Animals in Reunion

Reunion is one of the islands found in the Indian Ocean, with the closest island being Mauritius, which is around 200 km away. The island has a tropical climate where the summers (from November to April) are warm and experience heavy rains. The winters (between May and November) tend to be arid and cold.

The island of Reunion has a diverse animal life even if you will find few exotic ones.

The Crab-eating Macaque

Scientifically known as Macaca fascicularis, the crab-eating Macaque was originally native to the South East Asia but was introduced to the Reunion and other neighboring islands because of the conducive environment and its scientific significance. Besides the Rhesus monkey, the crab-eating Macaque is the animal mostly used in laboratory studies. For example, they were largely used in developing polio vaccine.

The Brown Maci Lemur

This is one of the few unusual animals you will find in the island, which was introduced from Madagascar. It is a small arboreal animal that is largely nocturnal in nature. As its name indicates, it has brown fur. It is also characterized by large eyes, long tail as well as long and slim muzzle.

The Flying Fox

This is a type of giant bat that has an uncanny semblance to the fox, hence the name. Flying foxes are among the largest bats in the world. Although their bodies measure between ten and twelve inches, their wings stretch to as much as five feet. They largely feed on bush fruits and the blossom of native trees, including eucalyptus. unfortunately, the Pteropus Edwardsii is almost extinct nowadays.

The Black Rat

This is a long tailed rat that usually measures between 12 and 18 inches when fully grown, with the tail reaching up to 10 inches. It tends to be quite destructive because it eats many types of things, including native birds.

Speaking of birds, Reunion has many native ones. Some of the indigenous species you may spot include Reunion Stonechat, Mascarene Swiftlet, White-tailed Tropicbird and Zebra Dove.