In Seychelles, species include legless caecilians (a wormlike amphibian), Seychelles paradise flycatchers, Seychelles magpie-robins (Copsychus sechellarum
), Seychelles sheath-tailed bat (Coleura seychellensis
), Seychelles kestrel (Falco araea
), Seychelles swiflet (Collocalia elaphra
), Seychelles wild vanilla orchid, stilt palm, Seychelles pitcher plant, and one of the rarest plants in the world, the jellyfish tree - with a total population of less than 30, it was thought to be extinct until rediscovered in 1970. The forests of the Seychelles are also home to the extraordinary Coco de Mer palm (Lodoicea maldivica
), with the world's largest nut - coco-de-mer, or sea coconut that weighs in at about 22.5 kilograms!
On Réunion, species include Réunion cuckoo-shrike (Coracina newtoni
), Réunion stone chat (Saxicola tectes
), and Olivaceous bulbul (Hypsipetes borbonicus
). On Mauritius the Mauritius kestrel (Falco punctatus
) has been successfully bred in captivity for reintroduction, and the pink pigeon (Columba mayeri
) is also found there. Unique reptiles and amphibians include the endemic frog family, Sooglossidae
With about 152,000 individuals, Aldabra has the largest population of these giant tortoises (Dipsochelus gigantea
) in the world. This ecoregion is also home to the very last known population of flightless birds in the western Indian Ocean, and it provides valuable breeding areas for both marine turtles
and seabirds. Also found here are the plump Aldabra white-throated rails, the last living representative of several species of Indian Ocean flightless birds.