Amphibians and Reptiles

R. Andrew Odum
My talk is:
Dedicated to Mr. Tom Barmes
An Aruban conservationist and friend
Cool Critters
What does this mean?
A Matter of When
A Matter of Anthropogenic and Non-Anthropogenic
Oldest Rocks
Everything is introduced
Recent, Pre-Survey, Ancient
The Amphibians
Pleurodema brachyops (Dori)
Rhinella marinus (Sapo)
Eleutherodactylus johnstonei
(Coqui)
Classification is from :
Amphibians Species of the World 5.2
http://research.amnh.org/herpetology/amphibia/index.php
6347 species total
Eleutherodactylidae
Eleutherodactylus johnstonei
Coqui
 Limited distribution La Cabana and the Aruban
 Probably introduced with plants (early 1990’s)
 Has wide distribution
 Curacao (1975)
 Aruba (Early 1990’s)
 Venezuela
 Columbia
 Costa Rica
Eleutherodactylus eggs
Terrestrial
nesting
Clutches size
about 14
Hatch in ~13d
Complex
breeding
behaviors
Sapo (Rhinella marinus)
The Great Invader
•Introduced in 1960s
•Distributed throughout
Aruba
•Can produce 30,000+ eggs
(smaller clutches usual)
•Excellent chemical
protection from predators
•Well adapted for island life
•Considered a great threat
to wildlife in parts of the
world
Marine Toad Distribution
Blue in natural, Red in introduced
Parking lot in Puerto Rico
Rhinella prefers clear water to spawn.
Time to Metamorphosis
(adaptive)
Locality
Duration
Source
Oahu
30 days
Pemberton, 1934
Puerto Rico
60-70 days
Se1n, 1937
Panama
4-6 weeks
Breder, 1946
Negros Island
7-8 weeks
Alcala, 1957
Queensland
75-80 days
Straughn, 1966
Trinidad
6 weeks
Kenny, 1969
Venezuela
29-32 days
(experimental)
Durant, 1974
Pleurodema brachyops (Dori)
Columbian Four-Eyed Frog
Leiuperidae
Columbian Four-Eyed Frog
Dori
Long time inhabitant of Aruba
(Pre-Columbian)
Explosive breeder linked to rain
Breeds in temporary pools
Foam nest builder
Males - 49 mm, Females - 51 mm
What are all these colors for?
Protection
 Deimatic Behavior (Intimidation)
 Aposematic Behavior (Warning Sign)
 Social?
In Pleurodema granular
glands are clustered in
Inguinal Macroglands
(eyespots) that produce
toxins
Male calling
Subsonic component transferred in water
24 August 2008
Male combat
Foam nest construction
Facundo Franken, DLVV
Nests at Masiduri
Foam Nest
 Help protect eggs
 Hold eggs at surface until they
hatch
 Is considered a step in the evolution
to terrestrial breeding
Pleurodema development
 Eggs hatch within 24 hours
 Metamorphosis occurs between one and
two weeks
 The tadpoles are grayish-brown with a
dark grey venter (R. marinus are black)
Threats to Dori
Habitat destruction
Threats to Dori
Sapo?
 Different niches
 Toxins may not effect Pleurodema
Same pond as Pleurodema
The Reptiles (13 Lizards, 4 snakes)
 Gonatodes albogularis
 Anolis lineatus
 Gonatodes antilliensis
 Iguana iguana
 Gonatodes vittatus
 Ameiva bifrontata
 Phyllodactylus julieni
 Cnemidophorus arubensis
 Hemidactylus mabouia
 Cnemidophorus lemniscatus
 Thecodactylus rapidcaudus  Leptodeira bakeri
 Gymnophthalmus
 Crotalus unicolor
speciosus
 Tretioscincus bifasciatus
 Boa constrictor
 Ramphotyphlops braminus
Reptilia has 8,655 Species in Total
Gonatodes Bent-toed Geckos
 Genus contains ~27 species
 Found throughout the Caribbean and Northern South
America
 Largely nocturnal and crepuscular
 Three species on Aruba
 Identified by lack of toe pads
Gekkonidae
Yellow headed gecko
Pega pega
Gonatodes vittatus
Lagadishi di mispel
Male
Pega Pega
Female
Elliptical
Gonatodes antilliensis
Leaf-toed Gecko
Phyllodactylus julieni
Threats
 Introduced Hemidactylus
 Future introductions
Hemidactylus mabouia
identified in 2004
Hemidactylus
Hemidactylus franatus
Are there other
Hemidactylus?
Hemidactylus turcicus
Tegus and Whiptails
Cododo Blauw
Cnemidophorus arubensis
No animal
symbolizes
Aruba more than
the Cododo
Aruba whiptail (Unique Species)
 Largely Herbivorous
 Eats toxic plants
 Has strong resistance to cyanide
and other plant toxins
 Lays only on giant egg at a time
 Semaphoring signal (Waving)
Stomach Contents of Cododo
Item
Leaves
Beetle
Larva
Seeds
Other Insects
Flower Parts
Plant Fruit
Insect Eggs
Cactus flower
Stone
Individual N
62
50
35
30
22
20
10
6
5
4
Frequency Present
Item
Spider
Moth
Roach
Caterpillar
Scorpions
Bee
Wasp
Ants
Hair
Individual N
4
2
2
3
1
1
1
1
1
Schall, 1973
Percent of stomachs analyzed
Percents
Empty
All Plant
60-99% Plant
60-99% Insects
100% Insects
Equal Plant/Insects
Male Females
22
36
30
24
32
15
7
16
0
0
9
9
Schall, 1973
Semaphore behavior in C.
arubensis
 Also seen in C. lemniscatus and C. marinus of Bonaire
 Not fully understood
 Experiments show that animals will wave when
intimidated by approaching people
 Both sexes and all ages wave
 Waving may be a signal to other cododos of danger
 Waving has been observed without intimidation by
potential predators (subordinate entering dominant
animal’s area) (pers. Obs.)
Cnemidophorus lemniscatus
Rainbow whiptail (Introduced 1953)
Habitat use by the two
Cnemidophorus
Area
Open
Grass
Rubble
Base of
bush
Climbing
Basking in
open
C. lemniscatus
Sighted Percent
C. arubensis
Sighted Percent
12
10
3
5
39
32
10
16
13
0
5
20
23
0
9
39
0
1
0
3
5
13
9
23
Schall, 1973
Species complex
•Widespread species
•Does not fit simple species
•Parthenogenic and sexual forms
C. lemniscatus
C. Cryptus – 2N
C. Pseudolemniscatus 3N
C. gramivagus
C. lemniscatus - 2N
Cope’s Ameiva
Ameiva bifrontata
Koffe ku lechi
Ameiva bifrontata
 Eats insects
 Eats Cododo
 Question as to when it arrived, but was probably
before mid 1800’s
 Hummelinck noted Ameiva only around Oranjestad
(1930’s)
 Schall noted that it was distributed throughout island
(1970’s)
Consents of Ameiva Stomachs
Item
N
Beetles
14
Pupae
6
Large insect larvae
4
Caterpillars
4
Ants
3
Grasshoppers
2
Centipedes
2
C. Arubensis
1
Bone
1
Cactus flowers
1
Empty
3
Body Temperature and Activity
 Ameiva foraging started at 38.2oC

Panting at 41oC
 C. arubensis foraging started 39.4oC

Panting at 42.4oC
Schall, 1973
The Microteiids
Tretioscincus bifasciatus
Lagadishi di scama, Madre de culebra
Rio Magdalena Tegu
Northern Venezuela
and Columbia
Gymnophthalmus
speciosus
Lagadishi di mispel, colubra de mispel
Golden spectacled tegu
Mexico southward into Northern
South America
Photo M. Goode
Anolis lineatus
Waltaka – Striped Anolis
Polychridae
Aruba and
Curacao
Introduced to
Surinam
Waltaka Breeding
Iguana iguana
Nothing like a
warm rock at a
resort
Iguana is more terrestrial on Aruba
Green Iguana
 Originated in South America and radiated to Central
America and Caribbean
 Anthropogenic introductions were probably a
significant part of the iguana dispersal
 They make great Soup
Green Iguana
 Young eat insects
 Adults herbivores
 As they grow, they select higher perches
 Males can have harems of multiple females that they
defend
 Can lay up to 70 eggs in a clutch
 Commonly farmed for food
Four Species
Aruba cat-eyed snake
Leptodeira bakeri
Originally thought
an Aruba endemic But was discovered
in Paraguana
Peninsula
Mijares-Urrutia A.,
et al. 1995
Santanero
Rear-fanged
Not considered dangerous to people
The Santanero is not considered
dangerous to people
Eating Female
Cododo
Santanero is an active forager
But it is also an opportunistic
sit and wait predator
And its venom
works!
Diet of the Santanero
 Lizards
Anolis
 Geckos
 Cnemidophorus
 Ameiva
 Frogs
 Dori
 Sapo

Reproduction
 The only clutch recorded had six eggs (captive
breeding)
 Five hatched in 43 days
 Mean SVL = 139mm neonates
 Mean mass 2.6g of neonates
 One clutch in Venezuela removed from a dead
female also had six eggs
and carrion
Not the best
place to find a
meal
Cascabel
It is part of Aruba’s Culture
Fang mechanism
SSP
Captive
Population
65.72.37 (174)
At 47 Institutions
Including U.S., European, and Australia
Crotalus unicolor, An Ambassador for Aruba
My First Unicolor
Boa constrictor
Admired for its
Purity of Purpose
Boa hunting birds
Boa Hunting
Hunting Boa
An Effective
Sit and Wait
Predator
Boa on Aruba
Ramphotyphlops braminus
Blind snake
Facundo Franken
Origins Southeast Asia
Ramphotyphlops biology
 Diet - eggs, larvae, and pupae of ants
and termites
 Lays eggs or may be live bearing
 Clutches of up to 8 eggs
 Parthenogenic (all females)
Sea turtle Nesting
Green Turtle
Hawksbill
Loggerhead
Leatherback
Tortugaruba
Masha
Danki