The island chain, which has never been connected with a continent, has been dubbed the “Galapagos of the Orient” because animals and plants there have undergone unique evolutionary processes–similar to wildlife on the Galapagos Islands.
In particular, 100 of the 106 species of land snails found on the islands are indigenous.
The islands, which include Chichijima and Hahajima islands, are regarded as the only place in the world where geological features visible from the ground show how an archipelago is formed when oceanic plates bump against each other.
Conservation groups have been working hard to protect the islands’ unique ecosystem. One conservation project involves the capture of feral cats, descendants of pets that humans brought to the island
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