The Granitic Seychelles are the islands in Seychelles which lie in central position on the Seychelles Bank and are composed of granite rock. They make up the majority of the Inner Islands , which in addition include the coral islands along of the rim of the Seychelles Bank, namely Bird Island and Denis Island . The Granitic Seychelles contrast with the Coralline Seychelles or the Outer Islands , several island groups made up of low coral islands with dry, infertile soils.
14-1003: The Granitic Seychelles are home to tropical moist forests , with several endemic species, including the coco de mer ( Lodoicea maldivica ), and the jellyfish tree ( Medusagyne oppositifolia ). Mahé is the largest and tallest island in Seychelles, at 145 square km and up to 905 m elevation. There are 42 granitic islands, in descending order of size: Mahé , Praslin , Silhouette , La Digue , Curieuse , Félicité , Frégate , Ste. Anne , North , Cerf , Marianne , Grand Sœur , Thérèse , Aride , Conception , Petite Sœur , Cousin , Cousine , Long , Récif , Round (Praslin) , Anonyme , Mamelles , Moyenne , Ile aux Vaches Marines , L'Islette , Beacon (Ile Sèche) , Cachée , Cocos , Round (Mahé) , L'Ilot Frégate, Booby, Chauve Souris (Mahé), Chauve Souris (Praslin), Ile La Fouche, Hodoul , L'Ilot, Rat, Souris, St. Pierre (Praslin), Zavé, Harrison Rocks (Grand Rocher). The Granitic Seychelles are fragments of
28-470: A far distance and in particular in the darkness. Its diet consists of geckos, tree frogs and insects (e.g. locusts). The range of this bird when first described in 1880 were the Seychelles islands of Praslin , Mahé , and Silhouette Island . Due to the clearing of the mountainous cloud forests and introduced alien animals, like rats, cats, and barn owls the population had dropped so drastically that it
42-519: Is a subtropical and tropical forest habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature . TSMF is generally found in large, discontinuous patches centered on the equatorial belt and between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn , TSMF are characterized by low variability in annual temperature and high levels of rainfall of more than 2,000 mm (79 in) annually. Forest composition
56-855: Is dominated by evergreen and semi-deciduous tree species. These forests are home to more species than any other terrestrial ecosystem on Earth: Half of the world's species may live in these forests, where a square kilometer may be home to more than 1,000 tree species. These forests are found around the world, particularly in the Indo-Malayan Archipelago , the Amazon Basin , and the African Congo Basin . The perpetually warm, wet climate makes these environments more productive than any other terrestrial environment on Earth and promotes explosive plant growth. A tree here may grow over 23 m (75 ft) in height in just 5 years. From above,
70-609: Is home to many of the forest's animals, including apes and monkeys . Below the canopy, a lower understory hosts to snakes and big cats . The forest floor, relatively clear of undergrowth due to the thick canopy above, is prowled by other animals such as gorillas and deer . All levels of these forests contain an unparalleled diversity of invertebrate species, including New Guinea 's stick insects and butterflies that can grow over 30 cm (1 ft) in length. Many forests are being cleared for farmland , while others are subject to large-scale commercial logging . An area
84-417: The Seychelles island of Mahé . It reaches a length of 19 to 21 cm. The wings are each about 17 cm long. Its plumage is rufous brown and exhibits black shaft streaks. The underparts and the facial disc are rufous. The long grey legs are unfeathered. The eyes are large and golden yellow. The ear-tufts are very small. Its call, which sounds like a rasping "whaugh" with various "tok tok" notes, can be heard from
98-534: The ancient supercontinent of Gondwana , and have been separated from other continents for 75 million years. The Granitic Seychelles form the northernmost part of the submarine Mascarene Plateau . There are mafic xenolith intrusions in the granite in some areas. The archipelago is about 5 degrees south of the equator, and has a humid tropical climate with little seasonal variation in temperature. Average annual rainfall varies with elevation, and exposure, ranging from 2,300 to 5,000 mm. There are heavy monsoon rains in
112-619: The coco de mer . The Granitic Seychelles have a relatively low number of flowering plant species, but a high rate of endemism . Approximately 268 flowering plant species are native to the island, in 216 genera. 28% of the species are endemic, with at least 13 endemic genera, of which most are monospecific. Endemic genera include Deckenia , Glionnetia , Lodoicea , Medusagyne , Nephrosperma , Northia , Paragenipa , Phoenicophorium , Protarum , Roscheria , Seychellea , Vateriopsis , and Xyroschoenus . 35% of flowering plant species are endangered. The unique lizard and reptile populations of
126-496: The Seychelles include seven species of caecilian and the iconic giant tortoises, Aldabrachelys gigantea arnoldi on the Granitic Seychelles, and Dipsochelys dussumieri on Aldabra . There have been some extinctions but the remaining endemic birds of these islands include the Seychelles scops owl ( Otus insularis ) and the Seychelles paradise flycatcher ( Terpsiphone corvina ). 200 years of human settlement has seen
140-431: The forest appears as an unending sea of green, broken only by occasional, taller "emergent" trees. These towering emergents are the realm of hornbills , toucans , and the harpy eagle . In general, biodiversity is highest in the forest canopy. The canopy can be divided into five layers: overstory canopy with emergent crowns , a medium layer of canopy, lower canopy, shrub level, and finally understory. The canopy
154-416: The removal of much of the ancient habitat (including planting of coconut, vanilla and cinnamon), and the introduction of damaging invasive species. The Vallée de Mai on Praslin is the largest example of natural palm forest and is a World Heritage Site. Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests ( TSMF ), also known as tropical moist forest ,
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#1732847728882168-560: The size of Ireland is destroyed every few years. The biome includes several types of forests: A number of TSMF ecoregions are notable for their biodiversity and endemism : Seychelles scops owl The Seychelles scops owl or Seychelles 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
182-505: The summer (November to February). Trade winds blow steadily from the southeast during the cooler months. The native vegetation of these islands consisted of palm, pandanus screw pines, and hardwood forest with mossy, ferny, cloud forest at higher elevations. The flora shows links with both Madagascar to the south and the African mainland to the west. Having been so isolated the islands are rich in endemic plant life including palm trees such as
196-406: Was thought to be extinct by 1906. In 1959 it was rediscovered by French naturalist Phillippe Loustau-Lalanne in a mountainous cloud forest at an altitude of 200 m (660 ft) a.s.l. on the island of Mahé. In 1999 the first nest was discovered but there was no breeding success. In 2000 the first infrared photograph was shot of a female with her juvenile. Due to the lack of information about
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