List of amphibians and reptiles of Montserrat

This is a list of amphibians and reptiles found in the British overseas territory of Montserrat, located in the Caribbean Lesser Antilles. The continuing eruptions of the Soufrière Hills volcano have devastated much of the island.

Location of Montserrat in the Caribbean

Amphibians

There are three species of amphibian on Montserrat, one of which was introduced.[1]

Frogs (Anura)

Tropical frogs (Leptodactylidae)
SpeciesCommon name(s)NotesImage
Eleutherodactylus johnstoneiLesser Antillean Whistling Frog, Coqui Antillano, Johnstone's Whistling FrogLeast Concern.[2] Abundant.
Leptodactylus fallaxGiant Ditch Frog, Mountain ChickenCritically Endangered. Regional endemic; extant only on Montserrat and Dominica. Restricted to the Centre Hills due to habitat destruction from volcanic activity.
True toads (Bufonidae)
SpeciesCommon name(s)NotesImage
Bufo marinusCane Toad, Giant Neotropical Toad, Marine ToadLeast Concern. Introduced. Abundant.


Reptiles

Including marine turtles and introduced species, there are 15 reptile species reported on Montserrat. Two are endemic: the Plymouth Anole (Anolis lividus) and the Montiserrat Galliwasp (Diploglossus montisserrati).

Turtles (Testudines)

Tortoises (Testudinidae)
SpeciesCommon name(s)NotesImage
Geochelone carbonariaRed-Footed Tortoise
Scaly sea turtles (Cheloniidae)
SpeciesCommon name(s)NotesImage
Caretta carettaLoggerhead TurtleEndangered. Very rarely recorded around Montserrat. Not recorded nesting on Montserrat.
Chelonia mydasGreen TurtleEndangered. Resident in waters around Montserrat. Recorded nesting.
Eretmochelys imbricataHawksbill TurtleCritically Endangered. Relatively common year-round. Recorded nesting.
Leathery sea turtles (Dermochelyidae)
SpeciesCommon name(s)NotesImage
Dermochelys coriaceaLeatherback TurtleCritically Endangered. Rarely recorded in Montserrat waters or nesting.

Lizards and snakes (Squamata)

Geckos (Gekkonidae)
SpeciesCommon name(s)NotesImage
Hemidactylus mabouiaHouse GeckoIntroduced.
Sphaerodactylus fantasticusFantastic Least Gecko
Thecadactylus rapicaudaTurnip-Tailed Gecko
Iguanas and Anolids (Iguanidae)
SpeciesCommon name(s)NotesImage
Anolis lividusPlymouth AnoleEndemic. Widespread and frequently abundant.
Iguana iguanaGreen Iguana, Common Iguana
Whiptails (Teiidae)
SpeciesCommon name(s)NotesImage
Pholidoscelis pluvianotatusMontiserrat AmeivaRegional endemic. Numbers have declined significantly due to volcanic activity.
Glass lizards and alligator lizards (Anguidae)
SpeciesCommon name(s)NotesImage
Diploglossus montisserratiMontiserrat GalliwaspCritically endangered. Endemic. Known from only one specimen collected in 1964 until it was re-found in 1998.
Skinks (Scincidae)
SpeciesCommon name(s)NotesImage
Mabuya mabouya[3]Regional endemic. Rare.
Worm snakes (Typhlopidae)
SpeciesCommon name(s)NotesImage
Typhlops monastusMontiserrat Worm Snake,Regional endemic; populations found on Saint Kitts and Nevis are of subspecies T. m. geotomus.
Colubrids (Colubridae)
SpeciesCommon name(s)NotesImage
Alsophis antillensisAntilles Racer, Island Racer, Leeward RacerRegional endemic. Widespread

Notes

  1. Malhotra & Thorpe 1999 also includes Eleutherodactylus martinicensis in its species checklist for Montserrat, at p. 117, but this is not supported by the main text, which describes only three amphibian species for the island, nor do other sources support the presence of this species.
  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 Montserrat.
  3. Procter & Fleming 1999, p. 85. Reported in Malhotra & Thorpe 1999 as M. bistriata.

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. 73–75, ISBN 0-333-69141-5.
  • Procter, D.; Fleming, L. V., eds. (1999), Biodiversity: The UK Overseas Territories, Joint Nature Conservation Committee, pp. 82–87, ISBN 1-86107-502-2
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