List of amphibians and reptiles of Barbados

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Location of Barbados in the Caribbean LocationBarbados.png
Location of Barbados in the Caribbean

This is a list of amphibians and reptiles found on Barbados, a Caribbean island-nation in the Lesser Antilles. Barbados is largely flat and has been intensively cultivated for over 300 years. This has left little natural vegetation on the island, leaving most species found there restricted to narrow habitats such as wooded gullies. [1]

Contents

Amphibians

There are two species of amphibians on Barbados, at least one of which was introduced.

Frogs (Anura)

Tropical frogs ( Leptodactylidae )
SpeciesCommon name(s)NotesImage
Eleutherodactylus johnstonei Lesser Antillean whistling frog, coqui Antillano, Johnstone's whistling frog Least Concern. [2] Widespread throughout the Lesser Antilles. Whether it was a native or introduced is a matter of controversy. [3] Eleutherodactylus johnstonei.jpg
True toads ( Bufonidae )
SpeciesCommon name(s)NotesImage
Bufo marinus Cane toad, giant neotropical toad, marine toad Least Concern. Introduced in the 1830s to control insect pests of sugarcane. Abundant and widespread, particularly in rural areas. Bufo marinus from Australia.JPG

Reptiles

Including marine turtles and introduced species, there are 18 reptile species reported on Barbados, though two are possibly extinct. The Barbados leaf-toed gecko ( Phyllodactylus pulcher ) and the Barbados threadsnake ( Leptotyphlops carlae ) are endemic, as were the probably extinct Barbados racer ( Liophis perfuscus ) and Barbados skink (Alinea lanceolata). A fifth species, the Barbados anole ( Anolis extremus ), was endemic to Barbados but has been introduced to other islands.

Turtles (Testudines)

Tortoises ( Testudinidae )
SpeciesCommon name(s)NotesImage
Geochelone carbonaria Red-footed tortoiseProbably introduced. Only known in captive populations and individuals that escaped from such areas; unlikely that a viable wild population exists. Red-footed Tortoise in Barbados 02.jpg
Scaly sea turtles ( Cheloniidae )
SpeciesCommon name(s)NotesImage
Caretta caretta Loggerhead turtle Endangered. Loggerhead Sea Turtle.jpg
Chelonia mydas Green turtle Endangered. Seen feeding in waters near the shore. Recorded nesting on Barbados. Green turtle in Kona 2008.jpg
Eretmochelys imbricata Hawksbill turtle Critically Endangered. Recorded nesting on Barbados. 3959 aquaimages.jpg
Leathery sea turtles ( Dermochelyidae )
SpeciesCommon name(s)NotesImage
Dermochelys coriacea Leatherback turtle Critically Endangered. Recorded nesting on Barbados. LeatherbackTurtle.jpg

Lizards and snakes (Squamata)

Geckos ( Gekkonidae )
SpeciesCommon name(s)NotesImage
Hemidactylus mabouia House geckoIntroduced. Hemidactylus mabouia (Dominica).jpg
Phyllodactylus pulcher Barbados leaf-toed geckoEndemic. Reported from Ragged Point, St. Philip; its range has not yet been systematically studied. [4]
Iguanas and Anolids ( Iguanidae )
SpeciesCommon name(s)NotesImage
Anolis extremus Barbados anoleOriginally endemic; introduced to other islands. Widespread and abundant. Anolis extremus-f01.jpg
Anolis sagrei Brown anoleIntroduced [5]
Whiptails ( Teiidae )
SpeciesCommon name(s)NotesImage
Kentropyx borckiana Guyana kentropyx, Guyana teguThe only Kentropyx species found in the Eastern Caribbean. Only females are known to exist; the species as a whole is believed to consist only of unisexual clones. [6] Primarily found in central parishes; reported as locally common in St. Thomas and St. George. [7]
Ameiva ameiva Giant ameivaRecently introduced [8]
Microteiids ( Gymnophthalmidae )
SpeciesCommon name(s)NotesImage
Gymnophthalmus underwoodi Underwood's spectacled teguNative status uncertain [9]
Skinks ( Scincidae )
SpeciesCommon name(s)NotesImage
Mabuya mabouya [10] Regional endemic. Possibly extirpated from Barbados. Mabuya dominica.jpg
Alinea lanceolata Barbados skinkEndemic. Critically endangered, possibly extinct [11]
Worm snakes ( Typhlopidae )
SpeciesCommon name(s)NotesImage
Leptotyphlops carlae [12] Barbados threadsnakeEndemic. First described in 2008; specimens were previously described as L. bilineatus . [13] The world's smallest known snake. Leptotyphlops carlae.jpg
Indotyphlops braminus Brahminy blind snake, flowerpot blind snakeRecently introduced; apparently widespread. [14] Ramphotyphlops braminus.jpg
Colubrids ( Colubridae )
SpeciesCommon name(s)NotesImage
Liophis perfuscus Barbados racer, tan ground snake Endangered. Endemic. Possibly extinct, as a confirmed sighting has not been made since 1961. [15]
Mastigodryas bruesi Barbour's tropical racerRecently introduced, possibly through banana shipments. Originally native to Saint Vincent and Grenada. [16]

See also

Notes

  1. Malhotra & Thorpe 1999 , p. 97.
  2. Conservation status, where available, is from the IUCN Red List and is indicative of the status of the species as a whole, not just populations on Barbados.
  3. See discussion of E. johnstonei in Government of Barbados 2002 , p. 61.
  4. Government of Barbados 2002 , p. 55.
  5. Fields, A. & Horrocks, J. A. 2009. An Annotated Checklist of the Herpetofauna of Barbados. Journal of Barbados Museum & Historical Society 55: 263-283
  6. See Cole et al. 1995. Also extant in northern South America; incorrectly described as endemic to Barbados in Malhotra & Thorpe 1999 , p. 97.
  7. Government of Barbados 2002 , p. 55
  8. Fields, A. & Horrocks, J. A. 2011. The Herpetofauna Of Barbados: Anthropogenic Impacts And Conservation Status. pp. 89–104. In: Conservation of Caribbean Island Herpetofaunas Volume 2: Regional Accounts of the West Indies. Editors: Adrian Hailey, Byron Wilson, and Julia Horrocks. Brill. ISBN   978-90-04-19408-3
  9. Powell, R., Henderson, R.W., Farmer, M.C., Breuil, M., Echternacht, A.C., van Buurt, G., Romagosa, C.M., & Perry, G. 2011. Introduced amphibians and reptiles in the greater Caribbean: patterns and conservation implications. Conservation of Caribbean Island Herpetofaunas 1: 63–144.
  10. See Government of Barbados 2002 , p. 55. Incorrectly listed in Malhotra & Thorpe 1999 as M. bistriata , a species often confused with M. mabouya.
  11. Horrocks, J. & Daltry, J.C. 2016. Alinea lanceolata (errata version published in 2017). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T44579133A115387376. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T44579133A44579169.en.
  12. See Hedges 2008 for the first description of this species.
  13. L. bilineatus is reported in Malhotra & Thorpe 1999 , p. 98; Government of Barbados 2002 , p. 55 states only that its "status is unknown. L. bilineatus is now described as endemic to Martinique.
  14. Hedges 2008 , p. 9.
  15. Government of Barbados 2002 , p. 55
  16. Powell & Henderson 2005 , p. 73. Government of Barbados 2002 , p. 55 states that it was likely introduced by accident thirty years ago from Saint Vincent, and that an "incomplete specimen" was confused for L. perfuscus. Reported in Malhotra & Thorpe 1999 , p. 98 only as "a new species of the genus Mastigodryas.".

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbados anole</span> Species of lizard

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References

Note: All species listed above are supported by Malhotra & Thorpe 1999 and Government of Barbados 2002, unless otherwise cited.