List of amphibians and reptiles of Puerto Rico
Encyclopedia
This is a list of the amphibian
s and reptile
s of the archipelago
of Puerto Rico
. The Puerto Rican archipelago consists of the main island of Puerto Rico, two island municipalities, Vieques
and Culebra
, one minor uninhabited island, Mona
and several smaller islands and cays.
This list only includes animals with verifiable established populations in the archipelago of Puerto Rico. Many species of amphibians and reptiles are introduced, both legally (mainly through the pet industry
) and illegally, to the archipelago of Puerto Rico every year, with some of these species
being subsequently released into the wild. However, these few individuals do not constitute a breeding population and hence they lack inclusion in this list.
The following tags help provide additional information regarding the status of each species. Endemic
species. Introduced species
. Extinct
species. Extirpated
species
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...
s and reptile
Reptile
Reptiles are members of a class of air-breathing, ectothermic vertebrates which are characterized by laying shelled eggs , and having skin covered in scales and/or scutes. They are tetrapods, either having four limbs or being descended from four-limbed ancestors...
s of the archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. The Puerto Rican archipelago consists of the main island of Puerto Rico, two island municipalities, Vieques
Vieques, Puerto Rico
Vieques , in full Isla de Vieques, is an island–municipality of Puerto Rico in the northeastern Caribbean, part of an island grouping sometimes known as the Spanish Virgin Islands...
and Culebra
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Isla Culebra is an island-municipality of Puerto Rico originally called Isla Pasaje and Isla de San Ildefonso. It is located approximately east of the Puerto Rican mainland, west of St. Thomas and north of Vieques. Culebra is spread over 5 wards and Culebra Pueblo...
, one minor uninhabited island, Mona
Mona, Puerto Rico
Mona is the third largest island of the archipelago of Puerto Rico, after the main island of Puerto Rico and Vieques. It is the largest of three islands located in the Mona Passage, a strait between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, the others being Monito Island and Desecheo Island...
and several smaller islands and cays.
This list only includes animals with verifiable established populations in the archipelago of Puerto Rico. Many species of amphibians and reptiles are introduced, both legally (mainly through the pet industry
Pet store
A pet store or pet shop is a retail business which sells different kinds of animals. Pet stores also sell pet food, supplies, and accessories....
) and illegally, to the archipelago of Puerto Rico every year, with some of these species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
being subsequently released into the wild. However, these few individuals do not constitute a breeding population and hence they lack inclusion in this list.
The following tags help provide additional information regarding the status of each species. Endemic
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
species. Introduced species
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
. Extinct
Extinction
In biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms , normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point...
species. Extirpated
Local extinction
Local extinction, also known as extirpation, is the condition of a species which ceases to exist in the chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere...
species
Family Bufonidae
Species | Common name | Puerto Rico | Culebra | Vieques | Mona | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bufo marinus | Marine Toad | X | X | X | ||
Bufo lemur | Puerto Rican crested toad | X | ||||
Family Hylidae
Species | Common name | Puerto Rico | Culebra | Vieques | Mona | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hyla cinerea | American green tree frog | X | ||||
Osteopilus septentrionalis | Cuban Tree Frog | X | ||||
Scinax ruber | Red Snouted Treefrog | X | ||||
Family Leptodactylidae
Species | Common name | Puerto Rico | Culebra | Vieques | Mona | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Eleutherodactylus antillensis | Antillean Coquí | X | X | X | ||
Eleutherodactylus brittoni | Grass Coquí | X | ||||
Eleutherodactylus cochranae | Whistling Coquí | X | ||||
Eleutherodactylus cooki Eleutherodactylus cooki Eleutherodactylus cooki, also known as the Puerto Rican Rock Frog, Puerto Rican Cave Dwelling Frog, Rock Coqui, and Guajon Coqui, and known locally as Coquí Guajón, or guajón for brevity, is a threatened frog species from the coqui genus... |
Cook's Robber Frog | X | ||||
Eleutherodactylus coqui | Common Coquí | X | X | X | ||
Eleutherodactylus eneidae | Mottled Coquí | X | ||||
Eleutherodactylus gryllus | Cricket Coquí | X | ||||
Eleutherodactylus hedricki | Tree-hole Coquí | X | ||||
Eleutherodactylus jasperi | Golden Coquí | X | ||||
Eleutherodactylus juanariveroi | Plains Coquí | X | ||||
Eleutherodactylus karlschmidti | Web-footed Coquí | X | ||||
Eleutherodactylus locustus | Warty Coquí | X | ||||
Eleutherodactylus monensis | Mona Coquí | X | ||||
Eleutherodactylus portoricensis | Forest Coquí | X | ||||
Eleutherodactylus richmondi | Ground Coquí | X | ||||
Eleutherodactylus unicolor | Burrowing Coquí | X | ||||
Eleutherodactylus wightmanae | Melodious Coquí | X | ||||
Leptodactylus albilabris Leptodactylus albilabris Leptodactylus albilabris is a species of frog in the Leptodactylidae family. Its local name is ranita de labio blanco or sapito de labio blanco .... |
Caribbean White-lipped Frog | X | X | X | X | |
Family Ranidae
Species | Common name | Puerto Rico | Culebra | Vieques | Mona | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rana catesbeiana | Bullfrog | X | X | |||
Rana grylio | Pig Frog | X | ||||
Family Emydidae
Species | Common name | Puerto Rico | Culebra | Vieques | Mona | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Trachemys stejnegeri stejnegeri Central Antillean Slider The Central Antillean slider , is a species of turtle in the Emydidae family.It is found in Puerto Rico, Great Inagua, Dominican Republic and Haiti.- Subspecies :*Trachemys stejnegeri stejnegeri - Puerto Rican slider... |
Puerto Rican slider | X | ||||
Trachemys scripta elegans | Red-eared slider | X | ||||
Trachemys decorata | Hispaniolan slider | X | ||||
Chrysemys picta picta Painted Turtle The painted turtle is the most widespread native turtle of North America. It lives in slow-moving fresh waters, from southern Canada to Louisiana and northern Mexico, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The turtle is the only species of the genus Chrysemys, which is part of the pond turtle... |
Eastern Painted Turtle | X | ||||
Family Dermochelyidae
Species | Common name | Puerto Rico | Culebra | Vieques | Mona | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dermochelys coriacea coriacea | Leatherback Sea Turtle | X | X | |||
Family Cheloniidae
Species | Common name | Puerto Rico | Culebra | Vieques | Mona | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Caretta caretta caretta Loggerhead Sea Turtle The loggerhead sea turtle , or loggerhead, is an oceanic turtle distributed throughout the world. It is a marine reptile, belonging to the family Cheloniidae. The average loggerhead measures around long when fully grown, although larger specimens of up to have been discovered... |
Loggerhead Sea Turtle | X | ||||
Chelonia mydas mydas 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... |
Green Sea Turtle | X | X | X | X | X |
Eretmochelys imbricata imbricata 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... |
Atlantic Hawksbill Turtle | X | X | X | X | |
Lepidochelys olivacea | Olive Ridley | X | ||||
Family Testudinidae
Species | Common name | Puerto Rico | Culebra | Vieques | Mona | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Geochelone monensis | X | |||||
Geochelone denticulata | South American Yellow-footed Tortoise | X | ||||
Family Alligatoridae
Species | Common name | Puerto Rico | Culebra | Vieques | Mona | Other | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Caiman crocodilus | Spectacled Caiman | X | - |
Family Gekkonidae
Species | Common name | Puerto Rico | Culebra | Vieques | Mona | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hemidactylus brooki haitianus | X | |||||
Hemidactylus mabouia | Tropical House Gecko | X | X | X | X | |
Phyllodactylus wirshingi wirshingi | X | X | ||||
Sphaerodactylus nicholsi nicholsi | Nichols' Dwarf Gecko | X | X | |||
Sphaerodactylus nicholsi townsendi | Townsend's Dwarf Gecko | X | X | X | X | |
Sphaerodactylus roosevelti | Roosevelt's Dwarf Gecko | X | X | X | ||
Sphaerodactylus gaigeae | Gaige's Dwarf Gecko | X | X | |||
Sphaerodactylus klauberi | Puerto Rico Upland Gecko Puerto Rico Upland Gecko The Puerto Rico Upland gecko , is a species of gecko endemic to the archipelago of Puerto Rico. The epithet or specific name, klauberi, is in honor of herpetologist Laurence Monroe Klauber.-Description:... |
X | ||||
Sphaerodactylus monensis | Mona Dwarf Gecko | X | ||||
Sphaerodactylus levinsi | Desecheo Dwarf Gecko | X | ||||
Sphaerodactylus macrolepis ateles | X | X | ||||
Sphaerodactylus macrolepis grandisquamis | Common Dwarf Gecko | X | X | |||
Sphaerodactylus macrolepis guarionex | X | |||||
Sphaerodactylus macrolepis inigoi | X | |||||
Sphaerodactylus macrolepis macrolepis | X | |||||
Sphaerodactylus macrolepis mimetes | X | |||||
Sphaerodactylus macrolepis phoberus | X | |||||
Sphaerodactylus macrolepis spanius | X | |||||
Sphaerodactylus micropithecus | Monito gecko | X | ||||
Family Teiidae
Species | Common name | Puerto Rico | Culebra | Vieques | Mona | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ameiva exsul Ameiva exsul Ameiva exsul, the Puerto Rican Ground Lizard or Lucia, is a species of lizard in the whiptail family. It is endemic to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.-References:*... |
Greater Puerto Rican Ameiva | X | X | X | X | |
Ameiva wetmorei | Blue-tailed Ground Lizard | X | X | |||
Ameiva alboguttata | Mona Ameiva | X | ||||
Ameiva desechensis | Desecheo Ameiva | X | ||||
Family Scincidae
Species | Common name | Puerto Rico | Culebra | Vieques | Mona | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mabuya mabouya sloani | X | X | X | X | X | |
Family Anguinidae
Species | Common name | Puerto Rico | Culebra | Vieques | Mona | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dipoglossus pleei | Puerto Rican Galliwasp | X | ||||
Family Iguanidae
Species | Common name | Puerto Rico | Culebra | Vieques | Mona | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Anolis cuvieri | Puerto Rican Giant Anole | X | X | |||
Anolis roosevelti | Culebra Island Giant Anole | X | ||||
Anolis occultus | Puerto Rican Twig Anole | X | ||||
Anolis evermanni | Emerald Anole | X | ||||
Anolis stratulus | Barred Anole | X | X | X | X | |
Anolis gundlachi | Yellow-Chinned Anole | X | ||||
Anolis cristatellus cristatellus | Puerto Rican Crested Anole | X | X | X | X | |
Anolis cristatellus wileyae | Eastern Puerto Rican Crested Anole | X | X | X | ||
Anolis desechensis | Desecheo Anole | X | ||||
Anolis cooki | Cook's Anole | X | X | |||
Anolis monensis | Mona Anole | X | X | |||
Anolis pulchellus | Common Grass Anole | X | X | X | X | |
Anolis krugi | Upland Grass Anole | X | ||||
Anolis poncensis | Dryland Grass Anole | X | ||||
Cyclura pinguis Cyclura pinguis The Stout Iguana or Anegada Ground Iguana is a critically endangered species of lizard of the genus Cyclura belonging to the Iguanidae family. The species can be found exclusively in the island of Anegada... |
Anegada Ground Iguana | X | ||||
Cyclura portoricensis | Puerto Rican Iguana | X | ||||
Cyclura nubila nubila | Cuban Ground Iguana | X | ||||
Cyclura cornuta stejnegeri | Mona Ground Iguana | X | ||||
Iguana iguana | Green Iguana | X | X | X | ||
Iguana delicatissima | Lesser Antillean Iguana | X | ||||
Family Amphisbaenidae
Species | Common name | Puerto Rico | Culebra | Vieques | Mona | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Amphisbaena bakeri Amphisbaena bakeri Amphisbaena bakeri, known commonly as the Baker's Worm Lizard , is a worm lizard species in the genus Amphisbaena. It is Endemic to the Archipelago of Puerto Rico. -See also:*List of amphibians and reptiles of Puerto Rico... |
Baker's Worm Lizard | X | ||||
Amphisbaena caeca | Puerto Rican Worm Lizard | X | ||||
Amphisbaena schmiditi Amphisbaena schmiditi Amphisbaena schmiditi, known commonly as the Schmidt's worm lizard is a worm lizard species in the genus Amphisbaena.-See also:*Fauna of Puerto Rico*List of endemic fauna of Puerto Rico... |
Schmidt's Worm Lizard | X | ||||
Amphisbaena xera Amphisbaena xera Amphisbaena xera, known commonly as the Puerto Rican dryland worm lizard or the North American worm lizard is a worm lizard species in the genus Amphisbaena.-See also:*Fauna of Puerto Rico*List of endemic fauna of Puerto Rico... |
Puerto Rican Dryland Worm Lizard | X | X | |||
Family Typhlopidae
Species | Common name | Puerto Rico | Culebra | Vieques | Mona | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Typhlops platycephalus Typhlops platycephalus Typhlops platycephalus, or the Flat-headed blindsnake, is a species of snake in the Typhlopidae family.... |
Flat-headed Blindsnake | X | X | |||
Typhlops richardi | Richard's Blind Snake | X | X | |||
Typhlops rostellatus Typhlops rostellatus Typhlops rostellatus, known commonly as the Puerto Rican wetland blind snake, is a species of snake in the Typhlopidae family.-See also:*List of amphibians and reptiles of Puerto Rico*Fauna of Puerto Rico*List of endemic fauna of Puerto Rico... |
Puerto Rican Wetland Blind Snake | X | ||||
Typholps granti | Grant's Blind Snake | X | ||||
Typhlops monensis Typhlops monensis Typhlops monensis is a harmless blind snake species is endemic to Mona Island in the West Indies. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Geographic range:Known only from the type locality, which is given as "Mona Island, West Indies."... |
Mona Blind Snake | X | ||||
Typhlops hypomethes Typhlops hypomethes Typhlops hypomethes, known commonly as the Coastal blindsnake, is a species of snake in the Typhlopidae family.... |
Coastal Blindsnake | X | ||||
Family Boidae
Species | Common name | Puerto Rico | Culebra | Vieques | Mona | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Epicrates inornatus | Puerto Rican Boa | X | ||||
Epicrates monensis monensis | Mona Boa | X | ||||
Epicrates monensis granti | Virgin Island Tree Boa | X | ||||
Family Colubridae
Species | Common name | Puerto Rico | Culebra | Vieques | Mona | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alsophis portoricensis | Puerto Rican Racer | X | X | X | X | X |
Arrhyton exiguum | Puerto Rican Garden Snake | X | X | X | ||
See also
- Fauna of Puerto RicoFauna of Puerto RicoThe fauna of Puerto Rico is similar to other island archipelago faunas, with high endemism, and low, skewed taxonomic diversity. Bats are the only extant native terrestrial mammals in Puerto Rico. All other terrestrial mammals in the area were introduced by humans, and include species such as cats,...
- List of endemic fauna of Puerto Rico
- List of endemic flora of Puerto Rico
- List of Puerto Rican birds
Footnotes
- This species is endemic to the archipelago of Puerto Rico.
- This species is extinct.
- This species no longer occurs in the archipelago Puerto Rico but other populations exist elsewhere.
- This species was introduced to the archipelago of Puerto Rico.
- This species occurs in Caja de Muertos IslandCaja de Muertos, Puerto RicoCaja de Muertos is an uninhabited island off the southern coast of Puerto Rico, in the municipality of Ponce. The island is protected by the Reserva Natural Caja de Muertos natural reserve, because of its native turtle traffic...
. - This species occurs in Cayo Batata.
- This species occurs in Cayo Santiago.
- This species occurs in the island of DesecheoDesecheo IslandDesecheo is a small uninhabited island of the archipelago of Puerto Rico located in the northeast of the Mona Passage; 21 km from the west coast of the main island of Puerto Rico and 50 km northeast of Mona Island. It has a land area of 1.5 km² . Politically, the island is...
. - This species occurs in Magueyes island.
- This species occurs in the island of MonitoMonito IslandMonito Island is an uninhabited island about 5 kilometers northwest of much larger Mona Island. Monito is the masculine diminutive form of Mona in Spanish. It is one of three islands in the Mona Passage, and part of the Isla de Mona e Islote Monito barrio, a subdivision of the municipality of...
. - This species occurs in the island of CulebritaCulebritaIsla Culebrita is a small island off the eastern coast of Culebra, Puerto Rico and is part of the Puerto Rico Archipielago. Together with Cayo Botella off the northwestern point, it belongs to the barrio Frailes of Culebra. It is a nature reserve and home of one of the oldest lighthouse in the...
.