List of amphibians and reptiles of Antigua and Barbuda

This is a list of amphibians and reptiles found in Antigua and Barbuda, an island nation in the Caribbean Lesser Antilles. It consists of the two main islands of Antigua and Barbuda, and many smaller islets, including the uninhabited Redonda.

Location of Antigua and Barbuda in the Caribbean.

Amphibians

There are three species of amphibian recorded in Antigua and Barbuda, only one of which is native or found on both main islands.

Frogs (Anura)

Tree frogs (Hylidae)
SpeciesCommon name(s)NotesImage
Osteopilus septentrionalis[1]Cuban tree frogLeast Concern.[2] Introduced; recently recorded as established on Antigua.
Tropical frogs (Leptodactylidae)
SpeciesCommon name(s)NotesImage
Eleutherodactylus johnstoneiLesser Antillean whistling frog, coqui Antillano, Johnstone's whistling frogLeast Concern. Present on both main islands.
True toads (Bufonidae)
SpeciesCommon name(s)NotesImage
Bufo marinusCane toad, giant neotropical toad, marine toadLeast Concern. Introduced to Antigua.

Reptiles

Including marine turtles and introduced species on all islands, there are 19 reptile species reported in Antigua and Barbuda, with an additional species unconfirmed. Nine species are present on both main islands. Six species are endemic to the islands of Antigua and Barbuda, of which five are only found on one island.


Turtles (Testudines)

Tortoises (Testudinidae)
SpeciesCommon name(s)NotesImage
Geochelone carbonariaRed-footed tortoisePresent on Barbuda; probably extirpated from Antigua.
Scaly sea turtles (Cheloniidae)
SpeciesCommon name(s)NotesImage
Caretta carettaLoggerhead turtleEndangered. Recorded in water only.
Chelonia mydasGreen turtleEndangered. Recorded nesting on Antigua, Barbuda and some of the offshore Islands.
Eretmochelys imbricataHawksbill turtleCritically Endangered. Recorded nesting on Antigua, Barbuda and some of the offshore Islands.
Leathery sea turtles (Dermochelyidae)
SpeciesCommon name(s)NotesImage
Dermochelys coriaceaLeatherback turtleCritically Endangered. Recorded nesting on Antigua and Barbuda

Lizards and snakes (Squamata)

Geckos (Gekkonidae)
SpeciesCommon name(s)NotesImage
Hemidactylus mabouiaHouse geckoIntroduced to Antigua.
Sphaerodactylus elegantulusAntigua least geckoRegional endemic; found on both main islands and some of the offshore islands.
Sphaerodactylus new speciesReported on Redonda, it is believed to be a separate species, but is yet to be described.
Thecadactylus rapicaudaTurnip-tailed geckoFound on both main islands and some of the offshore islands.
Iguanas and Anolids (Iguanidae)
SpeciesCommon name(s)NotesImage
Anolis forrestiWatts' anoleTaxonomy as separate species unclear; alternately described as a subspecies of A. wattsi. Endemic to Barbuda.
Anolis leachiiLeach's anoleFound on both main islands. Originally endemic; since introduced to Bermuda.
Anolis nubilisRedonda anoleEndemic to Redonda.
Anolis wattsiWatts' anoleRegional endemic. Found on Antigua; also introduced to Saint Lucia and Trinidad.
Whiptails (Teiidae)
SpeciesCommon name(s)NotesImage
Pholidoscelis atratusRedonda ameivaEndemic to Redonda. sometimes described as subspecies of P. pluvianotatus.
Pholidoscelis griswoldiGriswold's ameiva, Antiguan ameiva, Antiguan ground lizardEndemic. Common on Barbuda; common only on offshore islands of Antigua.
Microteiids (Gymnophthalmidae)
SpeciesCommon name(s)NotesImage
Gymnophthalmus underwoodiUnderwood's spectacled teguFound on Barbuda.
Skinks (Scincidae)
SpeciesCommon name(s)NotesImage
Copeoglossum redondae[3]Found on Redonda (endemic).
Worm snakes (Typhlopidae)
SpeciesCommon name(s)NotesImage
Typhlops monastusMontiserrat worm snake,Regional endemic; found on both main islands and some of the offshore islands.
Colubrids (Colubridae)
SpeciesCommon name(s)NotesImage
Alsophis antiguaeAntiguan racerCritically endangered. Endemic; found only on Great Bird Island off the coast of Antigua. Considered one of the rarest and most endangered snake species in the world; only 60-80 adults believed to remain.

Disputed or unconfirmed species

SpeciesCommon name(s)NotesImage
Eleutherodactylus martinicensisTink frog, Martinique robber frogNear Threatened. Regional endemic. Occasionally recorded on Antigua, probably due to misidentification.
Leptotyphlops tenellaGuyana blind snakePossibly on Antigua; mainly found in Trinidad and South America.

Species by island

Amphibians

FamilySpeciesAntiguaBarbudaRedonda
HylidaeOsteopilus septentrionalisX
LeptodactylidaeEleutherodactylus johnstoneiXX
BufonidaeBufo marinusX

Reptiles

FamilySpeciesAntiguaBarbudaRedonda
TestudinidaeGeochelone carbonariaXX
CheloniidaeCaretta carettaXXX
CheloniidaeChelonia mydasXXX
CheloniidaeEretmochelys imbricataXXX
DermochelyidaeDermochelys coriaceaXXX
GekkonidaeHemidactylus mabouiaX
GekkonidaeSphaerodactylus elegantulusXX
GekkonidaeSphaerodactylus new speciesX
GekkonidaeThecadactylus rapicaudaXX
IguanidaeAnolis forrestiX
IguanidaeAnolis leachiiXX
IguanidaeAnolis nubilisX
IguanidaeAnolis wattsiX
TeiidaePholidoscelis atratusX
TeiidaePholidoscelis griswoldiXX
ScincidaeCopeoglossum redondaeX
GymnophthalmidaeGymnophthalmus underwoodiX
TyphlopidaeLeptotyphlops tenella?
TyphlopidaeTyphlops monastusXX
ColubridaeAlsophis antiguaeX

Notes

  1. Lindsay, K.; Cooper, B. (2008), "Osteopilus septentrionalis becomes established on Antigua, West Indies", Applied Herpetology, 5 (1): 96–98, doi:10.1163/157075408783489176. Not recorded on Antigua (or anywhere else in the Lesser Antilles) in Malhotra & Thorpe 1999.
  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 in Antigua and Barbuda.
  3. Though reported in Malhotra & Thorpe 1999 as M. bistriata, the Redonda population has been reassigned.

References

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. 68–73, ISBN 0-333-69141-5.
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