List of amphibians and reptiles of Saint Vincent

This is a list of amphibians and reptiles found on the island of Saint Vincent, located in the Caribbean Lesser Antilles. It is the main island of the nation Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Location of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in the Caribbean
Saint Vincent lies to the north of the Grenadines island chain.

Amphibians

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There are four species of amphibian on Saint Vincent, one of which was introduced. One species, Eleutherodactylus shrevei, is endemic.

Frogs (Anura)

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Tropical frogs (Leptodactylidae)
Species Common name(s) Notes Image
Eleutherodactylus johnstonei Lesser Antillean whistling frog, coqui Antillano, Johnstone's whistling frog Least concern.[1]  
Eleutherodactylus shrevei Endangered. Endemic. Restricted to pristine montane forest.
Leptodactylus validus Windward ditch frog Least concern. Regional endemic. Typically found in forest habitats, but may venture into human-altered areas.
True toads (Bufonidae)
Species Common name(s) Notes Image
Bufo marinus Cane toad, giant Neotropical toad, marine toad Least concern. Introduced.  

Reptiles

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Including marine turtles and introduced species, there are 16 reptile species reported on Saint Vincent, three of which are endemic.

Turtles (Testudines)

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Scaly sea turtles (Cheloniidae)
Species Common name(s) Notes Image
Caretta caretta Loggerhead turtle Endangered.  
Chelonia mydas Green turtle Endangered.  
Eretmochelys imbricata Hawksbill turtle Critically endangered.  
Leathery sea turtles (Dermochelyidae)
Species Common name(s) Notes Image
Dermochelys coriacea Leatherback turtle Critically endangered.  

Lizards and snakes (Squamata)

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Geckos (Gekkonidae)
Species Common name(s) Notes Image
Hemidactylus mabouia House gecko Introduced.  
Sphaerodactylus vincenti Vincent's least gecko Regional endemic.  
Thecadactylus rapicauda Turnip-tailed gecko  
Iguanas and anolids (Iguanidae)
Species Common name(s) Notes Image
Anolis griseus Saint Vincent's tree anole Endemic. Widely distributed from sea level to 900 m.
Anolis trinitatis Saint Vincent's bush anole, Trinidad anole Regional endemic. Widely distributed from sea level to 900 m.
Iguana iguana Green iguana, common iguana  
Microteiids (Gymnophthalmidae)
Species Common name(s) Notes Image
Gymnophthalmus underwoodi Underwood's spectacled tegu
Skinks (Scincidae)
Species Common name(s) Notes Image
Mabuya mabouya[2] Regional endemic. Possibly extirpated.  
Boas (Boidae)
Species Common name(s) Notes Image
Corallus cookii[3] Cook's tree boa Endemic. Found in many habitats, though uncommon in rain forest.
Colubrids (Colubridae)
Species Common name(s) Notes Image
Chironius vincenti Saint Vincent blacksnake Critically endangered. Endemic. Probably restricted to elevations between 150 and 330 m.
Mastigodryas bruesi Barbour's tropical racer Regional endemic. Found in xeric habitats in the southwest.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ 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 Saint Vincent.
  2. ^ Malhotra & Thorpe 1999 instead records M. bistriata as the sole Mabuya species in the Lesser Antilles; many of its Caribbean populations have since been reassigned.
  3. ^ Powell & Henderson 2005, p. 74. Malhotra & Thorpe 1999 reports the Saint Vincent species as Corallus hortulanus, of which it was formerly described as a subspecies.


References

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Note: All species listed above are supported by Malhotra & Thorpe 1999, unless otherwise cited.

  • Malhotra, Anita; Thorpe, Roger S. (1999), Reptiles & Amphibians of the Eastern Caribbean, Macmillan Education Ltd., pp. 98–103, ISBN 0-333-69141-5.
  • Powell, Robert; Henderson, Robert W. (2005), "Conservation Status of Lesser Antillean Reptiles", Iguana, 12 (2): 63–77