Fauna of Puerto Rico - Amphibians and Reptiles

Amphibians and Reptiles

Puerto Rico's herpetofauna consists of 25 amphibian species and 61 reptile species. The majority of West Indian terrestrial reptile clade is believed to have arrived by flotsam dispersion from South America. Little evidence exists to support the alternative hypothesis of proto-Antillean vicariance. Other terrestrial herpetofauna are believed to have arrived to the West Indies (and Puerto Rico) by the same method and subsequently undergone vicarization by banks or islands. As a result, Puerto Rico, and the Caribbean in general, has one of the highest percentages of endemism among amphibians and reptiles in the world. Amphibian species in Puerto Rico belong to four families: Bufonidae (2 species), Hylidae (3), Leptodactylidae (18) and Ranidae (2). Reptiles include turtles (freshwater and marine), lizards, worm lizards, snakes and a caiman.

All species of Ranidae and Hylidae occurring in Puerto Rico are introduced. One species from the Bufonidae family, the Cane Toad, is introduced while the other, the Puerto Rican Crested Toad, is endemic and critically endangered. The Cane Toad was introduced to Puerto Rico in the 1920s to control the populations of white-grub (Phyllophaga spp.), a sugar cane pest. All species from the Leptodactylidae family are native to the region. Of the 18 Leptodactylidae species, 17 are from the Eleutherodactylus genus and are commonly known in Puerto Rico as coquís. Three of these, the Web-footed Coqui, the Golden Coqui and the Mottled Coqui, are likely to be extinct. The Golden Coqui is the only live-bearing species from the Leptodactylidae family and Cook's Robber Frog (E. cooki) is the only Eleutherodactylus sp. that exhibits sexual dimorphism in both size and color. The Common Coquí (Eleutherodactylus coqui) is an unofficial national symbol of Puerto Rico and an important aspect of Puerto Rican culture. Since 14 of the 17 coquís are endemic to the archipelago, a common phrase used by Puerto Ricans to assert their national pride is "De aquí como el coquí" (From here Puerto Rico like the coquí).

Puerto Rico's turtle fauna includes both freshwater (5 species, including two extinct species) and marine turtles (5). Two of these species, the Hawksbill turtle and the Leatherback Sea Turtle, are critically endangered. Threats to these species include habitat destruction and illegal capture of eggs and individuals. The Spectacled Caiman, an introduced species, is the only representative of the Crocodilia order in Puerto Rico. The largest terrestrial lizard of the archipelago of Puerto Rico is the Mona Ground Iguana (Cyclura cornuta stejnegeri). A subspecies of the Rhinoceros Iguana (Cyclura cornuta), it is endemic to Mona Island, located in the Mona Passage between the main island of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Another Cyclura species of similar size, the Anegada Ground Iguana (Cyclura pinguis), once occurred in the archipelago but it became extirpated due to predation by dogs, cats, and humans, habitat destruction, and competition from goats and pigs, and is now restricted to Anegada.

The 11 snake species occurring in Puerto Rico are generally considered non-venomous, although research has concluded that at least one species, the Puerto Rican Racer (Alsophis portoricensis), secretes venom. These species belong to 3 families and 4 genera: Typhlopidae (Typhlops genus), Boidae (Epicrates) and Colubridae (Alsophis and Arrhyton). The largest snake in Puerto Rico is the endemic Puerto Rican Boa (Epicrates inornatus) with a maximum length of 12 ft (3.7 m). The diet of snakes in Puerto Rico consists of reptiles (Ameiva, Anolis, Geckos), coquís and other frogs, and, to a lesser extent, mice, birds and bats (exclusively by the Puerto Rican Boa).

The most common lizard in Puerto Rico is the Sharp-mouthed Lizard (Anolis pulchellus). The Anolis lizards of Puerto Rico, and the Greater Antilles in general, represent an interesting case of adaptive radiation. Anolis lizards in the Greater Antilles are more closely related to other species within the same island than to species of adjacent islands. Surprisingly, even though species divergence occurred independently on each island, the same set of ecomorphs (habitat specialists) have evolved on each island.