Mauritius, a paradise for rare animals? Observed reptiles during a holiday trip

During a 16 day holiday in Mauritius, the author was quite successful in observing the en- demic lizards of the genus Phelsuma.
The species observed were P. ornata, P. guentheri, P. cepediana, and P. rosagularis. Also the introduced Caloters versicolor, Gehyra mutilata and Phelsuma grandis were seen. All species of endemic tortoises became extinct during the beginning of early sea shipping. The introduced Aldabrachelys gigantea and Astrochelys radiata are very important to help to restore the natural habitat by dispersing seeds and grazing vegetation.
On Mauritius there are no endemic amphibians, two species of introduced amphibians are known (Ptychadena mascareniensis and Sclerophrys guttatus). None of them were seen during this stay. From the family of Scincidae the highly endangered species Leiolopisma telfairii was seen on Île aux Aigrettes. The Mauritius Wildlife Foundation (MWF) is very successfull in the recovery program for this species. This report emphasizes the importance of the resto- ration of the remaining nature, done by this organization.
The author also visited the two most important parks: Île aux Aigrettes and Black River National Park.