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Most Virgin Islands enthusiast whether residents or visitors can name at least a few animals that are commonly found in the islands. Perhaps mongoose, lizards, deer might come to mind; definitely the iguana does for most people. But what about owls, bats or tree boas- yes snakes; would they come to mind? Probably not and perhaps the reason is that these animals are all endangered or threatened. Let’s learn more about some of the endangered animals of the Virgin Islands.
Turtles:
The green turtle, leatherback turtle and hawksbill turtle are all
sea turtles that were once very common to coastal waters, coral
reefs and sea grass beds around the USVI.
All
three species nest on sandy beaches, some of which are protected
in the USVI in order to prevent further harm to the turtle
population.
Leatherback turtles have been around for a long time, over 150 million years to be more exact. They outlived the dinosaurs and are considered the longest living marine species! But today the world’s largest turtle the leatherback which can weigh over 1000 pounds and reach lengths of nine feet is on the brink of extinction.
Turtles have become endangered because of egg collection and meat
harvest by humans; nesting beaches being developed, coral reefs
being destroyed and pollutants in the ocean like
plastic
are ingested by turtles causing their death. Efforts in the
Virgin Islands to protect these animals include laws making egg
collection and meat harvest of turtles illegal.
Virgin Islands Tree Boa:
The small Virgin Islands Boa has a distinct mottled pattern,
light grey-brown with dark brown markings and a cream colored
belly with dark markings. They are known to live in steep coastal
forest among dry rocky soil. They eat small lizards and more
infrequently small mammals and birds. The tree boa is almost
never seen in the Virgin Islands, it has become endangered due to
large-scale habitat destruction and its demise was greatly
impacted by the introduction of the mongoose.
Virgin Islands Screech Owl:
The screech owl was first classified in 1800 by Francois Marie
Daudin a French naturalist. It lives in dense woodland, caves and
thickets. The voice or call of the owl gave way to it being
called a cuckoo bird in the Virgin Islands. It was last reported
to have been seen in 1980 and in some references is listed as
extinct. The demise of the Virgin Islands Screech owl is due
largely too deforestation.
Brown Pelican:
The brown pelican is found throughout the Caribbean and is often
seen in the Virgin Islands at beaches and along coastlines. They
feed on
schools of small baitfish. They are said to nest in very distinct
areas of the Virgin Islands, including Mary’s Point St. John,
Congo and Whistling cays off of St. John and Buck Island off of
St. Croix. The effects of poaching for eggs, young and adult
pelicans, disturbance of nestling colonies by humans and
reduction of food resources have caused the pelicans numbers to
lessen.
Fisherman Bat:
The fisherman bat is a threatened species in the Virgin Islands.
The bat roosts in caves near the sea, woodlands and in roofs of
old houses. It is not uncommon for several dozen bats to roosts
together in a cave. Through the use of echolocation or sonar, the
bat detects ripples caused by fish swimming close to the water’s
surface and uses it’s long, curved claws to catch them, thus the
name fishermen bat. They are good swimmers, and they use their
wings as oars. The species' numbers have greatly declined because
of coastal development.
Jewfish:
The jewfish can reach nearly eight feet in length and weigh close
to 1000 pounds! It was once fairly common to offshore reefs,
underwater caves and old wrecks around the Virgin Islands. It is
a crab eater and is said to be very shy. Jewfish numbers have
declined due to over fishing; they are not abundant to begin with
and they are easily caught.
