Serpent Island

Body

Serpent Island is the most remote and inaccessible of the five northern islets of Mauritius (area given as 19 ha in some publications). The islet is in the shape of a dome (162 m high) with a circular base and extremely steep slopes. The lower slopes are marked by hollows, overhangs and ledges, with low cliffs around the shore, whereas the upper slopes are relatively smooth. Vegetation is almost absent; the three plant species recorded are all rare, although common elsewhere. A thin coating of guano covers the rock surface. Landing is extremely difficult. As on Round Island, exotic rodents have never become established. However, a vast colony of surface-nesting seabirds covers the whole islet and this, combined with the near-absence of vegetation, gives Serpent Island a totally different character. It has an ecosystem of vertebrates and invertebrates, many perhaps endemic to the islet, most living independently of any vegetation.