Thewildlife of theMaldives includes theflora andfauna of the islands, reefs, and the surrounding ocean.Recent scientific studies suggest that the fauna varies greatly between atolls following a north–south gradient, but important differences between neighbouring atolls were also found (especially in terms of sea animals), which may be linked to differences in fishing pressure – includingpoaching.[1]
The land-basedbiotopes of the Maldives are highly endangered. The little land available in the country is being swiftly developed. Formerly uninhabited islands were only occasionally visited, but now almost no untouched uninhabited islands remain. Many of the naturalhabitats of local species have been severely threatened or destroyed during the past decades of development.
Coral reef habitats have also been damaged, as the pressure for land has brought about the creation of artificial islands. Some reefs have been filled with rubble with little regard for the changes in the currents on the reef shelf and how the new pattern would affect coral growth and its related life forms on the reef edges.
The Maldives have a rich variety of plant life despite the lack of fertile soils. There are three plant communities. The first is the foreshore, which is closest to the ocean and mostly bare except for hardy creeping vines such asIpomoea species. The next is the beach crest, which is slightly more protected from the tides.Scaevola taccada,Pemphis acidula,Tournefortia argentea, andGuettarda speciosa are very common and often dominant there. Finally, the inner island habitats are the most protected. Sometimes densecoconut plantations and moist soils allow the growth of understory trees, likeMorinda citrifolia orGuettarda speciosa. On northern islands,Hibiscus tiliaceus orPremna serratifolia form pure stands.[2]: 22 Mixed forests are also common. Out of thevascular plants of the Maldives, 260 grow in the wild and are either native or naturalized, while an additional 323 are cultivated.[2]: 20
Mangroves are found in brackish or muddy areas of the Maldives. Fourteen species over ten genera are native to the Maldives, including onefern,Acrostichum aureum.[2]: 24
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There is a wide diversity of sea life in the Maldives, with corals and over 2,000 species of fish, ranging from colourful reef fish to theblacktip reef shark,moray eels, and a wide variety of rays:manta ray,stingray, andeagle ray. The Maldivian waters are also home to thewhale shark. The waters around the Maldives are abundant in rare species of biological and commercial value, withtuna fisheries being one of the traditional commercial resources. In the few ponds and marshes there are freshwater fish, likemilkfish (Chanos chanos) and smaller species. Thetilapia or mouth-breeder was introduced by a UN agency in the 1970s.
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Since the islands are very small, land-based reptiles are rare. There is a species ofgecko, as well as one species ofagamid lizard, theoriental garden lizard (Calotes versicolor),[3] thewhite-spotted supple skink (Riopa albopunctata), theIndian wolf snake (Lycodon aulicus) and thebrahminy blind snake (Ramphotyphlops braminus).
In the sea there thegreen sea turtle (Chelonia mydas),hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) andleatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), that lay eggs on Maldivian beaches. Sea snakes such as theyellow-bellied sea snake (Hydrophis platurus) that live in theIndian Ocean are occasionally cast up on the shore after storms, where they are rendered helpless and unable to return to the sea.Saltwater crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus) have also been known to reach the islands and dwell in marshy areas.
Thesouthern burrowing frog (Sphaerotheca rolandae) is found in a few islands, while theAsian common toad (Duttaphrynus melanostictus) has a more widespread presence.[4]
The location of this Indian Ocean archipelago means that its avifauna is mainly restricted topelagic birds. Most of the species are Eurasian migratory birds, only a few being typically associated with the Indian sub-continent. Some, like thefrigatebird are seasonal. There are also birds that dwell in marshes and island bush, like thegrey heron and themoorhen.White terns are found occasionally on the southern islands due to their rich habitats.[5]
There are very few land mammals in the Maldives. Only aflying fox and ashrew[citation needed] are endemic.
Cats,rats, andmice have been introduced by humans, often invading the uninhabited areas of islands and becoming pests.
Bringingdogs to the Maldives is strictly forbidden.[6]
In the ocean surrounding the islands there are several species ofwhales anddolphins. Occasionally strayseals fromsub-Antarctic waters have been recorded on the islands.[7]
The islands of the Maldives themselves have been built by the massive growth ofcoral, a colony of livingpolyps beings. There are also many kinds ofanemones andjellyfish in Maldivian waters.
There are four species oflobsters and many species of crabs in the Maldives. Somecrabs live in the water, but many, like theghost crab, live on the beach burrowing holes in the sand by the waterline.Fiddler crabs are common on muddy reef shelves.
Land crabs, like thehermit crab, live under the leaves of shore bushes. Some are domestic pests, living in holes in houses.
Someprawns andshrimp live near the islands but are not fished commercially.
There is a kind ofcentipede, as well asmillipedes, and a smallscorpion.
Several species of spiders are found in the Maldives. Spiders exhibit remarkable affinity with those found in the southwestern coast of Indian mainland andSri Lanka. A pioneering work on spiders of the Maldives was conducted byReginald Innes Pocock in 1904 in the workFauna and Geography of Maldives. A few common spiders include the brown huntsman spider (Heteropoda venatoria),Plexippus paykulli,Argiope anasuja, andlynx spiders, andblack widows are very occasionally seen onHulhumalé island andMalé International Airport.[8]
Octopuses,squids, and clams are common on Maldivian reefs. Thegiant clam (Tridacna gigas) is common on the reef shelf.
The Maldive reefs teem withstarfish,brittle stars, andsea urchins.Sea cucumbers are now a source of income, being exported to east Asian markets, however, they were not traditionally fished locally. Recently sea cucumbers have been over harvested in the Maldives, most probably by illegal poaching.[9]
