List of amphibians and reptiles of Saint Kitts and Nevis

Location of Saint Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean.

This is a list of amphibians and reptiles found on the islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis, a two-island nation in the Caribbean Lesser Antilles. The islands are separated by a narrow strait that is only 3.2 km wide and 15 m deep, and thus have very similar fauna.

Amphibians

There are two species of amphibian recorded on Saint Kitts and Nevis.

Frogs (Anura)

Tropical frogs (Leptodactylidae)
Species Common name(s) Notes Image
Eleutherodactylus johnstonei Lesser Antillean Whistling Frog, Coqui Antillano, Johnstone's Whistling Frog Least Concern.[1]
True toads (Bufonidae)
Species Common name(s) Notes Image
Bufo marinus Cane Toad, Giant Neotropical Toad, Marine Toad Least Concern. Introduced.

Reptiles

Including marine turtles and introduced species, there are 14 reptile species reported on Saint Kitts and 12 species on Nevis.


Turtles (Testudines)

Tortoises (Testudinidae)
Species Common name(s) Notes Image
Geochelone carbonaria Red-Footed Tortoise Presence on Saint Kitts questioned; not present on Nevis.
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. Not recorded on Nevis.
Sphaerodactylus sabanus Saba Least Gecko Regional endemic.
Sphaerodactylus sputator Island Least Gecko Regional endemic. Highly abundant.
Thecadactylus rapicauda Turnip-Tailed Gecko Rare.
Iguanas and Anolids (Iguanidae)
Species Common name(s) Notes Image
Anolis bimaculatus Panther Anole Regional endemic. Relatively common and widely distributed up to 300 m in elevation.
Anolis schwartzi Schwartz's Anole, Watts' Anole Taxonomy as separate species unclear; alternately described as a subspecies of A. wattsi. Regional endemic. Common and widespread.
Whiptails (Teiidae)
Species Common name(s) Notes Image
Ameiva erythrocephala St. Christopher Ameiva Regional endemic; scarce.
Worm snakes (Typhlopidae)
Species Common name(s) Notes Image
Typhlops monastus Montiserrat Worm Snake, Regional endemic; populations found on Saint Kitts and Nevis are of subspecies T. m. geotomus.
Colubrids (Colubridae)
Species Common name(s) Notes Image
Alsophis rufiventris Red-bellied Racer, Orange-bellied Racer, Saba Racer Endangered. Regional endemic.

Notes

  1. 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 Kitts and Nevis.

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. 65–68, ISBN 0-333-69141-5 .
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