Île Ronde, Mauritius

Round Island seen from West, with Serpent Island to the right (north) of it

Round Island is an uninhabited islet 22.5 kilometres north of Mauritius. It has an area of 1.69 square kilometres and a maximum elevation of 280 metres. The island has been a nature reserve since 1957 and is administered jointly by the National Parks and Conservation Service and the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation.[1]

Rare reptiles that are endemic to Round Island include the Round Island skink, Round Island day gecko, Round Island boa, and the extinct Round Island burrowing boa.[2]

Rare plants endemic to the island include the bottle palm.[3]

The inconclusive Battle of Île Ronde was fought off the island by British and French naval squadrons on 22 October 1794.

Coordinates: 19°51′00″S 57°47′00″E / 19.850037°S 57.783333°E / -19.850037; 57.783333

References

  1. "Round Island: General Information". Mauritian Wildlife Foundation. Retrieved 2012-02-17.
  2. "Mascarene forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved 2008-01-24.
  3. "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species". IUCN Red List. Retrieved 2012-08-01.


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