Granitic Seychelles

The Granitic Seychelles are the islands in the 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.

File:La Chauve Souris off Praslin.JPG

The small granitic island of Chauve Souris.

There are mafic xenolith intrusions in the granite in some areas. The Granitic Seychelles are fragments of 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 Mascarene Plateau. Mahé is the largest and tallest island in the Seychelles, at 145 square km and up to 905 m elevation.

The Granitic Seychelles contrast with the Coralline Seychelles or Outer Islands, several island groups made up of low coral islands with dry, infertile soils.

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).

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).

Flora

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 the coco de mer.

Fauna

The unique lizard and reptile populations of the Seychelles include seven species of caecilian and the iconic giant tortoises, Dipsochelys 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).

Threats and preservation

200 years of human settlement has seen 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.