The Solomon Islands, with their tropical and subtropical environment, are home to a range of animals that can be found nowhere else. These species rely on the islands' vegetation, which includes mangrove forests, freshwater swamp forests, and several variations of rain forests, as well as seasonally dry forest, and grassland.
No fewer than 69 types of birds on the Solomon Islands are not found anywhere else in the world. Just a few include the Makira Moorhen, the Yellow-bibbed Lory, the Buff-headed Coucal, and the Splendid White-eye. Finsch's pygmy-parrot,
singing parrot,
Ducorps' cockatoo also make this list. Other bird groups found in the Solomon Islands include frigate birds, herons, egrets, boobies, cormorants, ducks, and
osprey.
Mammal diversity is not a broad as bird life. Only 47 mammal species live on the islands, yet more than half of these are endemic or near endemic, meaning they are not seen anywhere else. These include numerous rodent species and at least 17 types of bat. Several of the bat species are critically endangered: Bougainville monkey-faced, Guadalcanal monkey-faced, and montane monkey-faced. Three rodent species, Specht's mosaic-tailed, Poncelet's giant, and
emperor rat are all endangered, according to the World Wildlife Federation. Several types of foxes endemic to the islands are the Lesser Flying Fox,
Ontong Java Flying Fox,
Santa Cruz Flying Fox, and
Vanikoro Flying Fox. The waters surrounding the islands are a great place to see the
Humpback Whale.
Reptiles and amphibians endemic to the Solomon Islands include the Rennell Island Monitor, Spotted Emo Skink, Solomon Small-eyed Snake, and Malukuna Webbed Frog.