![]() DNA research shows that populations on different islands are genetically distinct and there are many subspecies. Turks & Caicos curly-tail (bugwally) Leiocephallus psammodromus: Often heard crashing its way through leaf litter, this active lizard is found only in the Turks & Caicos Islands. Also found through the southern Bahamas, the subspecies is unique to TCI. Southern Bahamas bark anole Anolis scriptus: This ubiquitous lizard can be seen on tree trunks and walls all over the Turks & Caicos Islands. Be sure to visit the rock iguanas up close and personal on Little Water Cay’s nature trails, an award-winning eco-tourism experience managed by the Turks & Caicos National Trust. They are mostly extinct from inhabited islands because they cannot coexist with cats, dogs, and other predators. ![]() ![]() Collaborative with the San Diego Zoo and several other international institutions helps ensure this species’ survival. The smallest of the Caribbean rock iguana species, it is also the most stable one, population-wise. Turks & Caicos rock iguana Cyclura carinata: found nowhere else on Earth, this largely vegetarian animal is a true ambassador of the Turks & Caicos. If you see them, their presence should be reported to DEMA immediately. Their toxic skin is a threat to domestic animals and children, and their ability to eat anything that fits into their mouths makes them a threat to native wildlife. Thus far, they are only known to be established on Providenciales. Marine toad (Cane toad) Rhinella marina: Possibly a deliberate introduction from Hispaniola for ceremonial purposes, these gigantic toads are one of the worst invasive animals worldwide. Their impact on mosquitoes is probably insignificant, but the nuisance they cause with their loud calls at night, their habit of invading household cisterns, and their habit of eating native reptiles means that they are detrimental to the local ecosystem. This species is an expert island coloniser and it is unknown whether they reached the islands on their own or were accidentally introduced by humans.Ĭuban treefrog Osteopilus septentrionalis: This large invasive treefrog was accidentally introduced in shipments of building materials from USA, and was later introduced deliberately to other islands in the hope that they would help control mosquitoes. Females lay clumps of jelly-like eggs in moist burrows on land, where the tadpoles develop into tiny frogs before hatching as miniature versions of adults. They do not swim particularly well, but have no need to do so. These tiny, drab frogs live in moist leaf litter of forests. Greenhouse frogs belong to one of the most speciose genera of vertebrates – there are over 700 named species of Eleutherodactyus frogs, most on Caribbean islands. Greenhouse frog Eleutherodactylus planirostris: This is the only candidate for a native amphibian on TCI. None of the reptiles in Turks & Caicos are venomous or dangerous.Īmphibians of the Turks & Caicos Islands: As new research is completed, DEMA will have further information on these subspecies. In some cases, new research has revealed significant genetic differences between reptiles of the same species on different islands. However, a number of unique species survived and several more have become established due to introduction by humans. ![]() Historically, there were giant tortoises and giant iguanas on the islands – these were hunted to extinction by the Lucayan people. It is the reptiles that became the dominant land animals in the Turks & Caicos Islands. Reptiles and amphibians, however, can survive long voyages without food or water due to their cold-blooded metabolisms. While birds and bats can simply fly, most land mammals can’t survive more than a few days without fresh water. The distance of the Turks & Caicos Islands from continents and the fact that they were never attached to any other land mass means that the animals that settled here had to find their way across great expanses of sea water. ![]()
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