Satellite view of Great Nicobar Island, India Photograph by USGS   Off the coast of India in the Bay of Bengal Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests   700 square miles (1,700 square kilometers) -- about half the size of Rhode Island Critical/Endangered

· Nicobar Natives
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Nicobar Natives

Sprinkled about the eastern Bay of Bengal like small gems, the Nicobar Islands harbor remarkable species of birds and mammals. Yet the more these scenic islands attract tourism, the more the wildlife may be at risk.

Special Features

The Nicobar group consists of 22 islands of varying size. The climate is warm and tropical, with temperatures ranging from 71 to 86° F (22 to 30° C). Rainfall is heavy due to annual monsoons and measures around 118 to 130 inches (3000 to 3800 mm) each year. The vegetation of the Nicobars is typically divided into the coastal mangrove forests and the interior evergreen and deciduous forests. Additionally, several islands contain extensive interior grasslands, though these are thought to result from human intervention.

	Tree-shrews are not shrews at all. They are similar in size and appearance, but they are classified in a scientific family all their own.

Wild Side

The majority of this ecoregion’s mammal species are bats, with rats coming in a close second. Several larger species do exist, however, including the wild pig and Nicobar macaque. An endemic tree-shrew lives here as well, spending more time in trees than any other tree-shrew species. Five birds are also endemic: the Nicobar serpent-eagle, Nicobar sparrowhawk, Nicobar parakeet, Nicobar bulbul, and Nicobar scrubfowl. It is common to spot herons, kingfishers, and pigeons in these islands as well.

Cause for Concern

Protected areas cover about 30 percent of the Nicobar Islands, and only 14 percent of the ecoregion’s native forest has been lost. Unfortunately, existing protected areas are not well situated to protect certain native species. Habitat conversion poses the greatest threat to the ecoregion. Proposals to make the Nicobars a major tourist destination pose a major potential threat in the future, along with road development and the rubber and cashew trade. Wildlife exploitation threatens the edible-nest swiftlet, the Nicobar megapode, saltwater crocodiles, and sea turtles.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.