Land animals of the Maldives: fruit bats, geckos and crabs

The Maldives is made entirely of low coral islands. A 2022 review in the *Journal of Bat Research & Conservation* puts the country’s total land area at roughly 250 km², spread across about 1,200 small, sandy islands with no hills or rock. There are no rivers, few habitats and nowhere for large animals to live.

Anything that lives here had to fly, drift or float across hundreds of kilometres of ocean, or arrive by boat with people. The government’s Fifth National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity (Ministry of Environment and Energy, 2015) says the islands are not known for abundant wildlife. A 2019 study in the *Herpetological Journal* found no land reptiles unique to the Maldives, and says most probably arrived recently, often with human help.

The animal most visitors remember is the fruit bat. Scientists now call it *Pteropus medius ariel*. Older reports, including government biodiversity reports, use its former name, *Pteropus giganteus ariel*. It is a subspecies of the Indian flying fox found only in the Maldives, and according to the 2022 bat review it is the only bat that lives here permanently.

What to look for

• Size: big for a bat, with a fox-like face and wide, dark wings.
• When: around sunset. The 2022 review notes they regularly fly between roosting and feeding islands at dusk, so you may see them crossing open water.
• Where: tall trees and fruit trees in villages and gardens.

Bats, fruit and farmers

Flying foxes eat fruit, which brings them into conflict with growers. A 1988 study with the Maldives Ministry of Agriculture called the bat a serious pest of fruit crops, but also found that bats breed slowly: a population could need about six years to recover from a 90% reduction. In May 2025, MMTV reported that the then Environmental Protection Agency said reducing bat and crow numbers would only be a last resort, after surveying where the animals live and how many there are.

Other bats

A second flying fox has been reported once, from Addu in the far south, but the 2022 review says that record rests on a single disputed specimen that now seems to be missing. Small insect-eating bats don’t live here. The only confirmed records are single bats blown across from Sri Lanka or south India in the northeast monsoon: one in 2019 and two in 2024.

House geckos (hoanu)

At night, almost every lit wall on a local island has a gecko or two waiting for insects. The 2019 *Herpetological Journal* study confirmed two species of house gecko in the Maldives: the common house gecko (*Hemidactylus frenatus*), linked to south-east Asia, and a Sri Lankan relative, *Hemidactylus parvimaculatus*. Researchers found both living side by side on Huraa, a local island in North Malé Atoll, in palm groves and around houses. Geckos are harmless and eat small insects, so leave them be.

Garden lizard (bondu)

The lizard you see on fences and tree trunks in daylight is usually the oriental garden lizard (*Calotes versicolor*). The government’s 2015 report also gives its old English nickname, “blood sucker”, though it eats insects. The 2019 study notes that *hoanu* (gecko) and *bondu* (lizard) are the Dhivehi words used today.

Skinks

Skinks are smooth, shiny lizards that keep low and dart under leaf litter. The published lists include a white-spotted supple skink (*Riopa albopunctata*) and *Eutropis carinata*. They are shy, so walk slowly through shaded vegetation.

Snakes

Two land snakes are recorded: the common wolf snake (*Lycodon aulicus*) and a tiny worm-like blind snake (*Indotyphlops braminus*). Both are small, secretive and rarely seen by visitors. No large snakes or monitor lizards appear in the government or scientific lists.

Frogs and toads

The 2015 government report lists one frog, a short-headed frog, and notes that a larger Asian toad has also been found.

The Maldivian black turtle

The rarest land reptile here is a freshwater turtle, the Maldivian black turtle (*Melanochelys trijuga thermalis*). The government’s 2015 report says it is known from only three islands: Kaashidhoo in Kaafu, Muli in Meemu and Kunburudhoo in Haa Dhaalu. The Edition reported that it has been protected since 1993, and that the government began measures to protect the Kaashidhoo wetlands in 2021. If you find one out of place, report it to the island council. For wetlands, see our mangroves and wetlands guide.

Sea turtles, which nest on the beaches, are covered in our sea turtles guide.

Hermit crabs

Land hermit crabs are everywhere on Maldivian beaches, especially after dark. Researchers from Germany’s University of Bayreuth studied two species here, *Coenobita rugosus* and *Coenobita perlatus*, which clean the beach of washed-up matter. Their 2019 study in *Scientific Reports* compared local, resort and uninhabited islands. It found fewer crabs on resort islands, probably because of beach raking and vegetation clearing, and smaller crabs on local islands. On uninhabited islands, around ten crabs competed for each usable empty shell.

That last point is the one to remember. Hermit crabs depend on empty sea shells for their homes. Every shell taken home as a souvenir is one less home. Leave shells on the beach, and see our responsible travel guide for more.

Ghost crabs

Ghost crabs (*Ocypode*) are the pale, sand-coloured crabs that race sideways across the beach at night and vanish into burrows. They have been recorded in the Maldives since scientific collections around 1900. Use a dim torch and don’t dig up burrows or chase them.

A 1994 survey, summarised in the government’s 2015 report, found the islands particularly rich in spiders and identified around 130 species of insects and related animals, including scorpions, centipedes, rhinoceros beetles and paper wasps. For travellers, mosquitoes matter most: read our mosquitoes and dengue guide. Shake out shoes left outside overnight.

The 2015 government report lists the other land mammals as introduced: the black rat, the house mouse, the Indian house shrew and the cat. Black rats damage coconuts, the 1988 study found.

• Cats are common on local islands and are the main household pet.
• Chickens and goats are the farm animals kept around homes, according to the same report.
• Dogs are not part of island life. Velana International Airport’s arrival guidance states that importing dogs and dangerous animals is strictly prohibited.

Birds, including the national bird, the kanbili, are covered in our birds of the Maldives guide.

The best wildlife-watching on a local island costs nothing. On Dhiffushi, as on most local islands, a slow walk along the beach and through the village around sunset is enough.

• At sunset: look up for flying foxes heading out to feed.
• After dark: check lit walls for geckos and the sand for hermit crabs and ghost crabs. Our guide to evenings on a local island has more ideas.
• By day: garden lizards sun themselves on fences, walls and palm trunks.

Fruit trees bring bats, so a village with gardens beats a bare beach. Our plants and trees guide explains what grows on a coral island.

• Don’t feed, catch or handle wild animals, including bats, lizards and crabs.
• Never touch a bat, alive or dead. Like bats anywhere, they can carry diseases. Tell your guesthouse or the island council if you find one on the ground.
• Leave shells, coral and sand where they are. Many marine products need a permit to leave the country (Maldives Customs), and hermit crabs need the shells.
• Use a dim torch at night and keep it off nesting areas and burrows.
• Don’t buy wild animals or animal products as souvenirs.