Mascarene grass frog) * ''Sechellophryne gardineri '' (Gardiner's Seychelles frog) * ''Sechellophryne pipilodryas'' (Seychelles palm fro ...
*
List of non-marine molluscs of the Seychelles The non-marine molluscs of Seychelles are a part of the molluscan wildlife of Seychelles. Freshwater gastropods Paludomidae * '' Paludomus ajanensis'' Morelet, 1860 Land gastropods Streptaxidae - There are 20 species of Streptaxidae ...
* Index: Flora of Seychelles


References

{{WildlifeofAfrica Environment of Seychelles
Seychelles Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (french: link=no, République des Seychelles; Creole: ''La Repiblik Sesel''), is an archipelagic state consisting of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, V ...