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With more than a thousand coral islands and very little land area, wildlife in the Maldives is dominated by its rich marine fauna and flora. Complex coastal eco systems of coral reefs, sea grass beds, lagoons, beaches, mangroves and swamps nurture some of the world's richest marine and coastal biodiversity; this includes over a thousand species of fish, several hundred species of coral, turtles, anemones, jellyfish, many species of crustaceans and mollusks, star fish, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, 9 species of whales and 7 species of dolphins. On the other hand species diversity is not found in the country's small land mass which is unable to support a range of terrestrial flora and fauna due to its size and inhospitable soil. Terrestrial fauna is limited to reptiles such as various varieties of geckos, garden lizards, skinks and non venomous black and white wolf snakes. Amphibians include frogs and toads. Millipedes, centipedes, small scorpions and spiders complete the list. The flying fox, an endemic variety of shrew, cats, rats, mice and goats that arrived with humans make up the small mammal population found here. While the Maldives is not known as a birding destination there is a surprising variety of avifauna. It serves as the temporary home of about 165 varieties of mostly migratory pelagic birds among which are Eurasian and rare tropical species. While there are no known endemic species, endemic sub species on the islands include the white breasted water hen, Indian pond heron, striated herons and the Maldivian house crow. The Audubon's shearwater, noddies, frigate birds, the fairy tern and the white tailed tropic bird are known to raise their chicks around the islands. The islands' flora is determined by the salinity of the coral sands and salt laden sea spray. The verdant islands that so captures the imagination of visitors contains several varieties of grass and sedge along the shoreline and the greenness in their centre is the result of groves of coconut palms found everywhere and the thick and dense scrub amongst which are many species of standalone trees. The range of tropical trees found on the islands is dominated by Banyan, the largest tree in the Maldives. Tropical fruit trees, banana groves, flowering shrubs, vegetables, a few cereals, tubers and casuarinas are among the cultivated flora. Stay at Adaaran Meedhupparu located among verdant tropical vegetation fringed by a white sandy beach sloping into a clear blue ocean, a setting suited to the ideal Maldives vacation. An all inclusive stay at this popular resort in Maldives will take away most of the little niggles that intrude on holiday fun, leaving time to experience a fabulous destination as well as a host of activities and excursions. One of the leading Maldives hotels, it offers a truly luxurious getaway in paradise.
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