5 Types of wildlife you will meet in the Maldives -What do the islands have in store for animal lovers?

Also known as Flying foxes, these cute creatures usually live hidden away under the cover of thick trees. They make an appearance towards dusk and you may hear their noises as they start to get active towards nightfall. In daylight, one can find them dangling from trees, with their heads tucked away under their wings, probably in a deep slumber.

You may come across a variety of lizards from the smaller gecko to larger lizards in a variety of colours scurrying on the trees. Even within resorts, lizards are quite common, Agamid Lizard, and the Oriental Garden Lizard, are some of the popular varieties found here. The former is brightly multi-coloured and will make a nice model for some photographs.

While snorkelling you may encounter several types of water snakes! Hydrophis platurus and the Pelamis platurus are common types found here. You may spot these reptiles sleeping on the beaches, don't go to disturb them as they may get defensive if not they are generally harmless creatures. Blind snake is also known as Ramphotyphlops braminus and the wolf snake, Lycodon aulicus are types of land snake's endemic to the Maldives. These are harmless as well.

The archipelago encircled by the seas has assisted in nurturing more pelagic birds species. A vast majority of which are migratory visitors arriving from Eurasian territories. The Frigatebirds that arrive each year can be observed feeding and stealing food from smaller birds. Other common birds include the White-breasted Waterhens, Striated Herons, Pond Herons, Grey Herons, Common Mynas, House Crows etc. Due to the abundant resources of the island's birds such as Saunder's Tern, Sandpiper, the Black-naped Terns, White-tailed Tropicbird, Audubon's Shearwater, Addu Atoll's Fairy Terns can be seen around the seashores.

With distances of agreeable and temperate seas of the Indian Ocean surrounding the Maldives, it has become a favourite habitat of these gentle creatures. Many types of sea turtles can be frequently found in and around many islands. Species such as the Green Turtle, Hawksbill Turtle, and Leatherback Turtle can be found in abundance. The wildlife conservation authorities in the Maldives have enforced actions to ensure the waters where the turtles swim are kept clean. You may also want to visit a turtle's conservation centre. The most suitable time to observe turtles is from June to November during the egg-laying season. If you are lucky, you may be able to see newly hatched turtles gently sauntering towards the sea. Many luxury hotel in Maldives such as the Velassaru Maldvies will organise snorkelling or diving trips so you can get to swim with these magnificent creatures.