Reptile Conservation in Mauritius

More than half of Mauritius’ endemic gecko and skink species still found on the mainland are now classified as Endangered and face a high risk of extinction.

The Lowland forest day gecko, Upland forest day gecko, and Macchabé skink survive only in small, fragmented populations. Their numbers and range continue to decline as forests are lost to urban expansion and degraded by invasive plants and introduced predators. Without swift and sustained conservation action, these unique reptiles may vanish forever.

Species background

Common name:
Lowland forest day gecko

Latin name:
Phelsuma guimbeaui

Endemic to:
Mauritius

IUCN status:
Endangered

Distribution:
South-west to mid-west lowlands, mainly in small patches of exotic vegetation

Threats:
• Habitat destruction from urbanisation and agriculture
• Predation by mynah birds, rats, mongooses, feral cats and Madagascar day gecko
• Habitat degradation due to invasive plants
• Climate change and fires

Conservation opportunities:
• Establish new sub-populations in areas with high-quality native forest and predator control
• Captive breeding to conserve genetic stock

Ecology:
Feeds on insect, nectar, pollen, and fruits

Common name:
Upland forest day gecko

Latin name:
Phelsuma rosagularis

Endemic to:
Mauritius

IUCN status:
Endangered

Distribution:
Black River Gorges National Park

Threats:
• Habitat degradation due to invasive plants
• Predation by rats, feral cats, mynah birds, red-whiskered bulbul, agamid lizards, ants, Indian wolf snake, and Madagascar day gecko
• Climate change

Conservation opportunities:
• Establish new sub-populations in areas with high-quality native forest and predator control
• Captive breeding to conserve genetic stock

Ecology:
Feeds on insect, nectar, pollen, and fruits

Common name:
Macchabé Skink

Latin name:
Gongylomorphus fontenayi

Endemic to:
Mauritius

IUCN status:
Endangered

Distribution:
Black River Gorges National Park

Threats:
• Habitat degradation due to invasive plants
• Predation by rats, feral cats, mongoose, shrews, pigs, tenrecs, mynah birds, agamid lizards, ants, Indian wolf snake
• Climate change

Conservation opportunities:
• Establish new sub-populations in areas with high-quality native forest and predator control

Ecology:
Feeds on invertebrates, fruits and seeds

Project aim

To create captive breeding colonies of each species to establish new sub-populations to reduce their risk of extinction.

Project impacts

Establishing breeding populations of these reptiles at Ebony Forest will:

• Expand their distribution
• Increase population size
• Maintain genetic diversity

Additional benefits are:
• Building local conservation capacity
• Restoring missing pollination and seed dispersal interactions, aiding forest restoration and climate adaptation
• Raise public awareness of Mauritius’ unique but threatened reptile fauna

This project contributes to IUCN/SSC Action Plan goals and supports the Government’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan.

Since 2023, Ebony Forest has been working in partnership with the National Parks and Conservation Service (NPCS) to assess the status of mainland populations and implement the following approach:

As part of our efforts to raise awareness about Mauritius’ unique reptile, we created and distribute posters of endemic and exotic lizards to visiting schools.

Between 2023 and 2024, with the support the IUCN Save Our Species and Fondation Segré, our team surveyed reptile populations to assess their current status. The distribution and abundance of all three species had significantly declined.

As none had previously been bred in captivity in Mauritius, in September 2023, together with the National Parks and Conservation Service, we collected two pairs of Lowland forest day geckos and successfully bred and reared four juveniles — the first step toward population recovery.

In 2025–2026, we will expand the programme by collecting additional individuals to establish breeding colonies for all three species.