The wildlife of Comoros thrives in rainforests and the mangrove forests covering a great area of the volcanic islands. The archipelago lies off the southeast coast of Africa, between Mozambique and Madagascar, in Indian Ocean.
The wildlife in Comoros has closer affinities to the flora and fauna of Madagascar than of continental Africa. The wildlife habitats in Comoros include Mount Karthala on Grande Comore, Mount Ntringui on Anjouan, and Mount Koukoule on Moheli.
A great variety of ferns and 72 species of orchids can be found here. No less than 935 plant species grow here, out of which 416 are native to the islands.
Plant families in the Comoros
- Clusiaceae
- Ebenaceae
- Myrtaceae
- Pittoscoraceae
- Rubiaceae
- Sapotaceae
- Lauraceae
- Burseraceae
- Euphorbiaceae
- Sterculiaceae
- Celastracea
Animal species in the Comoros
- Two species of sea turtle, including green turtle
- Two species of lemurs
- Three insectivorous bat species
- Three species of fruit bats
- 25 species of terrestrial reptiles
Certain animal species of Comoros are endemic and the variety of amphibians is relatively lower. The avifauna of the Comoro Islands include nearly 146 species, some are endemic while a few species were introduced by humans.
Endemic birds in the Comoros
- Grand Comoro Drongomayotte Scops-Owl
- Mount Karthala White-Eye
- Bronze Manikin
- Comoro Blue-Pigeon
- Anjouan Brush-Warbler
Reptiles in the Comoros
There are some reptiles native to Comoro Islands. Some of the more popular ones include, Comoro Flapnose Chameleon, Comoro Ground Gecko, Comoro Day Gecko, the snake-eyed skink, colubrid snake, and a blind snake.
Comoro Islands Wildlife Facts
- Almost every major island in the Comoros is known for its own unique owl: the Scops, Anjouan Scops, the Grand Comoro (or Karthala), and Moheli Scops are some of them.
- Interestingly, large African mammals like elephants, lions, and giraffes are not found on the Comoro Islands.
- A bat species discovered by David Livingstone in 1863 is now considered endangered.
The island nation is included in the Comoros Forests ecoregion (EoE) and is part of the Madagascar and the Indian Ocean Islands biodiversity hotspot. The increase in human population of the Comoros remains a threat to the endangered wildlife. Various projects for the conservation of wildlife in Comoros are being undertaken by the government.