This list of reptiles of Trinidad and Tobago is derived from The Reptile Database which includes a total of 116 species of reptiles recorded on Trinidad, The reptiles of Trinidad are made up of 55 species of snakes, 49 species of lizards, 3 species of crocodilians and 14 species of turtles. [1]
On the island of Tobago, 57 species of reptiles were recorded.
Table of contents |
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Turtles : Cheloniidae · Dermochelyidae · Emydidae · Geoemydidae · Kinosternidae · Podocnemididae · Testudinidae |
Crocodilians : Alligatoridae · Crocodylidae |
Lizards : Amphisbaenidae · Dactyloidae · Gekkonidae · Gymnophthalmidae · Iguanidae · Phyllodactylidae · Polychrotidae · Scincidae · Sphaerodactylidae · Teiidae · Tropiduridae |
Snakes : Aniliidae · Anomalepididae · Boidae · Colubridae · Dipsadidae · Elapidae · Leptotyphlopidae · Typhlopidae · Viperidae |
References |
Trinidad has a total of 14 species of turtles that are grouped into 7 families. Among them, there are 5 marine species, almost all of them in danger of extinction. [2]
Tobago has a total of 7 species of turtle that are grouped into 4 families. [3]
Order: Testudines · Family: Cheloniidae
Sea turtles (Cheloniidae) are a family of large turtles found in all tropical seas and some subtropical and temperate seas. Sea turtles developed from land turtles about 120 million years ago and are well adapted to life in the sea. They feed mainly on jellyfish, crustaceans and squid. 4 chelonids were recorded in both Trinidad and Tobago.
Order: Testudines · Family: Dermochelyidae
The leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) is the largest of all existing turtles and can reach a length of 2 metres (6.6 ft) and a weight of more than 600 kilograms (1,300 lb). It is found in all tropical or subtropical seas. Unlike most sea turtles, leatherbacks are often found in the colder waters of temperate zones. It is the only extant species of the Dermochelyidae family and is considered critically endangered. All other species in this family are only known as fossils. This species occurs in both Trinidad and Tobago.
Order: Testudines · Family: Chelidae
Order: Testudines · Family: Emydidae
The emydidae (Emydidae) are a family of carnivorous aquatic and semi-aquatic turtles. They live most of the time in ponds, reservoirs and rivers, coming to land when they have to find suitable places to lay their eggs. This family is made up of 10 genera that contain more than 50 species. One of them occurs in Trinidad.
Order: Testudines · Family: Geoemydidae
Order Testudines · Family: Kinosternidae
Order: Testudines · Family: Podocnemididae
Order: Testudines · Family: Testudinidae
Order: Crocodylia · Family: Alligatoridae
The alligatoridae (Alligatoridae) are a family of crocodilian sauropsids (reptiles) native to the Americas, including alligators and caimans. It includes the extant genera Alligator , Caiman , Melanosuchus and Paleosuchus , as well as numerous extinct genera. Of the 7 species that inhabit America, 1 occurs in Trinidad.
Order: Crocodylia · Family: Crocodylidae
Crocodilians (Crocodylidae) are a family of archosaur sauropsids (reptiles) commonly known as crocodiles. This family includes 14 species of large semi-aquatic reptiles that inhabit tropical areas of the world. Crocodiles tend to congregate in freshwater habitats, such as rivers, lakes, wetlands, and sometimes brackish water. They are ambush hunters who usually wait for their prey, generally fish or land animals, to approach, before attacking them. They feed mainly on vertebrates such as fish, reptiles and mammals, and sometimes invertebrates such as mollusks and crustaceans, depending on the species. As cold-blooded predators, they have a slow metabolism and can therefore survive long periods without food. Despite their slow appearance, crocodiles are very fast over short distances, even out of water. 2 species occur in Trinidad.
In Trinidad, 49 species of lizards were recorded, which are grouped into 11 families.
Order: Squamata · Family: Amphisbaenidae
Order: Squamata · Family: Dactyloidae
Order: Squamata · Family: Gekkonidae
Order: Squamata · Family: Gymnophthalmidae
Order: Squamata · Family: Iguanidae
Order: Squamata · Family: Phyllodactylidae
Order: Squamata · Family: Scincidae
Order: Squamata · Family: Sphaerodactylidae
Order: Squamata · Family: Teiidae
Order: Squamata · Family: Tropiduridae
Trinidad has 55 species of snakes, grouped into 10 families. [4]
Order: Squamata · Family: Aniliidae
Order: Squamata · Family: Anomalepididae
Order: Squamata · Family: Colubridae
Order: Squamata · Family: Boidae
Order: Squamata · Family: Dipsadidae
Order: Squamata · Family: Elapidae
Order: Squamata · Family: Leptotyphlopidae
Order: Squamata · Family: Typhlopidae
Order: Squamata · Family: Viperidae
Gonatodes is a genus of New World dwarf geckos of the family Sphaerodactylidae.
Micrurus is a genus of venomous coral snakes of the family Elapidae.
François Marie Daudin was a French zoologist.
Trinidad and Tobago are continental islands with a geologically very recent history of direct land bridge connection to South America. As a result, unlike most of the Caribbean Islands, Trinidad and Tobago supports a primarily South American flora and fauna and has greater diversity of plant and animal species than the Antilles. However, rates of endemism are lower than in the rest of the Caribbean because there has been less time for genetic isolation from mainland populations because of the history of land bridge connections and hence fewer opportunities for speciation, and so a greater proportion of the species in Trinidad and Tobago are also found on the South American mainland. Trinidad is nearer to mainland South America and has been directly connected to the mainland via land bridges more often and for longer periods than Tobago. This, as well as Trinidad's larger size and more varied topography and hydrology compared to that of Tobago allow greater species and ecosystem diversity on the former compared to that on the later of the islands.
Little Tobago is a small island off the northeastern coast of Tobago, and part of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
Chironius scurrulus, commonly known as the smooth machete savane, is a large slender colubrid snake. It is also known as Wagler's sipo.
Oxyrhopus petolarius, commonly known as the forest flame snake, is a species of nonvenomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to South America. There are three recognized subspecies.
The royal ground snake is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to northern South America.
Chironius is a genus of New World colubrid snakes, commonly called sipos, savanes, or sometimes vine snakes. There are 23 described species in this genus.
The Colubrinae are a subfamily of the family Colubridae of snakes. It includes numerous genera, and although taxonomic sources often disagree on the exact number, The Reptile Database lists 717 species in 92 genera as of September 2019. It is the second largest subfamily of colubrids, after Dipsadinae. Many of the most commonly known snakes are members of this subfamily, including rat snakes, king snakes, milk snakes, vine snakes, and indigo snakes.
Leptophis is a genus of colubrid snakes, commonly known as parrot snakes. The species within this genus are widely distributed throughout Mexico, Central and South America.