No species meet the strict criteria for “Endemic Species of the Nicobar Islands.”
Define the rule first: require species that occur only inside the Nicobar archipelago (no populations elsewhere) and that have that restriction confirmed by authoritative sources (IUCN, BirdLife, Indian government surveys, or peer‑reviewed papers). Under that strict definition, no taxa pass verification. Use this rule to avoid counting regional or poorly documented records as true endemics.
Understand why the rule yields an empty list. Many organisms tied to the Nicobars are regionally restricted or named after the islands but also occur outside them. Taxonomy and survey gaps make single‑island or strict‑archipelago endemism hard to confirm. Major events (for example, the 2004 tsunami) and low survey effort for plants and invertebrates change ranges and leave uncertainty. Rely only on up‑to‑date, cited sources when claiming endemism.
Explore close alternatives instead. Look for species that are “near‑endemics” (found mainly in the Nicobars but with small ranges elsewhere), taxa restricted to the broader Andaman and Nicobar region, named Nicobar species with wider ranges (for example, the Nicobar pigeon), island‑level subspecies, and threatened species lists and habitats (Nicobar rainforest and coastal ecosystems). Use IUCN, BirdLife, and Indian government checklists as your next step.
