Chapter 1
Wonders carved from stone
Chapter 2
Nature's strangest sanctuaries
Chapter 3
Lost empires and jungle ruins
Chapter 4
Masterpieces of human ingenuity
YOUR GOAL
Master of The world's wildest heritage sites
Ch 2 · Nature's strangest sanctuaries
schopenhauer Socotra Archipelago
Where the dragon's blood trees bleed red in the sand, a secret world found nowhere else!
schopenhauer An isolated Indian Ocean island famous for its bizarre dragon's blood trees and ancient biodiversity.
schopenhauer A remote Pacific archipelago where extreme isolation sparked the evolution of incredibly fearless animal species.
BETA
schopenhauer Sort the world's strangest landmarks to discover why they became protected UNESCO heritage sites.
Fun Fact
Socotra's trees: Socotra's dragon's blood trees are shaped like umbrellas to shade their own roots, reducing water evaporation in the dry soil.
Glossary
endemism (noun)
The state of a plant or animal species being restricted to a particular geographic area. Yemen’s isolated Socotra archipelago exhibits this with bizarre plants like the red-sapped dragon’s blood tree.
The state of a plant or animal species being restricted to a particular geographic area. Yemen’s isolated Socotra archipelago exhibits this with bizarre plants like the red-sapped dragon’s blood tree.
Quiz
How many interlocking basalt columns make up the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland?
Quiz
According to Irish folklore, which giant built the Giant's Causeway to cross over to Scotland?
Quiz
What distinctive color is the sap of the iconic dragon's blood tree on Socotra Island?
Quiz
Approximately what percentage of plant species on the isolated island of Socotra are found nowhere else on Earth?
Quiz
What does the Malagasy word 'tsingy' mean in reference to Madagascar's stone forest?
Quiz
Which famous scientist's 1835 visit to the Galápagos Islands inspired the theory of natural selection?