Wildlife
 

 

Bats are the only native mammals in the Cayman Islands. There are four species of snakes, various crabs, frogs, geckos & lizards, many beautiful birds and the amazing Blue Iguanas.  Agoutis introduced from Central America live unobtrusively in our forests.

We will be adding more images and information about Cayman's native animals. There are thumbnail images below, please click on the thumbnail to see a better representation.

Terrestrial Amphibians & Reptiles

Sea Turtles

Bats

Birds

Crabs

Others

Wildlife Rescue & Rehab Center

There are just over 50 species of butterflies on the three Cayman Islands. Please check the Butterflies and Moths page on our web site.

Amphibians & Reptiles

 

INTRODUCTION TO CAYMAN ISLANDS’ AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES
 

We are grateful to the authors of The Cayman Islands Natural History and Biogeography edited by M.A Brunt and J.E. Davies. The invaluable herpetological section was authored by Dr. M. E. Seidel and Dr. R. Franz. This important book compiles numerous bodies of research done about Cayman Islands fauna. We also thank Dr. Blair Hedges of Pennsylvania State University for answering our questions. We look forward to Dr. Hedge’s upcoming field guide to the 750 species of Caribbean Reptiles and Amphibians. Mr. Fred Burton, Director of the Cayman Islands Blue Iguana Project provided essential advice as well. We especially thank Mrs. Mars Van Liefde for her keen observational skills and deep knowledge of Cayman’s animals and their behaviours, and Lois Blumenthal for compiling this data as a quick reference for students of nature.

Although the species of herpetofauna in the Cayman Islands has been well documented, there is very little ecological information available for most species. The Cayman Islands Natural History and Biogeography states, "Students of nature who live in these islands can make important contributions by keeping records of their observations. Such records could help to establish priorities leading to proper management for the preservation of these important components of the country’s natural heritage."
   
 
Note:
Some species have more than one common name. On this chart, we have used the North American common names first, followed by the Cayman Islands names if they are different.
 

Terrestrial Amphibians and Reptiles in the Cayman Islands
Grand Cayman (GC) Cayman Brac (CB) Little Cayman (LC)

Amphibians

Status Species also indigenous to:
Frogs
Family: Leptodactylidae
Greenhouse Frog Eleutherodactylus planirostris GC, CB Indigenous Cuba, Bahamas
Family: Hylidae
Cuban Treefrog, Bullfrog Osteopilus septentrionalis GC, CB, LC Indigenous Cuba, Bahamas

Reptiles
Crocodiles
Family: Crocodylidae
American Crocodile, Crocodile Crocodylus acutus CB, LC Rare visitor S. Florida, S. & C. America, Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola
Cuban Freshwater Crocodile Crocodylus rhombifer GC Extirpated Cuba
Freshwater Turtles
Family: Emydidae
Taco River Slider, Hickatee Trachemys decussata angusta GC, CB may be introduced (well established) Cuba
Lizards
Family: Iguanidae
Blue-throated Anole, Chameleon Anolis conspersus conspersus GC Endemic species  
Blue-throated Anole, Chameleon Anolis conspersus lewisi GC Endemic species  
LC Green Anole Anolis maynardi LC (introduced to CB) Endemic species  
Cuban Brown Anole, Bush Lizard Anolis sagrei sagrei CB, LC (introduced to GC) Indigenous Cuba, Bahamas, Jamaica, coastal Central America
Brown Anole Anolis sagrei luteosignifer CB Indigenous Cuba, Bahamas, Jamaica, coastal Central America
GC Blue Iguana Cyclura nubile lewisi GC Endemic species  
Lesser CI Iguana, Rock Iguana Cyclura nubila caymanensis CB, LC Indigenous Cuba
Curly-tailed Lizard, Lion Lizard Leiocephalus carinatus varius GC Indigenous Bahamas, Cuba
Curly-tailed Lizard, Lion Lizard Leiocephalus carinatus granti CB, LC Indigenous Bahamas, Cuba
Galliwasps
Family: Anguidae
Galliwasp Celestus crusculus maculates CB, LC Indigenous Jamaica
Geckos
Family: Gekkonidae
Wood Slave Aristelliger praesignis praesignis GC, CB, LC Indigenous Jamaica
Ground Gecko, Wood Lizard Sphaerodactylus argivus argivus GC, CB, LC Endemic species  
Ground Gecko, Wood Lizard Sphaerodactylus argivus lewisi GC Endemic species  
Ground Gecko, Wood Lizard Sphaerodactylus argivus bartschi LC Endemic species  
Snakes
Family: Colubridae
Racer, Ground Snake, Black Snake Alsophis cantherigerus caymanus GC Indigenous Cuba
Racer, Ground Snake, Black Snake Alsophis cantherigerus fuscicauda CB Indigenous Cuba
Racer, Ground Snake, Black Snake Alsophis cantherigerus ruttyi LC Indigenous Cuba
Water Snake Tretanorhinus variabilis lewisi GC Indigenous Cuba
Family: Tropidophiidae
Ground Boa, Lazy Snake Tropidophis caymanensis caymanensis GC Endemic species  
Ground Boa, Lazy Snake Tropidophis caymanensis parkeri LC Endemic species  
Ground Boa, Lazy Snake Tropidophis caymanensis schwartzi CB Endemic species  
Family: Typhlopidae
Blind snake Typhlops caymanensis GC Endemic species  
Blind Snake Typhlops epactia CB Endemic species  

Exotic (non-native) Species
Recently Introduced

 Country of Origin
Eastern Narrowmouth Toad Gastrophryne carolinensis GC Introduced (well established) S.E. USA
Cane Toad Bufo marinus GC Introduced South America
Green Iguana Iguana iguana GC Introduced Central America
Tropical House Gecko Hemidactylus mabouia GC, CB, LC Introduced S.America/Africa
Eastern Glass Lizard Ophisaurus ventralis GC Introduced Florida
Corn Snake Elaphae guttata GC Introduced Florida
Brahminy Blind Snake, Flowerpot Snake Ramphotyphlops braminus GC Introduced Pacific Asia
Red-eared Slider, Red-eared Turtle Trachemys scripta GC Introduced Southeastern United States
Yellow-headed Gecko Gonatodes albogularis GC Introduced Central America
 
   
   
 

Sea Turtles in the Cayman Islands
Grand Cayman (GC) Cayman Brac (CB) Little Cayman (LC)

 

 Status Species also indigenous to:
Sea Turtles
Family Cheloniidae
Loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta GC, CB, LC Adult nesting Temperate, sub-tropical and tropical
Green turtle Chelonia mydas GC, CB, LC Adult nesting; juvenile foraging Sub-tropical and tropical
Hawksbill turtle Eretmochelys imbricata GC, CB, LC Adult nesting extirpated; juvenile foraging Sub-tropical and tropical
 
....go to Sea Turtles and Beach Vegetation page - click < here >
   
  Make your outdoor lighting Sea turtle-friendly. To learn more, type "Light Pollution" into a search engine or visit www.starrynightlights.com
   
 
 

To download a print-friendly version of the Amphibians and Reptiles information,
please click < here >

The above file will download in Microsoft WORD format

   
  Here is a link to Caribherp - a listing of West Indian reptiles and amphibians. Lists include Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, Puerto Rican Bank, Lesser Antilles, Bahamas and the Cayman Islands.
   
 

Bats
 
Click the DOWNLOAD button below for a FREE download of "Cayman Islands Bat Conservation Success Story" - about 15 MB PowerPoint presentation (will take a couple minutes download time with Broadband - more time if dial-up).
 
 

If you downloaded an earlier version from "YouSendIt" We recommend that you replace the first one with this updated and improved version.

This fully-captioned and annotated educational tool features beautiful photos and details the Cayman Islands Bat Conservation Program, including exclusion techniques and photos of Cayman's unique bat house design. Each slide also has background notes for the presenter that can be printed and used as a script. The repetition of certain slides is to "bookend" the groups - we see the four Cayman Islands fruit, nectar and pollen bats as a group, then each one separately with their info, then all four together again - as a wrap up. The same format was used for the Cayman Islands insectivorous bats - just to help clarify who's who - especially for students.

We do this presentation for adult groups as well as students and modify comments depending on the group. We recommend to students that they not take notes because the photos are going by very quickly and they should relax, watch and listen. Details and specifics are available on this website so students can access them later. There are also links below to printable handouts for the presentation that could be modified for other regions. Move through the slides quickly and keep talking. A fast pace and lots of great photos hold the audience's attention - especially for a subject they are not expecting to be interested in!

The photos are copyrighted and belong to the photographers, but permission has been given to use them for non-commercial educational purposes. Other than the initial overview showing world bat diversity, we only picture those Caribbean indigenous and endemic bat species that are found in the Cayman Islands. We recommend that you visit www.batcon.org and view the BCI Photo Gallery for more amazing photos of bats from the Caribbean and all over the world.
   
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT CAYMAN ISLANDS BATS

Bats are extremely vulnerable to extinction because they bear only one young per year and because they often live in large colonies that can easily be wiped out by one misguided or uninformed person.

Most people do not realize how important bats are to a balanced ecology. They control night-flying insects including many kinds of crop and garden pests as well as mosquitoes. They also pollinate hundreds of native plants such as the agave, silk cotton, naseberry, vine pear, neem, cactus, calabash and many others. Bats also disburse seeds throughout the islands, helping to keep our forests healthy and diverse.

There are nine species of bats in the Cayman Islands, our ONLY native mammals. Each of these specializes in a different type of food and each has a different role in the ecosystem. All of our subspecies are endemic to the Caribbean with one endemic to Grand Cayman

One of the most common species is often found in roof spaces where the droppings can eventually cause odor problems. With the generous cooperation of Caribbean Utilities Co., Ltd (CUC) the Bat Conservation Project has erected over 70 bat houses on utility poles all over Grand Cayman. (Cayman Brac has little need for bat houses because there are so many crevices in the Bluff.) These bat houses provide alternative habitat and help to keep bats from moving into human structures. The Cayman Islands is one of only two places in the world to attract Velvety Free-Tailed Bats to bat houses and our program is the most successful in the entire Caribbean. Bat houses are still experimental in the tropics and the Bat Conservation Project is trying several new designs. They provide free property inspections and advice about how to remove bats safely and permanently from roof spaces.

There are no Vampire Bats in the Cayman Islands. While some Caribbean islands do have a bat known as a “Vampire” this tiny creature is mainly a pest to cattle ranchers and is not a threat to humans.

Bats are the only mammals that can fly. Bats can live up to 30 years. They evolved 60,000,000 years ago and have lived in the Cayman Islands for 25,000 years

Only two of our nine species eat fruit, but fruit bats also eat pollen and nectar and are of great benefit because they pollinate fruit trees. Twenty-five percent of a fruit bat’s diet is made up of insects found on or around fruit trees. These bats also eat overripe fruits missed by pickers and wild fruits that would otherwise rot and provide breeding grounds for fungus, fruit flies and other pests. In places where fruit bat populations have been eliminated, fruit losses actually increased, sometimes to the point where the farming of soft-skinned fruits had to be abandoned. Fruit bats are too large to use bat houses, which are designed for insect-eating species. The Cayman Islands Bat Conservation Project has information to help farmers protect their fruits from damage by bats.

Caves provide crucial habitat for bats. Cave visitors should be calm and quiet and never shine flashlights or camera strobes on sleeping bats. Never enter caves inhabited by bats during the spring or early summer months when newborn baby bats are present. Disturbance during this time can cause the mother bats to abandon the roost, leaving flightless babies to die as a result.

Though the Cayman Islands have nine species of bats, we have ten different kinds. The Brown Bat is present in two separate subspecies. Based upon its smaller size and darker colored fur, the Grand Cayman Brown Bat is considered to be an endemic sub-species not yet named.

Many Thanks to Courtney Platt and Merlin Tuttle for these copyrighted bat portraits.  

CAYMAN ISLAND'S BATS:

Velvety
Free-Tailed Bat
         
Common Name
Classification
Diet
Status
Distribution
Family: Phyllostomidae        
Subfamily: Phyllostomatinae        
Big-eared Bat Macrotus waterhousii minor Insectivore Rare Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Cuba
Subfamily: Stenoderminae        
Caribbean Fruit Bat Artibeus jamaicensis parvipes Frugivore Common Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Turks & Caicos
White-shouldered Bat Phyllops falcatus Frugivore Very Rare Cayman Brac, Cuba, Grand Cayman, Haiti
Subfamily: Phyllonycterinae        
Buffy Flower Bat Erophylla sezekorni syops Pollen-eater Very Rare Cayman Brac, Grand Cayman, Jamaica
Antillean Fruit & Nectar Bat Brachyphylla nana nana Frugivore Rare Cuba (Isle of Pines), Grand Cayman
Family: Vespertilionidae        
Big Brown Bat Eptescus fuscus dutertreus Insectivore Rare Cayman Brac, Cuba
Brown Bat Eptescus fuscus spp. nova Insectivore Very Rare Grand Cayman
Red Bat Lasiurius spp unconfirmed Insectivore Very Rare Unconfirmed
Family: Mollossida        
Brazilian Free-tailed Bat Tadarida brasiliensis muscala Insectivore Rare Cuba, Grand Cayman
Velvety Free-tailed Bat Molossus molossus tropidorhynchus Insectivore Common Cayman Brac, Cuba, Grand Cayman

Please CONTACT US or phone 947-2248 for more information on Cayman Islands Bats. You may also visit the National Trust to ask for information sheets “Bats in the Roof Space – What to Do”,  “Why Put Up a Bat House”, How and Where to Mount Your Bat House”, “Plans for Mounting a Double Bat House on a Utility Pole”,  “Fruit Bats – The Real Story” – these, children's educational materials, and more are available free from the CI Bat Conservation Project or through the National Trust for the Cayman Islands. Some of this information can be found at www.nationaltrust.org.ky/info/bats.html  Information about bats worldwide can be found at www.batcon.org, www.batconservation.org.

Please check out this other valuable information we have on Cayman Islands Bats:

Some of the above files will download in Microsoft WORD or a web page format
the others will download in Adobe Acrobat Reader (PDF) format.

If you find an injured or young bat and need expert help:

In the Cayman Islands, phone:

  • The Bat Conservation Programme at 947-2248
  • The Wildlife Rescue Centre at 917-BIRD or 917-2473
  • Island Veterinary Services at 949-0787.  

For help outside the Cayman Islands and the Caribbean, please contact Amanda Lollar, Director of Bat World at:

Web Site: BatWorld.org

E-mail: sanctuary@batworld.org

Phone/Fax: Phone: 940-325-3404

Mailing address:
Bat World Sanctuary
217 N. Oak Ave.
Mineral Wells, TX 76067

Remember, never touch a bat with your bare hands - if you do it is required in the United States that the bat be destroyed.

To join & subscribe to the Caribbean Bats e-group send email to:

This group connects over fifty members from all over the Caribbean. Messages are infrequent, but this is an important forum for announcements about upcoming Caribbean bat workshops and events, and the archive is available to new members so that they may review information that has been contributed in the past.

To discuss the technical aspects of building and erecting bat houses join & subscribe to Bat House Journal by sending email to:
         

Birds
  Visit the Cayman Biodiversity Virtual Bird Gallery
   
 

Patricia Bradley, ornithologist and author of Birds of the Cayman Islands has provided Cayman Wildlife Connection with this list of endemic Cayman Islands birds. (These birds are found nowhere else in the world.) Please visit www.naturecayman.com, your guide to the ecology of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman.

Look for the indispensable Birds of the Cayman Islands at bookstores and other venues throughout the islands.

The endemic races of landbirds found on Grand Cayman (GC), Little Cayman (LC) and Cayman Brac (CB)
Grand Cayman Thrush Turdus ravidus recent on GC Extinct
Caribbean Dove Leptotila jamaicansis collaris GC  
Cayman Parrot Amazona leucocephala caymanensis GC  
hesterna CB  
W. Indian Woodpecker Melanerpes superciliaris caymanensis GC  
Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus gundlachi GC  
Caribbean Elaenia Elaenia martinica caymanensis GC, LC, CB  
Loggerhead Kingbird Tyrannus caudifasciatus caymanensis GC, CB  
Red-legged Thrush Turdus plumbeus coryi CB  
Thick-billed Vireo Vireo crassirostris alleni GC, CB  
Yucatan Vireo Vireo magister caymanensis GC  
Bananaquit Coereba flaveola sharpei GC, LC, CB  
Vitelline Warbler Dendroica vitellina vitellina GC  
crawfordi LC, CB  
Western Spindalis (previously Stripe-headed Tanager) Spindalis zena salvini GC  
Bullfinch Melopyrrha nigra taylori GC  
Greater Antillean Grackle Quiscalus niger caymanensis GC  
bangsi LC  
 
 
 

Download the free booklet "Caring for Your Pet Parrot"

Download a free copy of our poster for schools about rescuing fledglings: "I'm Learning to Fly"
 

Crabs
 

Soldier Crab

 
(under development)
 

See our article in the Press Section titled:

Are Soldier Crab Homes Collecting Dust in Your Home?

 

Land Crab

 
(under development)
   
   

Sharing your Garden with Wildlife

A little tolerance and sharing is all that is needed for Cayman Islands wildlife to have a place in our gardens. As more and more land is cleared for development, people and animals can learn to share habitat, to the benefit of both!

SAVE THE CATERPILLARS!

Rule number one is „Don‚t kill the caterpillars!‰ You won‚t have butterflies if you do! A little leaf munching won‚t harm most plants and our butterflies are specifically adapted to eat only certain families of plants. A few caterpillars here and there in the garden do not mean an infestation! A little give and take goes a long way and as you learn to appreciate all our colorful butterflies, a chewed leaf will come to be a good sign and cause for pleasant anticipation of more butterflies!

WHAT IS A WEED?

Before you remove a weed ask, "What is this plant" and research it! Often you are pulling valuable "volunteer" plants that should be encouraged in your garden. Work with hand clippers, not weed-whackers and be selective when you pull "weeds."

NEW HOME CONSTRUCTION

If you are building a new home, DO NOT clear the land with a bulldozer. Try to retain as much native vegetation as possible during construction and work to enhance it gradually with a few colorful imported plants and selective culling.

WATER FOR LIFE!

Simple things like a birdbath can be a help to wildlife, especially during the dry season.

BAT HOUSES IN YOUR GARDEN

Install a bat house. For information and a free inspection of your property to find the best location, please CONTACT US.

REMEMBER THE BIRD NESTING SEASON WHEN YOU PRUNE

If you must prune or remove trees, check the branches for bird nests first. January and February are the only months when no species of Cayman Island birds are nesting. If the work cannot wait, the nests can be removed to another tree nearby. If the nest is too flimsy to move, it can be placed into an old basket and secured firmly in a tree. The Humane Society often has old baskets in their thrift shop. The parent birds will find it. Call the Wildlife Center for help if you need it. (947-4677, 917-7675, 925-5190 or 916-6784)

PROTECT FLEDGLING BIRDS

If you find a bird on the ground, especially during April, May and June, it is probably a fledgling and does NOT need to be rescued. If there are no apparent injuries, leave it alone. Young birds must spend a few days fluttering on the ground while learning to fly. Their parents care for them during this process. Secure your dogs and cats during this time.

RESCUE INJURED WILDLIFE

If you find an injured bird or any other wildlife that needs veterinary care, please call 949-0787. The Wildlife Center will cover the costs of veterinary treatment for wildlife and has volunteers to help with follow-up care.

PLANT THE TREES THAT BIRDS NEED MOST

Plant or retain trees that provide food or nesting spots for birds. Tamarind trees are naturalized, (but not native) and birds like to nest in their thick spiky branches. Chinaberry trees grow very fast, have lovely lilac-scented blooms and Cayman Islands Parrots love to eat the berries. Ficus or Fig trees are very important for birds and other wildlife because they fruit at random times year-round, providing a constant food source. (More complete list of "bird-friendly trees" to be posted here soon.)

PRACTICE TOLERANCE

Holes that crabs dig in the lawn can be annoying but some people think these brightly colored animals are as beautiful as the flowers! Use pavers on your pathways to avoid stepping in their holes and allow them to share your seaside home. Crabs will actually clean your lawn, removing dead insects, dog droppings and even capturing and eating cockroaches!

DON'T "OVER-GROOM" YOUR GARDEN

Allow some leaf litter to accumulate under your Sea Grape trees if you live along the coast. This is important habitat for Soldier Crabs (also called Hermit Crabs). These fascinating crabs also need to find shells to live in. With the over-harvesting of Whelks, tourists picking up shells on the beaches and fishermen breaking the shells to use the crabs for bait, there is a severe housing shortage! Soldier Crabs have been seen recently in coffee scoops, broken bottle necks and other debris because they can‚t find enough whelk shells on our beaches. If you have any of these black & white shells collecting dust in your home, toss them out onto a wild beach with plenty of leaf litter for the crabs to find!

LEARN THE LOCAL GEOLOGIC FEATURES

Learn about Cayman‚s Karst landscape and its fascinating formations ˆ retain them where possible, don‚t bury them. They provide protection for wildlife, storm surge protection for you, and allow rain to enter the ground water. Karst formations are a very dramatic feature in landscape design.

WE CAN'T ALL BE BEAUTIFUL!

FROGS: Frogs are completely harmless. Never kill frogs in your garden.

SNAKES: The Cayman Islands have no poisonous snakes. Our most common snake eats small animals and helps to control rodents. There is never any reason to kill a native snake in the Cayman Islands!

KEEP PETS UNDER CONTROL

Cayman Islands animals evolved with no major land predators and are not suited to defending themselves from dogs, cats or rats. These introduced hunters greatly impact Blue Iguanas, birds and other wildlife here.

DOGS

Keep your dog under control at all times, DO NOT allow it to roam freely. For the dog's safety as well as protecting wild animals. Roaming dogs destroy ground nests along our wetlands, eating eggs and killing young herons, egrets, stilts, coots and ducks.

CATS

Cats should never be allowed outside unsupervised. Even a well-fed cat enjoys a hunt and will kill significant numbers of island lizards and fledgling birds.

PET SHOP EXOTICS

Do not release imported pets like Green Iguanas, Red-eared Slider Turtles, Parakeets, Parrots or other non-native animals into the wild. These animals complete with our unique island species for food and habitat.
   
 

Wildlife Rescue & Rehab Center
 
If you find an injured or at-risk wild animal call:
Wildlife Rescue Center Hot Line at 917-BIRD or 917-2473.
  A wildlife rescue volunteer is always available at this number (including evenings, weekends and holidays) to advise and help you if you find a wild animal in trouble. Please do not call after 9 p.m. or before 9 a.m. except for serious emergencies.
   
  Thanks to Cable & Wireless CI Ltd for the donation of this free telephone hot line.
 
 
   
 

Please download this poster, print it and post it in public places. It is a cartoon style poster of a baby bird fledgling.

Please click < here > to download the file
This file is in Microsoft Word format

Here is a pamphlet that you can print out about the Wildlife Rehab Center:

Please click < here > to download the file
This file is in Microsoft Word format

Information on Wildlife Center and Fund Policy & Guidelines (printed in 2002)

Please click < here > to download the file
This file is in Microsoft Word format

More Info on Wildlife Rescue and/or the Rehab Center:

The above four files can also be accessed from our Press page.

 


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