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 917-BIRD (917-2473). 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.

Tansy Maki displaying a poster she made to take to the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council Workshop. The painting of the owl was donated to their fund-raising auction. We are in close touch with organizations like this, and rely on them to assist with protocols (like the threat of Bird Flu) and for both general and specific advice as our fledgling organization grows.
Photo by Lois Blumenthal

The Blue Iguana Recovery Program is a separate, but often overlapping endeavor. To learn more about BIRP and to find out how to volunteer to help, visit www.blueiguana.ky or www.nationaltrust.org.ky
Photo by David Blumenthal

Improved nutrition was the key to successful captive breeding. Photo by Courtney Platt

Baby Blue Iguanas eat flowers, so their cage is always beautiful! For more on this very successful National Trust Program visit www.blueiguana.ky or www.nationaltrust.org.ky
Photo by Lois Blumenthal

The Cayman Islands Department of Environment monitors the wild sea turtle populations. Volunteers walk Cayman Islands beaches during the summer months so they can protect sea turtle nests and hatchlings. To volunteer contact the Cayman Islands Department of Environment Sea Turtle Project by email at DOE@gov.ky
Photo by Janice Blumenthal

A rare event. This newborn manatee was found floating alone near Grand Cayman. The Cayman Islands Department of Environment and volunteers fed and cared for this baby –named 4B after the four men who found him (all with names starting with the letter “B”.) He was air-lifted to the Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa, Florida where he is growing and thriving.
Photo by Lois Blumenthal

This Velvety Free-Tailed Bat was rescued after being trapped inside a bathroom, after being treated for dehydration it was then released later that evening. If you find bats inside your home or in your roof please contact 917-BIRD (2473) to arrange a bat exclusion.

Several rehabbed West Indian Whistling Ducks Found a new and safe home on the property of Handel Whittaker. This species was almost extirpated in the Cayman Islands due to hunting and Hurricane Ivan. They are now thriving in Cayman as many people are feeding them and a ban on hunting is enforced. Cayman Wildlife Rescue stresses the importance of never feeding wildlife roadside or in high traffic areas.

This Green Heron was rehabbed by CWR volunteer Virginia Gibbs, after a lengthy time on rehab it was finally ready for release.

Great Egrets are winter migrants and unfortunately fall victim to the increased island traffic. This Egret was rescued roadside and after fluid therapy and regaining its strength a release was possible after only a few short days in care.

Cats are deadly to wildlife, luckily this Ground Dove managed to survive a cat attack. However due to his injuries "Peeps" was not releasable. He was placed at Boatswains Beach in their spacious aviary and is doing very well and fathered young recently.

This young Agouti, also known as a Cayman Rabbit, was found with some trauma and after a course of antibiotics and care it was released. Agoutis are not native to the Cayman Islands, but have been here for quite a long time and are regarded as having minimal impact on native wildlife.

Often when people trim their trees, nests are brought down. Nests and nestlings can be restored to the tree. In this case, the nest was badly damaged and a new nest was constructed using a basket. For more information please see our Helping Baby Birds page. Remember: Birds have little sense of smell, so there is no truth that handling the young will cause abandonment. Birds are in fact wonderful parents, these parents returned after being separated from their young for 36 hours.

MAGNIFICANT FRIGATE BIRD – Fregata magnificens – also called “Man o’ War” – This bird fell from the night sky into a back yard full of dogs. The owner rescued the bird which appeared to be uninjured. Possibly the colony was disturbed while roosting and flew upwards in panic. Two birds might have collided causing this one to lose balance and fall.
Photo by Joanne Ross

Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary (www.seabirdsanctuary.org) in Tampa Bay, Florida advised that Frigate Birds did not survive well in captivity and that since no injuries were apparent we should attempt a release ASAP from a high beach ridge where recapture would be possible if the bird could not fly. Top volunteer, Joanne Ross handled the release.
Photo by David Blumenthal

Success! – Frieda soared away to cheers and applause. Photo by David Blumenthal

LESSER SCAUP Aythya affinis – brought to veterinarian’s office by a member of the public. No apparent injuries.
Photo by Lois Blumenthal www.caymanwildlife.org

Local bird enthusiast and co-founder of the Cayman Islands Bird Club, Ms. Mars VanLiefde was consulted. She pointed out that Scaups were divers and needed a pond at least six feet deep. Most Cayman Islands freshwater ponds are quite shallow but she remembered one on a back road near Spotts.
Photo by Lois Blumenthal www.caymanwildlife.org

Successful Release! Photo by Lois Blumenthal www.caymanwildlife.org

PEREGRINE FALCON Falco peregrinus – Found under electrical wires on Seven Mile Beach with broken wing. While diving for prey at extremely high speeds these birds will sometimes hit wires, causing severe injuries. Photo by Courtney Platt www.courtneyplatt.com

These birds can be very dangerous, but volunteer extraordinaire, Joanne Ross was able to capture it without incident.
Photo by Courtney Platt www.courtneyplatt.com

After failed attempts to set the wing, and with the sad realization that this bird would never fly again and would face a frightened lonely life in a cage it was reluctantly euthanized. The Cayman Islands have no dedicated facility for the permanent captivity of large birds in a natural setting. Transfer to bird sanctuaries in other countries is extremely problematic due to international regulations and attempts to pursue that option failed. It’s mate was seen flying in the area for many weeks but eventually continued its migration alone.
Photo by Courtney Platt www.courtneyplatt.com

BROWN PELICAN Pelecanus occidentalis – These large seabirds are often in rehab in Cayman for various injuries. Sometimes hooks are caught in the beaks, some have been deliberately assaulted by fishermen for “stealing” while fish are being cleaned in GeorgeTown, some are weak and lice-infested or have infections. All respond very well to treatment and so far they have all been successfully released back to the wild. They do not breed here but appear usually in the winter months as young adults, recently “pushed out” by their mothers on other islands.
Photo by Teresa Strad

GeorgeTown, Grand Cayman fishermen watch as Lois Blumenthal releases a Brown Pelican that recovered from a head injury. These fishermen enjoy pelicans and often feed them scraps of fish, but there can be problems when the birds become too comfortable around people. Not all fishermen have such a friendly attitude. There have also been problems when the pelicans are fed sharp fish bones, unprotected by the flesh of the fish.
Photo by Satu Troyer

Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus - Photo by Joanne Ross

BARN OWL Tyto alba also called Screech owl – Very wobbly and sick – possibly poisoned from eating rats & mice with rodenticide in their systems. This owl died.
Photo by Maggie Ward

Another Barn Owl Tyto alba – This one was rescued when it fell from an inadequately secure nest after two siblings had fallen and died. It was fed rats caught in live traps and eventually released.
Photo by Courtney Platt www.courtneyplatt.com

Hurricane Ivan severely damaged homes in Cayman and destroyed wildlife habitat as well. Barn Owls find nesting roosts in places like this.
Photo by Lois Blumenthal www.caymanwildlife.org

Barn Owls also nested in this bank. Here, Patricia Bradley is lifted up to check the growth of the chicks. When they fledged, the owls were chased away and building repaired.
Photo by Lois Blumenthal www.caymanwildlife.org

White-tailed Tropic Bird Phaethon lepturus – also called Boatswain bird. – It was rescued by a member of the public and brought to us after it fell from nest on the Bluff on Cayman Brac.
Photo by Joanne Ross

Tropic Bird being fed small fish with chopsticks which more closely resemble a mother Tropic Bird beak than do human fingers.
Photo by Joanne Ross

Also called Boatswain bird, this Tropic Bird escaped on Grand Cayman just before it could be returned to the Brac for release. We hope it found its way to the rest of the colony. Now, orphaned and injured birds on Cayman Brac are cared for by local artist "Foots". Contact him at (345) 925-0904.
Photo by Joanne Ross.

Red-footed Boobies Sula sula From Little Cayman. Photo by Lois Blumenthal www.caymanwildlife.org

Lovingly cared for by volunteer Theresa Strad. Photo by Lois Blumenthal www.caymanwildlife.org

Red-footed Boobies Sula sula Heading home to Little Cayman. One did well and was successfully released back into the colony, the other had more damage to it’s wing, could not regain the coordination to fly and had to be euthanized.
Photo by Lois Blumenthal www.caymanwildlife.org

Red-footed Booby Sula sula in the wild on Little Cayman – While exploring the “bush” in Little Cayman looking for seeds for a native plant growing project, we accidentally found ourselves in the Booby nesting area. We were most unwelcome and left immediately – very sorry to have disturbed them.
Photo by Lois Blumenthal

Brown Boobies Sula leucogaster colony on the bluffs of Cayman Brac – Photo by Tansy Maki - Tansymaki@gmail.com

Cayman Parrots are frequently in need of help. They are hit by cars, have foot and leg injuries from attempted captures, and are turned in by owners who no longer want them. They are shot and killed by farmers. Chicks in the nests are poached – sometimes by cutting down the entire tree, thus destroying the nesting site forever. Hurricane Ivan and the deliberate shootings have reduced their numbers critically. They are being seen now in the western part of Grand Cayman, around suburban neighborhoods and away from the farms but there are few nesting sites in these areas. Cayman Wildlife Rescue coordinates an enhancement program for eight Cayman Parrots in an aviary in Savannah – which may be the beginning of a captive breeding program if this beautiful bird is not to go extinct. Hundreds of back gardens in the Cayman Islands have cages holding captive Cayman Parrots. Most of these parrots are alone and rarely even see people. Cayman Parrots are extremely sociable – in the wild they are always in couples and family groups. This isolated existence is torture for a parrot and Cayman Wildlife has published a booklet (downloadable on this site) to try to improve conditions for them.
Photo by Courtney Platt – www.courtneyplatt.com

This parrot was found in the wild and thought to be a mixture of a Cayman Parrot and possibly the Cuban parrot of a close sub-species. As we do not release hybrids or non-native species into the wild, it was placed in a good home as a pet allowed to go to the US with its new owners.
Photo by Joanne Ross

Putting up Department of Environment test models for parrot nesting boxes. Other models made of wood are being tested by CWR as well.
Photo by Lois Blumenthal

Baby bat pups that fell from a roof space onto a deck on Cayman Brac. Photo by Tansy Maki - Tansymaki@gmail.com

Bat pups were fed using eye-shadow sponges saturated with formula. – They were to be returned to the colony when they were old enough to fly, but were kept “as pets” until the family cat got them. This highlights the need for more and ever more education of the public. Wild animals belong in the wild – even if we think they are cute! Photo by Tansy Maki - Tansymaki@gmail.com

Velvety Free-tailed Bat – Molossus molossus – being fed “glop”. These little bats live in roof spaces and bat houses and are frequently found by people when they are ill or injured. Most can be easily rehabbed and returned to the wild. They are insect-eating, so there “glop” must be very high protein.

Another insectivore enjoys the “glop” – this Red Bat – Lasiurius ssp unknown was found on a wall at the prison. It was uninjured and only sleeping there. Because it had been in a prisoner’s hat for some indeterminate amount of time before we were called, it was fed before release that evening.
Photo by Anne Louise Band

A fruit bat – It’s important to know what species an animal is before attempting to feed it. Each species has very special needs. We consult often with wildlife rescue experts around the world.
Photo from Denise Tomlinson

Thank you to the wildlife photographers who have donated their work. Annie Band, Denise Bodden, Lisa Bortolotto, David Blumenthal, Janice Blumenthal, Lois Blumenthal, Pedrin Lopez, Courtney Platt, Tansy Maki, Carla Reid, Sonny Rivers, Joanne Ross, Dorothea Schwab, Colin Sherrit, Ann Stafford, Teresa Strad, Tricia Sybersma, Denise Tomlinson, Satu Troyer, Maggie Ward, and Ross Wrangham. All copyrights remain with the photographers.

Don't be a birdnapper! Watch the bird first.

• Is the bird hurt? Call 917-BIRD (2473) for free pick-up & veterinary care.
• If the bird is NOT hurt, but cannot fly, look to see if it's fuzzy or feathered.
• If the bird has feathers and is hopping on the ground it is a FLEDGLING. This is a baby bird learning to fly. The parents feed it on the ground.
• Is it in a safe place? If not, move it to shade, away from roads, cats & dogs.

Watch! If the parents do not come within 2 hrs, call 917-BIRD.

• If the bird is fuzzy it is a NESTLING. It belongs in a nest. Look around to see if you can find the nest. Put the bird back into the nest.

Watch! Parent Birds will return to care for it. If they don't – call 917-BIRD.

• If there is no nest you can make one from a basket or plastic box. Put a few drainage holes in the bottom. Line it with pine needles, dried leaves and parts of the old nest if you have it. Firmly attach it to the tree where the nestling fell. Put the nestling in the new nest. Watch! for the baby bird's parents to return, if they do not come back in 2 hrs call 917-BIRD.

DO NOT GIVE THE BABY BIRD FOOD OR FLUIDS.

NEVER ATTEMPT TO CARE FOR A WILD ANIMAL YOURSELF ALWAYS CALL 917-BIRD OR THE NATIONAL TRUST.

DON'T TRIM TREES WITH NESTS IN THEM

KEEP DOGS AND CATS AWAY FROM BABY BIRDS Wildlife Rescue Hotline: 917-BIRD (2473) caymanwildliferescue@gmail.com www.caymanwildliferescue.org

Permission is granted to copy and adapt materials for conservation-related educational purposes with credit given to Cayman Wildlife Connection and the National Trust for the Cayman Islands.

How to Use This Book

Pages in this Study Guide are designed for easy photocopying for classroom use. We include a curriculum key applicable to the Cayman Islands School Curriculum, but adaptable for other systems. The information is presented in several ways and can be adapted to grades 1 through 12.

These materials can be used in the study of migration, mammals, plants (symbiosis), anatomy, fossils, ecology, the environment and endangered species Ð in sociology and psychology when discussing fears and phobias Ð in health studies (rabies, histoplasmosis) Ð in reading, vocabulary, composition, art and a variety of other applications listed in the curriculum guide including Life Skills classes,(Bats in the roof space are a reality in many countries and everyone needs to know how to handle the problem safely, humanely and responsibly.)

You will find a Key Facts page that highlights the most important points in the text, followed by General Information for teachers and older students.

The General Information pages can be photocopied and handed out to the class or read aloud, or the teacher may wish to summarize the material orally. Bold letters in the text indicate that a word can be found in the Vocabulary List.

The Vocabulary Lists are extensive and a bit difficult. Many words could be the subject of further investigation. It is suggested that they be taught through discussion and the Vocabulary Work Sheet rather than memorized. Students could be asked to write short essays using five selected words correctly. Several students could work together on an essay, discussing word use, so they learn from each other.

There are Suggested Activities for various levels of ability, resources, further reading, and web site suggestions, and a selection of materials for the Bulletin Board.

Several levels of Quizzes with Answer Keys are provided.

Teachers may select the materials that they feel best suit the interests and abilities of their particular classes. Students can collect the materials distributed to them into folders and add their own creative writing and artwork. These booklets can be kept and shared with their families.

The Press Releases appended are intended as samples that can be adapted for the use in other bat conservation efforts.

- - Bat house Locations on GoogleEarth - -

The following LINK is a file built from GoggleEarth that will let you see the data as well as the location of the bat houses on the Grand Cayman Island. To view this file you MUST have a copy of the program GoogleEarth on you computer.

This map includes the 2010 data points and counts.

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:

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:

• Cayman Bat ID Brochure (PDF format)
• Bat-proofing Your Building - bi-fold (PDF format)
• What To Do About Bats in the Roof (PDF format)
• Building & Installing a Bat Exclusion Device - (PDF format)
• Why Put Up a Bat House (PDF format)
• Plans for Cayman Islands’ style double bat house
• How And Where To Mount Your Bat House (PDF format)
• How Bats Share the Bounty (teacher resource)
• Billy's Big Adventure - a kids story (PDF format)
• Kids! Buy a Bat House for Billy and His Friends! (PDF format)
• Fruit Bats, The Real Story (PDF format)
• Who Needs Bats - a brochure (PDF format)
• Article from BATS Magazine (also accessed for our Press page)

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

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

• Caribbean-bats-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

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:

• BatHouseJournal-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

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

The file will download in Microsoft WORD format

Reptiles

Soldier Crab

See our article in the Press Section titled:

Are Soldier Crab Homes Collecting Dust in Your Home?

Land Crab

Land Crabs: There are a variety of species, but detailed studies are scarce. "Ghost Crabs" are whitish and translucent and can be found on beaches living in the sand. After storms, "Hurricane" crabs are seen by the thousands, and different species of Land Crabs live mostly behind beach ridges and make their way to the sea to spawn.

Land Crabs will clean your garden, removing dead insects and dog droppings and even capturing and eating cockroaches!

They need to keep their gills wet so they excavate a burrow down to the water table. They toss up anything in their way as they tunnel, including bits of antique pottery shards. Maybe Blackbeard's treasure will finally be found when a Land Crab tosses up a gold doubloon! This tunneling can be viewed as a nuisance by those who value a smooth green lawn - an uphill battle anyway next to the sea! Look into landscaping designs that incorporate pathways and natural vegetation to reduce your workload. Some people think these interesting, brightly-colored, small native animals are as beautiful as the flowers! Use pavers on your pathways to avoid stepping in their holes and allow Land Crabs to share your seaside home. Land Crabs will munch planted vegetables and many a gardener has been surprised to find newly sprouted vegetables eaten down to nubs overnight. Solve this problem with elevated beds and flower pots. Out-smart and Out-think them. Because Land Crabs live close to the sea, resorting to poisons damages the reef and may harm birds that depend upon them for food like the Cayman "Crab-catcher" (Yellow-crowned Night Heron). The Biogeography of the Cayman Islands suggests that crabs may fill the ecological niche of rabbits and mice - living in burrows and eating vegetation. These crabs must go to the sea to spawn and are often crushed by cars as they cross roads. There have been discussions for many years about how to avoid this problem, but sadly Land Crabs still have to run this gauntlet every year to spawn and it is obvious to local people, (who enjoy harvesting the feast) that the numbers have gone steadily down in recent years.