Fauna of Barbados
Encyclopedia
Fauna
Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...
has been greatly affected by anthropogenic activities; these range from habitat destruction
Habitat destruction
Habitat destruction is the process in which natural habitat is rendered functionally unable to support the species present. In this process, the organisms that previously used the site are displaced or destroyed, reducing biodiversity. Habitat destruction by human activity mainly for the purpose of...
to the introduction of non-native species. Species best able to adapt to the presence of Humans have persisted, while those unable to adapt have generally fared poorly.
Origin of Barbadian fauna
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
was formed by tectonic uplift
Tectonic uplift
Tectonic uplift is a geological process most often caused by plate tectonics which increases elevation. The opposite of uplift is subsidence, which results in a decrease in elevation. Uplift may be orogenic or isostatic.-Orogenic uplift:...
and is younger than surrounding lesser Antillean
Lesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles are a long, partly volcanic island arc in the Western Hemisphere. Most of its islands form the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, with the remainder located in the southern Caribbean just north of South America...
islands, which are primarily of volcanic origin. Avian
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
colonization has therefore occurred recently relative to the geological age of the island, accounting in part for the paucity of endemic species relative to neighboring islands.
Species capable of crossing the sea barrier by flight enjoyed a comparative advantage; helping explain why avian species are more numerous than other animal groups, such as mammals.
In addition to natural colonization of the island by animals, humans have contributed to the faunal composition of the island, through species introductions (intentional and accidental).
Mammals
House mouse
The house mouse is a small rodent, a mouse, one of the most numerous species of the genus Mus.As a wild animal the house mouse mainly lives associated with humans, causing damage to crops and stored food....
(Mus musculus), European Hare
European Hare
The European hare , also known as the brown hare, Eastern Jackrabbit and Eastern prairie hare, is a species of hare native to northern, central, and western Europe and western Asia. It is a mammal adapted to temperate open country. It is related to the similarly appearing rabbit, which is in the...
(Lepus europaeus), Indian Mongoose
Indian Mongoose
The Small Asian Mongoose , also known as the Indian Mongoose, Small Indian Mongoose, or the Javan Mongoose, is a species of mongoose found in the wild in South and Southeast Asia...
(Herpestes javanicus), and Green monkey
Green Monkey
The green monkey , also known as the Callithrix monkey, is an Old World monkey with golden-green fur and pale hands and feet. The tip of the tail is golden yellow as are the backs of the thighs and cheek whiskers. It does not have a distinguishing band of fur on the brow, like other Chlorocebus...
(Cercopithecus aethiops sabaeus) are the most notable examples. Pigs
PIGS
PIGS is a four letter acronym that can stand for:* PIGS , Phosphatidylinositol glycan anchor biosynthesis, class S, a human gene* PIGS , the economies of Portugal, Italy , Greece and Spain...
were introduced by the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
in 1563 as a future food source; the introduction was successful and a feral pig population persisted up until the point of British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
settlement of the island, after which they became extirpated.
The now extinct Barbados Raccoon
Barbados Raccoon
The Barbados raccoon is an extinct subspecies of the common raccoon , that was endemic on Barbados in the Lesser Antilles until 1964.- Classification :...
(Procyon gloveralleni) is considered to have been endemic to the island; however even this species may have been introduced by Amerindians in pre-historic times. There is also some indication that the Barbados Raccoon was in fact a subspecies of the Common Raccoon (Procyon lotor), rather than a distinct species.
The only remaining native mammals are a number of bat
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
species; the most common of which is the Velvety Free-tailed Bat
Velvety Free-tailed Bat
The Velvety Free-tailed Bat or Pallas's Mastiff Bat , is a bat species in the family Molossidae. It occurs in the Americas from Argentina north to Cuba and Mexico and also the Florida Keys in the United States....
(Molossus molossus), which emerges at dusk to feed on insects.
A breed of Sheep known as the Barbados Blackbelly sheep
Barbados Blackbelly Sheep
The Barbados Blackbelly sheep is a breed of domestic sheep that was developed in the Caribbean. Although it is likely the Barbados Blackbelly has African ancestry, there seems to be clear evidence that the breed, as seen today, was developed by the people on the island from sheep brought by ships...
originated in Barbados, it has been exported to various nations around the world including the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
where it is sometimes called affectionately "Barbado Sheep".
Marine mammals are not frequently seen in Barbadian waters; some species however, particularly Bottlenose Dolphin
Bottlenose Dolphin
Bottlenose dolphins, the genus Tursiops, are the most common and well-known members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphins. Recent molecular studies show the genus contains two species, the common bottlenose dolphin and the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin , instead of one...
s (Tursiops truncatus) and Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), are occasionally seen offshore.
Feral
Feral
A feral organism is one that has changed from being domesticated to being wild or untamed. In the case of plants it is a movement from cultivated to uncultivated or controlled to volunteer. The introduction of feral animals or plants to their non-native regions, like any introduced species, may...
Dogs and Cats, introduced by Humans, also occur on the island.
Birds
Icterids such as the Carib Grackle
Carib Grackle
The Carib Grackle, Quiscalus lugubris, is a New World tropical blackbird, a resident breeder in the Lesser Antilles and northern South America east of the Andes, from Colombia east to Venezuela and northeastern Brazil....
(Quiscalus lugubris) and the Shiny Cowbird
Shiny Cowbird
The Shiny Cowbird, Molothrus bonariensis, is a passerine bird in the New World family Icteridae. It breeds in most of South America apart from the most dense jungles, mountains and deserts , the coldest southernmost regions , and on Trinidad and Tobago...
(Molothrus bonariensis), which often parasitizes the nests of the former species, are quite common.
Seedeater
Seedeater
The seedeaters are a form taxon of seed-eating passerine birds with a distinctively conical bill.Most are Central and South American birds that were formerly placed in the American sparrow family , but are now known to be tanagers closely related to Darwins finches...
s include the Black-faced Grassquit
Black-faced Grassquit
The Black-faced Grassquit, Tiaris bicolor, is a small bird formerly placed with the Emberizidae. It is now recognized as a tanager closely related to Darwins finches...
(Tiaris bicolor) and the Grassland Yellow Finch
Grassland Yellow Finch
The Grassland Yellow Finch, Sicalis luteola, is a small passerine bird. Despite its name, it is not a finch, but is a seedeater. These were formerly united with the buntings and American sparrows in the Emberizidae, but are now known to be tanagers....
(Sicalis luteola), known locally as the Grass Canary. Introduced from South America the Grassland Yellow Finch is now faced with extirpation due to poaching for the pet trade. Until recently considered a non-sexually dimorphic subspecies of the Lesser Antillean Bullfinch
Lesser Antillean Bullfinch
The Lesser Antillean Bullfinch is a species of bird in the Emberizidae family.It is found in Saint Barth, Saint Martin, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,...
(Loxigilla noctis), the Barbados Bullfinch
Barbados Bullfinch
The Barbados Bullfinch is a seedeater bird that is found only on the Caribbean island-nation of Barbados, where it is the only endemic bird species.- Taxonomy :...
(Loxigilla barbadensis) has recently been elevated to species level.
There are two species of Tyrant flycatcher
Tyrant flycatcher
The tyrant flycatchers are a family of passerine birds which occur throughout North and South America. They are considered the largest family of birds on Earth, with more than 400 species. They are the most diverse avian family in every country in the Americas, except for the United States and...
found on the island, the Gray Kingbird
Gray Kingbird
The Gray Kingbird, also known as Pitirre, Tyrannus dominicensis, is a passerine bird. It breeds from the extreme southeast of the USA through Central America, from Cuba to Puerto Rico as well as eastward towards all across the Lesser West Indies, south to Venezuela, Trinidad, Tobago the Guiana and...
(Tyrannus dominicensis) which is quite common; often seen perched on power lines,and the Caribbean Elaenia
Caribbean Elaenia
The Caribbean Elaenia is a species of bird in the Tyrannidae family.It is found in Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Belize, Cayman Islands, Colombia , Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mexico , Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint...
(Elaenia martinica) which is more rare.
Representatives of the family Columbidae include the Zenaida Dove
Zenaida Dove
The Zenaida Dove is a member of the bird family Columbidae, which includes doves and pigeons. It is the national bird of Anguilla, where it is commonly referred to as a Turtle Dove. It lays two white eggs on a flimsy platform built on a tree or shrub. It also nests in rock crevices and on grassy...
(Zenaida aurita), Common Ground Dove
Common Ground Dove
The Common Ground Dove is a small bird that inhabits the southern United States, parts of Central America, the Caribbean and northern South America. The Common Ground Dove is considered to be the smallest dove that inhabits the United States...
(Columbina passerina), Scaly-naped Pigeon
Scaly-naped Pigeon
The Scaly-naped Pigeon , also known as the Red-necked Pigeon, is a bird belonging to the family Columbidae. The species occurs throughout the Caribbean.- Description :...
(Patagioenas squamosa), and the ubiquitous Rock Pigeon
Rock Pigeon
The Rock Dove or Rock Pigeon, is a member of the bird family Columbidae . In common usage, this bird is often simply referred to as the "pigeon"....
(Columba livia). Another species, the Eared Dove
Eared Dove
The Eared Dove, Zenaida auriculata, is a New World tropical dove. It is a resident breeder throughout South America from Colombia to southern Argentina and Chile, and on the offshore islands from the Grenadines southwards. It may be a relatively recent colonist of Tobago and Trinidad...
(Zenaida auriculata), which was previously reported as an occasional visitor to the island, has now established a breeding population.
Nectar consuming species include the Antillean Crested Hummingbird
Antillean Crested Hummingbird
The Antillean Crested Hummingbird is a species of hummingbird in the Trochilidae family.It is found in Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Montserrat, north-east Puerto Rico, Saba, Saint-Barthélemy, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin,...
(Orthorhyncus cristatus), Green-throated Carib
Green-throated Carib
The Green-throated Carib is a species of hummingbird found throughout the Caribbean region.It is found in Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Montserrat, north-east Puerto Rico, Saba, Saint-Barthélemy, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint...
(Eulampis holosericeus), and the Bananaquit
Bananaquit
The Bananaquit is a species of passerine bird of uncertain relation. It is tentatively placed in the tanager family, but classified as incertae sedis by other authorities such as the American Ornithologists' Union. Its classification is debated, and it is often placed in its own family: Coerebidae...
(Coereba flaveola).
Heron
Heron
The herons are long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae. There are 64 recognised species in this family. Some are called "egrets" or "bitterns" instead of "heron"....
species include , the Cattle Egret
Cattle Egret
The Cattle Egret is a cosmopolitan species of heron found in the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate zones. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Bubulcus, although some authorities regard its two subspecies as full species, the Western Cattle Egret and the Eastern Cattle Egret...
(Bubulcus ibis) and the fairly rare Green Heron
Green Heron
The Green Heron is a small heron of North and Central America. It was long considered conspecific with its sister species the Striated Heron , and together they were called "Green-backed Heron"...
(Butorides virescens). A recent addition to the island's avifauna
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
is the Little Egret
Little Egret
The Little Egret is a small white heron. It is the Old World counterpart to the very similar New World Snowy Egret.-Subspecies:Depending on authority, two or three subspecies of Little Egret are currently accepted....
(Egretta garzetta), which has recently colonized the island from Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
.
Orange-winged Parrot
The Orange-winged Amazon , also known locally as Orange-winged Parrot and Loro Guaro, is a large Amazon parrot. It is a resident breeding bird in tropical South America, from Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago south to Peru and central Brazil. Its habitat is forest and semi-open country...
(Amazona amazonica) which has become established among several Roystonea
Roystonea
Roystonea is a genus of eleven species of monoecious palms, native to the Caribbean Islands, and the adjacent coasts of Florida, Central and South America. Commonly known as the royal palms, the genus was named for Roy Stone, a U.S. Army engineer...
palms in the Belleville district of the capital Bridgetown
Bridgetown
The city of Bridgetown , metropolitan pop 96,578 , is the capital and largest city of the nation of Barbados. Formerly, the Town of Saint Michael, the Greater Bridgetown area is located within the parish of Saint Michael...
. The Brown-throated Parakeet
Brown-throated Parakeet
The Brown-throated Parakeet , commonly known as the St. Thomas Conure or Brown-throated Conure in aviculture, is a species of parrot in the Psittacidae family...
(Aratinga pertinax), introduced to the island, is rarely seen.
The Scaly-breasted Thrasher
Scaly-breasted Thrasher
The Scaly-breasted Thrasher is a species of bird in the Mimidae family found in the Caribbean Lesser Antilles. It was formerly united with the Pearly-eyed Thrasher in Margarops but now is again placed in the monotypic genus Allenia.It is found in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada,...
(Allenia fusca) may have become extirpated from the Island. A resident race of the Yellow Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Dendroica petechia is a New World warbler species or superspecies; the subspecies group around D. aestiva is increasingly treated as good species Dendroica aestiva again. The name for the entire cryptic species complex is Mangrove Warbler, and another group of subspecies is known as Golden Warbler...
(Dendroica petechia petechia) is also threatened, mostly due to loss of its mangrove swamp habitat; the last major refuge for this species is the Graeme Hall Swamp in the south of the Island, However some reports suggest the species is expanding its range on the island.
Species which may be encountered in wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
areas include the Masked Duck
Masked Duck
The Masked Duck is a tiny stiff-tailed duck ranging through the tropical Americas. They are found from Mexico to South America and also in the Caribbean...
(Nomonyx dominica), Caribbean Coot
Caribbean Coot
The Caribbean Coot is a large waterbird of the family Rallidae, which is a resident breeder in the Caribbean and parts of Venezuela. Several alleged sightings have occurred in North America, but these cannot be authenticated since some American Coots lack red knobs on the frontal shield of the bill...
(Fulica caribaea), and the Common Moorhen
Common Moorhen
The Common Moorhen is a bird in the Rallidae family with an almost worldwide distribution. The North and South American Committees of the AOU and the IOC have voted on or before July 2011 to split the American forms into a new species Common Gallinule, however, no other committee has voted to...
(Gallinula chloropus)
The Southern Lapwing
Southern Lapwing
The Southern Lapwing is a wader in the family Charadriiformes. It is a common and widespread resident throughout South America, except in densely forested regions , the higher parts of the Andes and the arid coast of a large part of western South America. This bird is particularly common in the...
(Vanellus chilensis), a shorebird, has recently bred upon the island; having spread to Barbados from Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
and Northern South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
.
Substantial numbers of migratory birds either over-wintering on the island, or en route from North America to South American wintering grounds are seen annually. Shorebirds are one such group of birds which stop off in Barbados during migration; tens of thousands however, lured to artificial wetlands, are shot annually for sport.
Reptiles
.jpg)
Green Iguana
The Green Iguana or Common Iguana is a large, arboreal herbivorous species of lizard of the genus Iguana native to Central and South America...
(Iguana iguana) formerly resided on the island before being extirpated. An endemic species of Anole Lizard, (Anolis extremus),and the introduced Tropical house gecko
Tropical house gecko
The Tropical house gecko, Afro-American house gecko or Cosmopolitan house gecko is a species of house gecko native to sub-Saharan Africa...
(Hemidactylus mabouia) are both common species; while Underwood's Spectacled Tegu
Underwood's Spectacled Tegu
Underwood's Spectacled Tegu is a microteiid lizard found in South America and on certain Caribbean islands. The species is named after British herpetologist Garth Leon Underwood....
(Gymnophthalmus underwoodi), and a native species of Kentropyx
Kentropyx
Kentropyx is a whiptail lizard genus which belongs to the family . There are nine species in this genus.-Selected species:*Kentropyx altamazonica *Kentropyx borckiana*Kentropyx calcarata Spix, 1825...
Lizard (Kentropyx borckiana) are rarer on the island.
The Red-footed tortoise
Red-footed tortoise
The red-footed tortoise is a tortoise native to South America. It has also been introduced to many islands in the Caribbean. It draws its name from the red or orange scales visible on its limbs, as well as its head and tail...
(Geochelone carbonaria) is widely kept in captivity; it was likely introduced to the island, as no reports of it were made by early European explorers to the island.
Liophis
Liophis is a genus of New World colubrid snakes. They have a wide range of nondescript and local names, among these "water snakes", "mapepires", "corals" or "racers"....
Grass Snake (Liophis perfuscus) have been devastated as a result of predation by the introduced Indian Mongoose; with no confirmed sightings of the species since 1961. Another snake species, Mastigodryas bruesi and the World's smallest snake, Leptotyphlops bilineata
Leptotyphlops bilineata
The Two-Lined Blind Snake is a harmless blind snake species endemic to Martinique in the Lesser Antilles.-Distribution:...
, have also been recorded from the island.
Currently there are two species of Sea Turtle
Sea turtle
Sea turtles are marine reptiles that inhabit all of the world's oceans except the Arctic.-Distribution:...
which nest in Barbados, the Hawksbill Turtle
Hawksbill turtle
The hawksbill sea turtle is a critically endangered sea turtle belonging to the family Cheloniidae. It is the only extant species in its genus. The species has a worldwide distribution, with Atlantic and Pacific subspecies. E. imbricata imbricata is the Atlantic subspecies, while E...
(Eretmochelys imbricata), and the Leatherback Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). Though not nesting on the island, the Green Sea Turtle
Green Sea Turtle
The Green sea turtle or green turtle is a large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae. It is the only species in the genus Chelonia. Its range extends throughout tropical and subtropical seas around the world, with two distinct populations in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans...
(Chelonia mydas) does forage in nearshore Seagrass
Seagrass
Seagrasses are flowering plants from one of four plant families , all in the order Alismatales , which grow in marine, fully saline environments.-Ecology:...
beds. Coastal infrastructure, such as hotel properties, has encroached upon the nesting grounds of sea turtles, while coastal lights also detrimentally impact upon nesting females.
Amphibians
The Cane ToadCane Toad
The Cane Toad , also known as the Giant Neotropical Toad or Marine Toad, is a large, terrestrial true toad which is native to Central and South America, but has been introduced to various islands throughout Oceania and the Caribbean...
(Bufo marinus) from South America and the Johnstone's Whistling Frog (Eleutherodactylus johnstonei) encompass the islands amphibian
Amphibian
Amphibians , are a class of vertebrate animals including animals such as toads, frogs, caecilians, and salamanders. They are characterized as non-amniote ectothermic tetrapods...
community. The introduction of the Cane Toad was done as a biological control aimed at insect pests of Sugar Cane; as has been the case elsewhere, lack of predators to control the Cane Toad has led to uncontrolled populations in some areas.
Freshwater Fish
Guppy
The guppy , also known as the millionfish, is one of the most popular freshwater aquarium fish species in the world. It is a small member of the Poeciliidae family [females long, males long] and like all other members of the family, is live-bearing....
(Poecilia reticulata) is native to Barbados as well as Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
and northern South America. Introductions of Aquarium varieties of the guppy into the wild mean that it may be impossible to distinguish between original and fancy varieties.
Originally intended for aquaculture
Aquaculture
Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the...
, Tilapia
Tilapia
Tilapia , is the common name for nearly a hundred species of cichlid fish from the tilapiine cichlid tribe. Tilapia inhabit a variety of fresh water habitats, including shallow streams, ponds, rivers and lakes. Historically, they have been of major importance in artisan fishing in Africa and the...
species including, Oreochromis mossambicus
Oreochromis mossambicus
The Mozambique tilapia, Oreochromis mossambicus, is a tilapiine cichlid fish native to southern Africa. It is a popular fish for aquaculture...
, and Tilapia zilli have become widely established in ponds and streams across the island.
Brackish water Fish
Brackish waterBrackish water
Brackish water is water that has more salinity than fresh water, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing of seawater with fresh water, as in estuaries, or it may occur in brackish fossil aquifers. The word comes from the Middle Dutch root "brak," meaning "salty"...
species also occur, particularly in coastal wetlands such as the Graeme Hall Swamp; one such species is the Mangrove rivulus
Mangrove rivulus
The mangrove killifish or mangrove rivulus, Kryptolebias marmoratus , is a species of fish in the Aplocheilidae family. It lives along the east coast of North, Central and South America, from Florida to Brazil. It is about 75 mm long.The mangrove rivulus is a U.S. National Marine Fisheries...
(Rivulus marmoratus), notable for its unique ability of self fertilization.
A resident and isolated population of Atlantic tarpon
Atlantic tarpon
The Atlantic tarpon, Megalops atlanticus, inhabits coastal waters, estuaries, lagoons, and rivers. Tarpons feed almost exclusively on schooling fish and occasionally crabs. Tarpons are capable of filling their swim bladder with air, like a primitive lung. This gives Tarpons a predatory advantage...
, (Megalops atlanticus) has become established in the Graeme Hall Swamp.
Crustaceans
Crab
True crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" , or where the reduced abdomen is entirely hidden under the thorax...
species found on the island include Cardisoma guanhumi
Cardisoma guanhumi
Cardisoma guanhumi, also known as the blue land crab, is a species of land crab found in tropical and subtopical estuaries and other maritime areas of land along the Atlantic coast of the Americas, from Brazil and Colombia, through the Caribbean, to the Bahamas, and as far north as Vero Beach,...
and Gecarcinus lateralis
Gecarcinus lateralis
Gecarcinus lateralis, also known by the common names blackback land crab, Bermuda land crab, red land crab and moon crab Gecarcinus lateralis, also known by the common names blackback land crab, Bermuda land crab, red land crab (leading to easy confusion with Gecarcoidea natalis) and moon crab...
.