List of amphibians and reptiles of Saint Martin
This is a list of amphibians and reptiles found on the island of Saint Martin, located in the Lesser Antilles chain in the Caribbean. Politically, Saint Martin is divided between the Collectivity of Saint Martin on the northern half of the island, which is an overseas collectivity of France, and Sint Maarten on the southern half, which is part of the Netherlands Antilles.
Location of Saint Martin in the Caribbean
Amphibians
There are three species of amphibian on Saint Martin, two of which were introduced.
Frogs (Anura)
| Tree frogs (Hylidae) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Common name(s) | Notes | Image |
| Osteopilus septentrionalis[1] | Cuban Tree Frog | Least Concern.[2] Recently introduced. |  |
| Scinax ruber | Red-snouted Tree Frog | Recent introduction. | |
| Tropical frogs (Leptodactylidae) | |||
| Species | Common name(s) | Notes | Image |
| Eleutherodactylus johnstonei | Lesser Antillean Whistling Frog, Coqui Antillano, Johnstone's Whistling Frog | Least Concern. |  |
Reptiles
Including marine turtles and introduced species, there are 17 reptile species reported on Saint Martin. One species, the Bearded Anole (Anolis pogus), is endemic to Saint Martin. Its local population of one species, the regionally endemic and endangered Lesser Antillean Iguana (Iguana delicatissima), was recently extirpated.[3]
Turtles (Testudines)
| Tortoises (Testudinidae) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Common name(s) | Notes | Image |
| Geochelone carbonaria | Red-Footed Tortoise |  | |
| Box turtles and pond turtles (Emydidae) | |||
| Species | Common name(s) | Notes | Image |
| Trachemys scripta elegans[4] | Red-eared Slider | Introduced; abundant. |  |
| 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)
| Geckos (Gekkonidae) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Common name(s) | Notes | Image |
| Hemidactylus mabouia | House Gecko | Introduced. | .jpg.webp) |
| Sphaerodactylus parvus | Regionally endemic. Formerly described as subspecies of Sphaerodactylus macrolepis chiefly found in the Greater Antilles until elevated to species level in 2001. | ||
| Sphaerodactylus sputator | Island Least Gecko | Regional endemic. Highly abundant. |  |
| Thecadactylus rapicauda | Turnip-Tailed Gecko | ||
| Iguanas and Anolids (Iguanidae) | |||
| Species | Common name(s) | Notes | Image |
| Anolis gingivinus | Anguilla Anole, Anguilla Bank Anole | Regional endemic. Abundant. | |
| Anolis pogus | Anguilla Bank Bush Anole, Bearded Anole, Watts' Anole | Endemic. Abundant. Previously occurred on Anguilla and Saint Barthélemy, but now extirpated from those islands. | |
| Iguana iguana[5] | Green Iguana, Common Iguana | Recently introduced; very rare on Saint Martin. It outcompeted the endemic Iguana delicatissima in 20 years to extinction. |  |
| Whiptails (Teiidae) | |||
| Species | Common name(s) | Notes | Image |
| Pholidoscelis plei | Anguilla Bank Ameiva | Regional endemic. Localized but abundant. Population on main island of Saint Martin (also present on satellite, Île Tintamarre) described as endemic subspecies, P. p. analifera, in 1992. |  |
| Skinks (Scincidae) | |||
| Species | Common name(s) | Notes | Image |
| Mabuya mabouya[6] | Regional endemic. Possibly extirpated. |  | |
| Worm snakes (Typhlopidae) | |||
| Species | Common name(s) | Notes | Image |
| Ramphotyphlops braminus[7] | Brahminy Blind Snake, Flowerpot Blind Snake | Introduced; rare. |  |
| Colubrids (Colubridae) | |||
| Species | Common name(s) | Notes | Image |
| Alsophis rijgersmaei | Leeward Island Racer | Endangered. Regional endemic. Possibly functionally extirpated on Saint Martin; restricted to small, isolated enclaves due to mongoose predation.[8] | |
Notes
- Powell 2006, p. 296. Not recorded on Saint Martin (or anywhere else in the Lesser Antilles) in Malhotra & Thorpe 1999.
- 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 Martin.
- Powell 2006, pp. 296, 298.
- Powell 2006, p. 296. Not recorded on Saint Martin in Malhotra & Thorpe 1999.
- Powell 2006, p. 296. Not recorded on Saint Martin in Malhotra & Thorpe 1999.
- Though reported in Malhotra & Thorpe 1999 as M. bistriata, the Anguilla Bank population has been reassigned. Local Mabuya species listed as unknown in Powell 2006, p. 296.
- Powell 2006, p. 296. Not recorded on Saint Martin in Malhotra & Thorpe 1999.
- Powell 2006, pp. 298–299.
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. 56–59, ISBN 0-333-69141-5.
- Powell, Robert (2006), "Conservation of the herpetofauna on the Dutch Windward Islands: St. Eustatius, Saba, and St. Maarten", Applied Herpetology, 3: 293–306, doi:10.1163/157075406778905090
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