Endemic Animals of Seychelles

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 morphological, ecological and behavioural differences. Recent phylogenetic research indicates that the Seychelles population has a long history of isolation and may be sister to the rest of Coracopsis. It ...
is the national bird of the Seychelles. Less

The Seychelles blue pigeon (Alectroenas pulcherrimus ), also known as the Seychelles blue fruit dove, is a medium-sized pigeon which inhabits woodland areas of the granitic Seychelles archipelago. Less

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. Less

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 Island. Their natural habitat is woodland, but they have adapted to living in such habitats as coconut plantations and gardens. Less

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. Less

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. This bird is placed in the genus Cinnyris by some authorities and in Nectarinia by others. Although this bird has a limited range, it is described as common and has a stable population, so the International ...
Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern". Less

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 Creole as the katiti after its loud, shrill call. Less

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 island of La Digue. Males have glossy black plumage with elongated tail feathers, while females are reddish-brown with pale underparts and no long tail feathers. The International Union for Conservation of ...
Nature lists this bird as being "Vulnerable" and attempts have been made to increase its numbers by relocating some individuals to Denis Island, another island in the Seychelles archipelago. Less

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. It is primarily found in forested areas on the islands. The Seychelles warbler is a rarity in that it exhibits cooperative breeding, or alloparenting; which means that the monogamous pair is assisted by ...
nonbreeding female helpers.A few decades ago the Seychelles warbler was on the verge of extinction, with only 26 birds surviving on Cousin Island in 1968. Due to conservation efforts there are more than 2500 of the species alive today with viable populations on Denis, Frégate, Cousine and Aride Islands, as well as Cousin Island. Less

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 25 cm (9.8 in) in length. With a body mass of 65 g (2.3 oz) in females and 76 g (2.7 oz) in males, this species may stand as the largest remnant species in the diverse Muscicapidae with the separation of larger birds such as cochoas to the thrush family. It has a gloss ...
y coal-black plumage with a white-colored bar on each wing. It is considered a long-lived species, whose lifespan is over 15 years of age. Its habitat is woodlands, plantations and the vicinity of gardens. Their range on the island of Fregate was limited by the area of open ground with leaf litter.Historically, it is believed to have existed on most of the granitic Seychelles islands. Destruction of habitat and introduced predators (domestic cats and rats) greatly reduced its numbers. By 1970, it was on the brink of extinction, with only 16 individuals remaining, all on Frégate Island. Over the next two decades it had managed to stave off extinction, but its population in 1990 was still only 21 individuals. In 1990 BirdLife International began preservation efforts to save the Seychelles magpie-robin. Birds were transferred to Cousin in 1994 and to Cousine in 1995. Further transfers followed to Aride Island in 2002 and Denis Island in 2008.Today, there are established populations of Seychelles magpie-robins on all five islands. As of 2012, the total population was 244-248 birds (Frégate- 115), (Cousin- 38), (Cousine- 31), (Aride- 24), (Denis- 36-40) and the IUCN has downlisted its status from Critically Endangered to Endangered. Less

The Aldabra drongo (Dicrurus aldabranus ) is a species of bird in the drongo family Dicruridae.It is endemic to Seychelles, where it occurs only on the island of Aldabra. It has a small population of only around 1000 birds.The appearance of this species is typical for drongos, with entirely black plumage, a heavy bill and a red eye. The tail is long and forked. Juvenile birds have a grey back, lighter blotched undersides and a brown eye. Its ...
call is a harsh chuckle.Its natural habitats are tropical mangrove forests and cassurina woodland and dense scrub. Less

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 upperparts are dark grey-brown and are slightly paler on the rump. The underparts are pale grey-brown, darkest on the undertail-coverts. The bill and legs are black. The tail is dark and slightly forked. The wings are long and ...
narrow but are less pointed than those of the other swift species which sometimes visit the islands.A soft, twittering call is given in flight by feeding flocks and the birds also have a low-pitched, metallic clicking call used for echolocation in caves.The Seychelles swiftlet is related to the smaller, paler Mascarene swiftlet (Aerodramus francicus ) of Mauritius and Réunion and has been treated as a subspecies of it in the past. The two are thought to have separated about 500,000 years ago.The Seychelles swiftlet breeds on the islands of Mahé, Praslin and La Digue. It formerly bred on Félicité and has been recorded as a non-breeding visitor on Aride. It often feeds over freshwater and mountain passes but can be seen over most habitats. It feeds on flying insects, particularly ants.Breeding takes place all year round at a small number of colonies in caves. The nest is bracket-shaped and made of strands of lichen and casuarina needles held together by saliva. One white egg is laid and is incubated for about 25 to 30 days. The young birds are fed by both parents and fledge after 42 days.The species is classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN due to its small population (2,500 to 3,000 birds) and limited number of breeding sites. Threats include disturbance, use of insecticides and predation by introduced barn owls and cats. Less

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 Vulnerable by the IUCN. Less

The Aldabra fody (Foudia aldabrana ) is a passerine bird in the family Ploceidae. It is endemic to Aldabra Island in the Indian Ocean.Until recently it was treated as conspecific with the Comoros fody (Foudia eminentissima ).The species is monotypic. Less

The Aldabra white-eye (Zosterops aldabrensis ) is a bird species in the family Zosteropidae. It is endemic to the island of Aldabra in the Indian Ocean.The Aldabra white-eye was formerly treated as a subspecies of the Malagasy white-eye (Zosterops maderaspatanus ) but based on the results of a molecular phylogenetic study published in 2014, it is now treated as a separate species. Less

Gardiner's Seychelles frog (Sechellophryne gardineri ) is a small frog of the family Sooglossidae and endemic to the Seychelles. It is named after John Stanley Gardiner, English zoologist and oceanographer. Less

The Seychelles frog (Sooglossus sechellensis ) is a species of frog endemic to Mahé, Silhouette and Praslin islands in the Seychelles. It inhabits the floor of damp rainforest at altitudes from 150 m (490 ft) to 991 m (3,251 ft) above sea level. Higher altitude sites are considered to be more climatically stable and more suitable. The species is present in Morne Seychellois National Park, Silhouette National Park and Praslin National Park.The repr ...
oductive biology of this species is unusual. Eggs are laid on the ground and guarded until they hatch. The tadpoles are thereafter carried on one of their parent's backs.The IUCN assessed the species as "Endangered" in 2013. Although it is locally common, it has a small area of occupancy (about 29 km2), a severely fragmented habitat and distribution, and a declining population, particularly at lower altitudes. It is threatened by habitat degradation due to fire and invasive species (the tree Cinnamomum verum and the yellow crazy ant, Anoplolepis gracilipes ). In addition, climate change projections predict a steady shrinkage in its area of habitat due to declining rainfall.Genetic analysis indicates that the three populations of this species are all distinct from each other and are possibly even separate species. It has been proposed that each of the three populations be considered evolutionary significant units for conservation purposes. Less

The Seychelles palm frog (Sechellophryne pipilodryas ) is a species of frog that is endemic to Silhouette Island in the Seychelles. It is closely related to Gardiner's frog, Sechellophryne gardineri.The Seychelles palm frog inhabits forests higher than 150 m (490 ft) above sea level and is closely associated with the palm Phoenicophorium borsigianum (another Seychelles endemic); most individuals are found in axils of the palm. It is the most a ...
rboreal of the Sooglossidae. As a result, the palm frog is the most recent species of the family to have been discovered (in 2000).The reproductive biology of this species is unknown, but it is presumed to involve direct development, i.e. eggs that hatch directly into froglets.IUCN has reassessed the species in 2012 and concluded that Seychelles palm frog should be considered as "Critically Endangered" because of its small area of occupancy (about 7 km2), decline in population size, and threats to its habitat. Its earlier (2004) classification was only "Vulnerable". Less

The Seychelle Islands treefrog or Seychelles treefrog (Tachycnemis seychellensis ) is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is endemic to Seychelles. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, rivers, swamps, freshwater marshes, intermittent freshwater marshes, plantations, rural gardens, heavily degraded former forest, and irrigated land.T. seychellensis is the only species in the genus ...
Tachycnemis.Currently, the granitic Seychelles are the remaining emergent part of a continental fragment, previously part of Gondwana, that was associated with India and Madagascar when they separated from Africa during the Cretaceous. Less

Grandisonia alternans is a species of caecilian in the family Indotyphlidae, endemic to the Seychelles islands of Mahé, Praslin, Frégate, and La Digue. Less

The Frigate Island caecilian (Hypogeophis rostratus ) is a species of amphibians in the family Indotyphlidae, endemic to Seychelles, where it is the most widespread caecilian species. It is found on all the islands with amphibians, namely Mahé, Praslin, Silhouette, Ste. Anne, Curieuse, La Digue, Cerf, and Frégate. Less

Hypogeophis brevis is a species of caecilian formerly included in the genus Grandisonia and found on the islands of Mahé and Silhouette in the Seychelles. It is known only from two specimens collected on Mahé in 1910 and more collected recently from Silhouette. Less

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 its namesake Praslin is not known to be correct. Less

Grandisonia sechellensis is a species of caecilian in the family Indotyphlidae. It is endemic to the Seychelles islands of Mahé, Praslin, and Silhouette. Less

Grandisonia larvata is a species of caecilian in the family Indotyphlidae, endemic to the Seychelles islands of Mahé, Praslin, La Digue, and Silhouette. Less

The Tenerife giant tortoise (Centrochelys burchardi ) is an extinct species of cryptodire turtle in the family Testudinidae endemic to the island of Tenerife, in the Canary Islands. Less

Seychelles giant day gecko (Phelsuma sundbergi sundbergi ) is diurnal subspecies of geckos. It lives on the island Praslin in the Seychelles and typically inhabits trees and dwellings. The Seychelles giant day gecko feeds on insects and nectar. Less

Phelsuma astriata, the Seychelles (small) day gecko or stripeless day gecko is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae endemic to the Seychelles.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical mangrove forest, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, subtropical or tropical moist shrubland, plantations, rural gardens, and urban areas.It is threatened by ...
habitat loss. It lives in tropical areas. it eats vegetables of almost any kind.These geckos possess the significant ability to dramatically change in colour intensity based on the presence or absence of light on or around them. The gecko appears bright green in light, but if kept in a dark place, even for a short period of time, its appearance darkens to an extremely dark green that could easily be mistaken for black when viewed in light. If a light is then shone on the gecko, a visual change seems to occur separately in each scale-like protuberance and gradually the entire gecko changes to a bright green in the light over a period of less than 3 minutes. The tail however changes slightly slower. During the change the gecko appears as a mottled bright and dark green simultaneously. See included images taken in Praslin, Seychelles. Less

The Seychelles skink (Trachylepis seychellensis ) also known as the Mangouya, is a species of skink in the family Scincidae. It is endemic to the Seychelles. Less

The giant bronze gecko (Ailuronyx trachygaster ) is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae endemic to Seychelles.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.It is threatened by habitat loss. Less

The Seychelles bronze gecko (Ailuronyx seychellensis ) is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae endemic to Seychelles.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, plantations, rural gardens, and heavily degraded former forests.It is threatened by habitat loss. Less

The Seychelles wolf snake (Lycognathophis seychellensis ) is a species of snake in the superfamily Colubroidea. It is monotypic within the genus Lycognathophis. The New Latin name, Lycognathophis, is derived from the Greek words λύκος (lykos ) meaning "wolf", γνάθος (gnathos ) meaning "jaw", and όφις (ophis ) meaning "snake", referring to the snake's dentition. Less

The Seychelles house snake (Boaedon geometricus ) is a species of snake in the family Colubridae.It is endemic to Seychelles.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, and rural gardens.It is threatened by habitat loss. Less

Phelsuma sundbergi, commonly called the La Digue day gecko, Mahé day gecko, or Seychelles giant day gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to Seychelles and has three subspecies. Less

Phelsuma sundbergi ladiguensis is a diurnal subspecies of Phelsuma sundbergi. It lives on the islands Ladigue, Felicite and Cocco in the Seychelles, and typically inhabits trees and dwellings. The Seychelles giant day gecko feeds on insects and nectar. Less

Phelsuma astriata astriata is a subspecies of Seychelles small day gecko. It is a small, slender lizard with bright green colour that feeds primarily on insects. It is found on several islands of the Seychelles. Less

Wright's skink (Trachylepis wrightii), also known commonly as Wright's mabuya, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Seychelles. There are two recognized subspecies. Less

Assumption Island day Gecko (Phelsuma abbotti sumptio Cheke, 1982), named after a small island outlying on the south west end of the Seychelles is a subspecies of geckos. This gecko is only found on Assumption Island. It typically reaches the length of 140 mm, lives on palm trees and feeds on insects and fruit. Less

The dwarf bronze gecko (Ailuronyx tachyscopaeus ) is a species of lizards in the family Gekkonidae endemic to Seychelles.Dwarf bronze gecko is an arboreal species found in low-growing vegetation in woodland, usually in association with palms where it can reach high densities. It can also occur in coconut plantations and live in buildings. It is an adaptable species, but its range is small. It occurs in the Praslin National Park. Adults can grow ...
to 84 mm (3.3 in) in snout–vent length. It is oviparous and the eggs are glued to palm leaves. Less

Gardiner's burrowing skink (Pamelaescincus gardineri) is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. P. gardineri is the only species in the (monotypic) skink genus Pamelaescincus. Less

Phelsuma astriata semicarinata is a subspecies of Seychelles day gecko. It is a small, slender gecko, has a bright green colour and feeds on insects. It is found on different islands of the Seychelles, where it often lives near human dwellings. Less

Brauer's burrowing skink (Janetaescincus braueri), also known commonly as Brauer's skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the Seychelles. Less