List of amphibians and reptiles of Guadeloupe

Location of Guadeloupe in the Caribbean
Map of Guadeloupe

This is a list of amphibians and reptiles found in Guadeloupe, in the Caribbean. The main islands of Guadeloupe are Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre), Îles des Saintes, La Désirade, and Marie-Galante.

Amphibians

There are six species of amphibian in Guadeloupe, three of which were introduced. Two species of frog, Eleutherodactylus barlagnei and Eleutherodactylus pinchoni, are endemic to Guadeloupe.

Frogs (Anura)

Tree frogs (Hylidae)
Species Common name(s) Notes Image
Scinax x-signatus[1] Venezuela snouted treefrog Least concern.[2] Introduced; first recorded on Basse-Terre and Grande-Terre in 2003. Native to South America.
Tropical frogs (Leptodactylidae)
Species Common name(s) Notes Image
Eleutherodactylus barlagnei Matouba robber frog Endangered. Endemic to the highlands of Basse-Terre.
Eleutherodactylus johnstonei Lesser Antillean whistling frog, coqui antillano, Johnstone's whistling frog Least concern. Introduced.
Eleutherodactylus martinicensis Tink frog, Martinique robber frog Near threatened. Regional endemic.
Eleutherodactylus pinchoni Grand Cafe robber frog Endangered. Endemic to the highlands of Basse-Terre.
True toads (Bufonidae)
Species Common name(s) Notes Image
Bufo marinus Cane toad, giant Neotropical toad, marine toad Least concern. Introduced on main islands.


Reptiles

Including marine turtles and introduced species, there are 21 reptile species reported in Guadeloupe. Four species are endemic.

Turtles (Testudines)

Box turtles and pond turtles (Emydidae)
Species Common name(s) Notes Image
Geochelone carbonaria Red-footed tortoise Present on Îles des Saintes[3]
Trachemys scripta Pond slider Near threatened. Introduced.
Trachemys stejnegeri Central Antillean slider Near threatened. Introduced.
African side-necked turtles (Pelomedusidae)
Species Common name(s) Notes Image
Pelusios subniger[4] East African black mud turtle Introduced.
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.

[5]

Lizards and snakes (Squamata)

Geckos (Gekkonidae)
Species Common name(s) Notes Image
Hemidactylus mabouia House gecko Introduced.
Sphaerodactylus fantasticus Fantastic least gecko
Thecadactylus rapicauda Turnip-tailed gecko
Iguanas and Anolids (Iguanidae)
Species Common name(s) Notes Image
Anolis ferreus Morne Constant anole Endemic. Formerly described as a subspecies of A. marmoratus.
Anolis marmoratus Leopard anole, Guadeloupean anole Endemic.
Anolis terraealtae Les Saintes anole Endemic to Îles des Saintes. Highly abundant. Formerly described as a subspecies of A. marmoratus.
Iguana delicatissima Lesser Antillean iguana, West Indian iguana Critically Endangered. Regional endemic. Highly abundant on the Petite Terre Islands off the coast of Grand-Terre.
Iguana iguana Green iguana, common iguana Introduced.
Microteiids (Gymnophthalmidae)
Species Common name(s) Notes Image
Gymnophthalmus pleii Martinique spectacled tegu Regional endemic.
Gymnophthalmus underwoodi Underwood's spectacled tegu
Skinks (Scincidae)
Species Common name(s) Notes Image
Capitellum mariagalantae[6] Marie-Galante skink Critically endangered, possibly extinct. Endemic to Marie-Galante.
Mabuya cochonae Endemic to Îlet à Cochons. Possibly extinct.
Mabuya desiradae Désirade skink Endemic to La Désirade.
Mabuya grandisterrae Grande-Terre skink Endemic to Grande-Terre. Possibly extinct.
Mabuya guadeloupae Guadeloupe skink Endemic to Basse-Terre. Possibly extinct.
Mabuya parviterrae Petite Terre skink Endemic to Petite Terre.
Worm snakes (Typhlopidae)
Species Common name(s) Notes Image
Antillotyphlops guadeloupensis[7] Guadeloupe blind snake Endemic. Alternately described as endemic subspecies of Typhlops dominicanus, with sister subspecies present on Dominica.
Indotyphlops braminus Brahminy blind snake Introduced on La Désirade.
Colubrids (Colubridae)
Species Common name(s) Notes Image
Alsophis antillensis Guadeloupe racer, Antilles racer, leeward racer Critically endangered. Endemic to Grande-Terre and (formerly) Marie-Galante. On the verge of extinction and wild populations may no longer be viable, necessitating the urgent capture of the last wild individuals for a captive-breeding program.[8]
Alsophis danforthi[9] Terre-de-Bas racer Endangered. Endemic to Terre-de-Bas.
Alsophis sanctonum[10] Terre-de-Haut racer Endangered. Endemic to Terre-de-Haut.
Erythrolamprus juliae Julia's ground snake, grove snake Near threatened. Subspecies L. j. copeae is endemic to numerous Guadeloupean islands; subspecies L. j. mariae is found only on Marie-Galante.

Disputed or unconfirmed species

Species Common name(s) Notes Image
Leptotyphlops bilineata Two-lined blind snake Record considered questionable.


Species by island

Amphibians

Family Species Basse-Terre Grande-Terre Îles des Saintes La Désirade Marie-Galante
Hylidae Scinax x-signatus X X
Leptodactylidae Eleutherodactylus barlagnei X
Leptodactylidae Eleutherodactylus johnstonei X X X X X
Leptodactylidae Eleutherodactylus martinicensis X X X X X
Leptodactylidae Eleutherodactylus pinchoni X
Bufonidae Bufo marinus X X

Reptiles

Family Species Basse-Terre Grande-Terre Îles des Saintes La Désirade Marie-Galante
Emydidae Trachemys scripta X X X
Emydidae Trachemys stejnegeri X X X X
Pelomedusidae Pelusios subniger X X ?
Cheloniidae Caretta caretta X X X X X
Cheloniidae Chelonia mydas X X X X X
Cheloniidae Eretmochelys imbricata X X X X X
Dermochelyidae Dermochelys coriacea X X X X X
Gekkonidae Hemidactylus mabouia X X X X X
Gekkonidae Sphaerodactylus fantasticus X X X X X
Gekkonidae Thecadactylus rapicauda X X X X ?
Iguanidae Anolis ferreus X
Iguanidae Anolis marmoratus X X X
Iguanidae Anolis terraealtae X
Iguanidae Iguana delicatissima X X X X
Iguanidae Iguana iguana X X X X
Gymnophthalmidae Gymnophthalmus pleii ? ? ? ? ?
Gymnophthalmidae Gymnophthalmus underwoodi X X ? X X
Scincidae Capitellum mariagalantae X
Scincidae Mabuya cochonae X
Scincidae Mabuya desiradae X
Scincidae Mabuya grandisterrae X
Scincidae Mabuya guadeloupae X
Scincidae Mabuya parviterrae X
Typhlopidae Antillotyphlops guadeloupensis X X ? ? ?
Typhlopidae Indotyphlops braminus ? ? ? X ?
Colubridae Alsophis antillensis X X X
Colubridae Alsophis danforthi X
Colubridae Alsophis sanctonum X
Colubridae Erythrolamprus juliae X X ? ? ?

Notes

  1. ^ Lorvelec et al. 2007, p. 140. Not recorded in Guadeloupe in Malhotra & Thorpe 1999.
  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 in Guadeloupe.
  3. ^ "Chelonoidis carbonaria".
  4. ^ Recorded as Pelusios castaneus in Lorvelec et al. 2007, p. 137.
  5. ^ "Chelonoidis carbonaria".
  6. ^ "Capitellum mariagalantae". The Reptile Database. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
  7. ^ Lorvelec et al. 2007, p. 136, 141. Recorded in Guadeloupe in Malhotra & Thorpe 1999 as Typhlops dominicana.
  8. ^ Robert Powell (Department of Biology, Avila University; Museum), Robert Henderson (Milwaukee Public; Biodiversité), Mael Dewynter (Fondation Biotope pour la; Gomès, Régis (2015-07-22). "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Alsophis antillensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
  9. ^ "Alsophis danforthi". The Reptile Database. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
  10. ^ "Alsophis sanctonum". The Reptile Database. Retrieved 2021-04-26.

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. 75–88, ISBN 0-333-69141-5.
  • Lorvelec, Olivier; Pascal, Michel; Pavis, Claudie; Feldmann, Philippe (2007), "Amphibians and reptiles of the French West Indies: Inventory, threats and conservation", Applied Herpetology, 4 (2): 131–161, doi:10.1163/157075407780681356.