The Moleques do Sul Islands form a set of three islands, approximately 8,25 km away from the southern tip of Santa Catarina Island, Florianópolis, and 14 km from Ponta do Papagaio, in Palhoça, between coordinates 27º 51'S and 48º 26'W.
Access to the islands is restricted and disembarkation is only allowed to researchers, as they are in a maximum protection zone belonging to the Serra do Tabuleiro State Park.
The largest island in the archipelago is 710 m long by 200 m wide and has a maximum altitude of 116 m.
The north and east sides are surrounded by rock walls and access is only possible from the less steep west side. There are no beaches, no coves or natural harbors.
Bird Nursery and Home to a Rare Species of Mammal
Considered as the main breeding place for seabirds on the coast of Santa Catarina, the Moleques do Sul islands are widely used as roosts and natural breeding grounds for more than 30 species of birds, such as the Frigate, the Atobá-pardo and the Gaivotão.
But its notoriety is due to the fact that it is the only point on the planet to harbor a species of rodent, the Préa Cavia Intermedia, endemic to Brazil, identified as the rarest mammal species in the world, since just over 100 individuals of the species were sighted on the island.
A Cavia Intermedia it is a small mammal measuring 25 centimeters and weighing only 600 grams. Identified by science just ten years ago, their physical appearance resembles that of their mainland relatives, but they have been separated for at least 8 years. Its main predators on the island are birds of prey such as Carcará, Carrapateiro, Chimango, Coruja do Campo and Falcão Peregrino.
