E
nvironment TOBAGO (ET) is a nongovernment, non-profit, volunteer organisation , not subsidized by any one group, corporation or government body. Founded in 1995, ET is a proactive, advocacy group that campaigns against negative environmental activities throughout Tobago. We achieve this through a variety of community an environmental outreach programmes. Environment TOBAGO is funded mainly through grants and membership fees. These funds go back into implementing our projects. We are grateful to all our sponsors over the years and thank them for their continued support
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hat’s inside
Guide to identifying the anurans of Tobago
1
President’s Letter
2
Keeping Tobago schools clean
4
Environmental degradation in T&T
5
Where have all the chip-chip gone?
6
Ecological assessment of Mannophryne olmonae in Tobago
7
Book Review
8
What’s happening @ ET
9
Notes to contributors
10
Volume 1, Issue 1
January 2007
Guide to Identifying the Anurans of Tobago Jo-Anne Nina Sewlal Dept of Life Sciences, University of the West Indies
Frogs and toads belong to the order Anura. Like all amphibians, their skin is glandular and lacks scales, feathers and hair. But, unlike other amphibians, anurans are tailless. There are 3,500 species recorded worldwide (Murphy 1997). The diversity of this order of animals like many others is greatest in the tropics. There are 14 species belonging to four families found in Tobago compared to 31 species of nine families in Trinidad. Adults are carnivorous, feeding on insects while, tadpoles can be either herbivorous feeding on algae in the water or carnivorous where their diet consists of small animals or their siblings (Murphy 1997). Although the lifestyle of amphibians is associated with water, some species are more dependent than others (Boos & Quesnel 1968). Species which do not live in or near water are nocturnal. Males usually use vocalisations to attract females and advertise their presence to other males. Therefore, vocalisations will be included since frogs are often heard and not seen. The common name (where one exists) is given in parenthesis after the scientific name for each species. The length given is total body length (from the tip of their snout to the base of their back) and is used more as an indication of relative body size rather than an accurate maximum size. Family Bufonidae (True toads). Unlike frogs, toads are terrestrial but breed in water and may or may not possess warts depending on the species. Toads also possess cranial crests and large parotid glands. Locally members of this family are commonly called crapauds. Only one species is found in Tobago. Bufo marinus: Maximum size: 23.8 cm. Females larger than males. Head is wide with rounded snout. Nostrils widely spaced. Males are red-brown, while females are mottled with brown with dark blotches on the shoulder blades and a stripe running down the middle of their back. Large parotid gland by each shoulder. First finger slightly longer than second. Found at both high and low altitudes. Voice: “low pitched staccato drumming sustained for up to 30 seconds” (Kenny 1969). Family Centrolenidae (Glass frogs): Small frogs usually >30mm in length. They are distinctively green with transparent skin covering their bellies. Finger discs are T-shaped. Hyalinobatrachium orientale tobagoensis: ♀ 20-22 mm; ♂ 18-21 mm. Head is round when viewed from above and shortened from the sides. Eyes have gold irises. Body is lime green with dark green flecks and white to yellow spots. The belly is transparent or translucent green. Toes have moderate webbing. Found in small, fast flowing forest streams, usually near waterfalls. Voice: “Single low, high-pitched peep” (Murphy 1997). Family Dendrobatidae (Poison arrow frogs): Most species are small (>50mm). They are brightly coloured to advertise their poisonous nature, through toxic skin secretions. Mannophryne olmonae (Bloody Bay Poison frog): ♀ 28 mm; ♂ 25 mm. Dark brown with blotches and mottling, and white belly. Females have bright yellow chin and collar while males have a black or grey chin. Males turn black when disturbed or calling. Webbing absent between fingers and slight between three inner toes. First two fingers are of equal length or the first finger can be slightly shorter than the rest. Diurnal, terrestrial species found in forests and forest edges in densely shaded streams or streamside habitats. Found in northeastern Tobago and Little Tobago. Voice: Calls exhibit great variation.
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January 2007 January 2007 Editor : Jo-Anne Nina Sewlal Editor: Assistant Editor: Jo-Anne Nina Sewlal Christopher Starr Assist Editor: Design & Layout: Christopher Starr Jo-Anne Nina Sewlal Design & Layout: Technical Support: Jo-Anne Nina Sewlal Nolan Craigwell Technical Support: Jerome Ramsoondar Nolan Craigwell, Nigel Austin Jerome Ramsoondar Enid Nobbee Nigel Austin Contributors: Enid Nobbee Jo-Anne Nina Sewlal Contributors: Christopher Starr Jo-Anne Nina Sewlal Kamau Akili Christopher Starr A.B. Hilton Clark Jahson Alemu Jahson Alemu Photographs: Photographs: Ryan Manette
Board of Directors 2006-2007
Board of Directors President:: 2006-2007 Patricia Turpin Vice-President: President:: Kamau Akili Patricia Turpin Secretary: Vice President: Fitzherbert Kamau AkiliPhilips Treasurer: Secretary: Geoffey Lewis Tramaine Charles Committee members: Assistant Secretary: Tanya Akili Clovis Greta Greta Akili Treasurer: McKennaa Shirley McKenna Allison Sardinah Committee Members: David Rooks Tanya Clovis Wendy Heron Geoffrey Lewis Gerald Kalloo Fitzherbert Phillips Gervais Alkins Hyacinth Armstrong Tramaine Charles Claudette Allard Audrie Armstrong
Environment TOBAGO newsletter
Family Hylidae (True tree frogs): They have slender flattened bodies, long legs and large eyes. Webbing often present between all digits. At the end of each digit there is a circular pad. Flectonotus fitzgeraldi: ♀ 25 mm; ♂ 21 mm. Snout is rounded but looks blunt from the side. Large eyes. Smooth, brown skin. Belly is granular and translucent white. Webbing is slight between toes and absent between fingers. First finger is longer than the second. Crepuscular and arboreal forest species. Often found in rolled up leaves of terrestrial plants and leaf axials of epiphytes. Voice: Similar to chirping of crickets. A chirp or soft click repeated at frequent intervals. Calls usually occur within the first hour after sunset (Kenny 1969). Hyla crepitans (Flying frog): ♀ 73 mm; ♂ 61 mm. Snout is rounded from above and blunt from the side. Smooth skin. Tan or red-brown, belly is granular and orange with large dark X-shaped blotch. White chin. Sides of belly and hind legs have a series of seven cross-bar patterns with yellow-orange patches between them. On capture frog may turn milky white, brown or metallic green. Webbing is heavy between the toes and slight between the fingers. Savanna and forest edge species. Frequents secondary growth and cultivated areas. Often seen asleep on walls or leaves in midday sun, where it takes on a white colour (Boos & Quesnel 1968). Voice: “A loud, low-pitched croaking rattle” (Kenny 1969). Hyla minuta: ♀ 26 mm; ♂ 24 mm. Snout is rounded when viewed from both above and the side. Smooth skin. Yellow-brown with stripes, blotches or hour-glass markings. Some may have a dark bar between eyes. Belly is white and granular. Males have a single large, yellow vocal sac. Webbing is slight between fingers and heavy between toes. Forest and forest edge species. Found in vegetation surrounding ponds. Voice: Individuals have “loud metallic squeak but when in chorus, period of call is reduced and produces a series of short squeaks” (Kenny 1969). Phrynohyas venulosa: ♀ 113 mm; ♂ 100 mm. Snout rounded from above. Thick glanular skin. Light to dark in colour with mottling, blotches or spots. Dark brown strip often found extending from tympanum to large gland in front of forelegs. Digits have blue-green tint. Webbing slight between fingers and heavy between toes. Primarily found in forest and forest edges. Also found in savanna, primary and secondary forest, citrus orchards and cacao plantations. Voice: “A nasal squawking or honking sound” (Murphy 1997). Calls in chrous. Scinax ruba: ♀ 39 mm; ♂ 33 mm. Snout looks is rounded from above but appears to protrude over the mouth when viewed from the side. Transverse fold of skin across chest. Males are
P
resident’s letter
Dear Members and well wishers, Welcome to ET’s newsletter. Environment TOBAGO is 10 years old. We celebrated our 10th anniversary in June 2006. When this organization was founded in 1996, for the purpose of advocacy in conservation and restoration, we did not envision that in less than a generation we would witness Tobago burgeon in terms of its population density. We have never seen so many people striving for a “better way of life” and at the same time, so many private, public and state development activities. As a result of this forward movement, there has been an improved living condition for the residents but the environment has suffered; we have seen a massive increase in pollution, land degradation, habitat loss and a flagrant disregard for the laws. As such the environmental concerns after 10 years remain the same, just magnified in the Tobago context. It has become the CHORE of this generation to cleanup, restore, educate and urgently manage our natural resources. This chore need not be looked on in a negative light. We have found over the years that there are solutions. Environment Tobago was primarily an activist organization, we have been referred to derisively as “tree huggers” or “the holders of the truth”. We have conceded and tempered somewhat this activism and chosen to work with other agencies to bring about change and share the burden of this chore. Environment TOBAGO sees the current environmental scenario as an opportunity to partner for promoting sustainability combined with ecological balance, promoting land stewardship and education at the highest and lowest levels of our society. It has been done in other countries, creating job opportunities to bring about and support attitudinal changes .We must continue to instill in the population a pride in their island, a willingness to comply with the law and an interest in becoming stewards in land management as their main business and not degradation. We could go on complaining forever about the ills connected with the environment that confront us on a daily basis; we may see this all as a monumental task. But we will make an impact whether it is large or small if we continue to make ourselves heard and not just stepping stones in the journey to environmental conservation. Best wishes to all of you. Patricia Turpin
Volume 1, Issue 1
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yellow-brown and females are brown. Both sexes have two brown streaks starting from a dark blotch between the eyes along the back. Chest is yellow, white abdomen and underside of hindlegs is pink. Webbing is slight between fingers and moderate between toes. Found around savannas and human dwellings, roadsides, standing water and agricultural fields. Voice: Repeated intervals of a soft ‘reh-reh’ intersped with softer ‘chuck-chuck-chuck’ (Murphy 1997). Family Leptodactylidae: Physical characteristics and life histories are very diverse but, has a circular flap of loose skin on the belly. Most common family. Eleutherodactylus charlottevillensis: ♀ 47 mm; ♂ 31 mm. Snout is blunt and rounded when viewed from the side. Tympanum distinct. Smooth skin. Red-brown with mottling. Dark cross-bar patterns on limbs, dark spot between eyes and on each shoulder blade. Yellow belly. Webbing is lacking between digits. Endemic species found in stream beds and in leaf litter in forests. Voice: “jivit, jivit, jivit” (Murphy 1997). Eleutherodactylus cf. rozei: ♀/♂ 14-18.5 mm. Large gland above tympanum. Pattern is variable. Cream stripe along back which may extend to large blotches at waist in some individuals. Cross-bar pattern between eyes and legs and hour-glass pattern on back. Gold iris. Webbing is lacking between digits. Endemic species. Found in leaf litter and at stream edges. Voice: Exact call unrecorded. Eleutherodactylus urichi: ♀ 24 mm; ♂ 21 mm. Snout looks blunted from above but round from the side. Distinct tympanum. Smooth skin. Colour varies from brown, yellow to pink blotches, flecks and partial stripes in some individuals. Belly is granular and can be blue or purple. Off-white throat. Blue iris. Webbing lacking between digits. Recorded as endemic species of Trinidad and Tobago. Forest and forest edge species. Voice: A 2-note call. The first note is faint and less accented than the second (Schwartz 1967) Leptodactylus fuscus (Whistling frog): ♀ 50 mm; ♂ 42 mm. Digits lack webbing. Pointed snout when viewed from above and protruding over the mouth from the side view. First finger is longer than the second. Colour can be tan, brown or red with a yellow or red stripe down the middle bordered by a row of dark spots or stripes. The belly is off-white. Males have characteristically black external vocal sacs. Terrestrial species found in savanna and forest habitats, but often associated with lagoons. Also found on Little Tobago. Voice: Loud ‘wheep, wheep’. Leptodactylus validus: ♀ 51 mm; ♂ 46 mm. Rounded snout but looks shortened from the side. Distinct tympanum. First finger slightly longer than second. Webbing absent between fingers. Grey-brown in colour, with a light spot on the tip of the snout and upper lip. Skin has six vertical folds from head to nearly entire length of back. Wart-like knobs on skin (Boos & Quesnel 1968). Belly is off-white with mottling on the throat and thighs. Forest and forest edge species, most likely in shady stream bands, gullies and caves. Occasionally found in backyards and roadsides. Voice: “Metallic, high-pitched rattle, oit, oit, oit” (Murphy 1997). Physalaemus pustulosus (Canal frog, Pung-la-la, Túngara frog): ♀ 32 mm; ♂ 28 mm. Brown to grey with dark stripes along rows of warts. Crossbar patterns on hindlegs. Belly is tan to yellow. Snout it pointed but appears rounded when viewed from the side. Digits lack webbing. Often found in savannas and around human dwellings. Other habitats include secondary forest, roadside, agricultural areas in pools of water. Voice: ‘pung-la-la’. Acknowledments I am very grateful to Prof. Julian Kenny for looking over the guide for accuracy. References Boos, H. & Quesnel, V. 1968. Reptiles of Trinidad and Tobago. Publications Branch, Min. of Education and Culture. Trinidad and Tobago. Kenny, J.S. 1969. Amphibia of Trinidad. Studies on the Fauna of Curacao and other Caribbean Islands. 29(54):1-78. Murphy, J.C. 1997. Amphibians and Reptiles of Trinidad and Tobago. Malabar, Florida: Krieger. *Schwartz, A. 1967. Frogs of the genus Eleutherodactylus in the Lesser Antilles. Studies on the Fauna of Curacao and other Caribbean Islands. 23(91):1-62. * cited from Murphy 1997.
MISSION STATEMENT
E
nvironment TOBAGO
conserves Tobago’s natural and living resources and advances the knowledge and understanding of such resources, their wise and sustainable use and their essential relationship to human health and the quality of life
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Environment TOBAGO newsletter
Keeping Tobago Schools Clean Kamau Akili
“Despite such problems, most of the participating schools demonstrated reductions in the incidence of littering and improvements in the overall management of solid waste. ”
On February 19th 1999, Environment TOBAGO formally launched a “Keep a Clean School Competition” open to all schools in Tobago. This competition forms part of a larger environmental education programme being developed by the organisation. Several factors contributed to the decision to organize the “Keep a Clean School Competition”. The first such factor is that the management of waste has been identified as being a serious environmental problem plaguing this island. A second factor is the fact that the school curriculum does not address sufficiently the development of the values and attitudes that should lead to improvements in the conservation of the natural environment. A third factor was the need for an exercise that would provide an opportunity for the entire population of each school to participate in a positive activity. To kick start the competition, one litter bin was provided to each primary and secondary school in Tobago. Schools were also provided with posters and invited to participate. Twenty-four primary schools and four secondary schools entered the competition. The primary schools were divided into three zones for preliminary judging. The criteria that were applied by the judges were the amount of litter in classrooms, the amount of litter on the compound (outside of classrooms) and the general management of solid waste by the school. Visits to the schools were unannounced and timed to coincide with periods during the school day when it was believed that the most litter was generated, that is, break periods and lunchtimes. The evaluation of the schools by the team of judges provided some interesting findings. Ti was found that the schools that performed best were those, which had an organized programme of having students participate in cleaning the school grounds and classrooms. At St. Joseph’s Convent, which was adjudged, to be the cleanest school overall, the students have been given the full responsibility of keeping classrooms free of litter. A similar situation was found at Scarborough SDA Primary, which won the first prize in the primary school category. It should be noted that at these two schools the programmes of student involvement existed before the start of the competition and are considered a necessary part of the students’ education. On the other hand, it was found that at the schools, which relied heavily on a cleaning staff for solid waste management, the incidence of littering was relatively high. Another important finding was that at some schools there were not enough garbage bins to service the student populations. In some instances, overflowing garbage bins were found at the end of the luncheon period and students has resorted to depositing litter on the ground around the bins. This is something that needs to be avoided at all costs as it serves to reinforce a negative practice. Several principals in fact asked that more litterbins be provided for their schools and this will have to be done. One disappointing finding was that only 28 schools participated in the competition out of the total of 48 primary and secondary schools on the island. Also, some of the teaching staff did not seem to understand or appreciate the aim of the exercise. For example, at on e school, the litterbin that was provided was being kept by the principal in her office, inaccessible to the students. Another principal asked if the litterbin would be taken away if her school did not participate in the competition. Despite such problems, most of the participating schools demonstrated reductions in the incidence of littering and improvements in the overall management of solid waste. The challenge to be faced in the future is that of achieving further improvements outside of a competitive environment and more important, to reinforce the positive attitudes developed by the students, so that they will continue to avoid the practice of littering where ever they may go. It is hoped that with continued support, this competition will be an annual exercise. Environment TOBAGO expresses sincere thanks to the THA Department of the Environment, TIDCO, the Solid Waste Management Company, Island Distributors, Almandoz and Turtle Beach Hotel for the assistance provided in the staging of this competition.
Volume 1, Issue 1
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Environmental Degradation in Tobago (and Trinidad) – Part 1 A.B. Hilton Clarke Globally, Environmental Degradation is a problem caused by the Human Animal. Actually, the human animal is the problem. The nemesis really. He cannot admit he is the problem and has not been convinced there is a problem even when he eats, drinks, bathes and dies because of it. The best test of a civilized society is seen by it s responsibility to future generations, its visible sterile environment, the quality of its leisure time and the updating and implementation of its existing laws involving human behaviour. In Trinidad and Tobago the paucity of responsible, qualified Human Resources is the major culprit. The majority of people who we have put to guide us as sometimes educated enough, but not learned enough to even suggest to us ”Tell me where you want to go and I’ll lead you”. They refuse to recognize the continuous make shift solutions to our inherent problems. Thus, they make very little effort to continue to educate themselves and eventually become learned, that is, nurture an intellectually inquisitive mind and have a healthy respect for all vocations and professions. Environmental degradation is more so a continuous educational problem that starts with intellectual emancipation and addresses problems that include industrial an commercial responsibility, public health, over crowding, birth control, legalized abortion, controlled substance abuse, euthanasia, legalized prostitution and all the ways their control or lack of it affects human behaviour and thus environmental matter. The first hurdle is to nurture our individual and intellectual environment and self esteem. When the members of the House of Assembly are collectively intellectually emancipated they will insist that they themselves and the central government vigorously subsidize childcare for the working poor in the presence of rampant incest and illegitimacy in Tobago. Diligently enforce the obligations of delinquent irresponsible fathers. Expand the earnable income tax credit. Insist upon the required competition of High School diplomas and raise the academic standards of the labour force. Declare their personal and immediate family assets before assuming office and annually for 50 years after they retire from public office. Intellectual maturity will begin to be institutionalized when we start naming our highway parks, streets, airplanes and public areas after scholarship winners to generate academic excellence as we do now for cricket, football, calypso and beauty contestants. In Trinidad and Tobago we live in fear because we read the papers. They sensationalize instead of analyze social behaviour. Parents must
be held responsible for every crime committed by some one who the courts recognize as a minor. The simplest definition of culture is “Culture in what culture does”. Can anyone honestly admit that we have any culture to boast about in Tobago when we allow the systematic approved destruction of our wetlands, beaches and rivers, mining, deforestation, illegal squatting and side walk vending, the absence of clean public toilets, incest, child abuse, malnutrition, no enforced accountability, blatant cover-ups and an ill equipped, ill trained, immutable, unemployable human resource pool that is our heritage? A department of accountability, staffed by retired personnel from foreign countries such as China, India, Canada, United Kingdom and United States of America on contract plus a Computer Forensic Department has now become paramount. The helicopter branch of the Ministry of National Security must be updated and equipped to recognize degradation especially by large developers who are more experts at deception as a start. There are enough retired Attorneys-at-Law to be contracted on a per rate basis to satisfy the start of a new department. There will be some hesitation by some officials who will be contribution to their own demise. But accountability and punctuality must become inherent in the psyche of the average citizen. If time is stolen then something is left undone or is badly done and this will eventually result in its deterioration however slowly. Inherent complaining, destructive criticism, minding other peoples’ business, finger pointing and unaccountability has become the opiate up the masses. The authorities are afraid to draw the line of morality and cannot even entertain the suggestion that prostitution should be legalized and the red light districts be controlled and registered by the Ministry of Health and Legal Services. In small islands one cannot expect the churches to openly support this but they can offer no other solution to either stop or control the mental, psychological, intellectual and physical degradation that exists and which we admit in pandemic. Most of us have become inherent complainers and continue to hide behind our heritage as an excuse for our present status in life and blame our ancestors who were brought as slaves to Trinidad and Tobago. The more ambitious of our ancestors have been too busy asserting themselves and their families and trying to progress intellectually without complaining and by diligent application within the legal parameters. On close examination the only sane sober and positive input we all seem to agree upon is that there is degradation in every facet of
“Actually, the human animal is the problem. The nemesis really. He cannot admit he is the problem and has not been convinced there is a problem even when he eats, drinks, bathes and dies because of it.”
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“over the past five years I have noticed that the
Environment TOBAGO newsletter of our mental, physical, pychrlufral intellectual, moral, and emotional environmental lives and that in the foreseeable future these problems will never go away by themselves if we continue along the same path and ignore them, postpone them and haggle over who caused them and whose responsibility it is to correct them. Our present solutions is to placate public opinion not antagonize it and thus perpetrate Human degradation overall. With help from foreign governments the introduction of conservation agriculture ethics, Hindi, Spanish as compulsive causes in the school curriculum and 24-hour continuing adult TV education, with extra curriculum credit and accredited by university standards would be an encouraging start. The introduction of environmental Magistrate Courts, a separate Ministry of environment, a moratorium on the importation of all food stuff that can be grown here, with immediate effect for some items and an overall twenty five percent reduction every year for the next three years on all imported food stuff, will catapult the large importers into action, stimulate and organize the local farmers if they hope to survive and hopefully give the unions an opportunity not to self destruct. It goes without saying that they government will need to have foreign help to have a state of Environmental National Emergency in place. Only drastic laws with immediate implementation will highlight the present environmental abuse by individuals, companies’ developers and dishonest officials who refuse to condemn false advertising, incomplete and doctored advertised plans. We need immediate help from International Environment World Bodies and penalties for abuse already committed. The destruction of a coastal reef or wetland or forest should be compensated by a clean up of fifty percent of the profits of the assets of the individual in whatever company they or their families or directors on foreign banks they are associated with environmental genocide. Thus we need immediate expert professional help from foreign governments and international bodies over a prolonged period. Is it not time for all government officials to declare their assets annually and retroactive from thirty years ago and in future for 30 years after they leave public office and that extradition laws be updated and postdated? Martial Law and Tribunals are the only deterrents to crime and criminal behaviour, because another obstacle is we seem to be burdened with is an incompetent human resource pool who themselves are a product of this society and sees nothing drastic with taking from gods earth by killing sea turtles, hunting all year, and using illegal fishing nets. Anyone in authority knows it will be suicidal to oppose any group even if they know they are wrong to break the law or to suggest that we appeal for help from the right thinking countries such as Indonesia, China, U.K. Japan, Canada, Sweden and Israel to help solve our chronic environmental problem and return it to what it was 100 years ago and which at present is the only solution to stop this plunge into total irreversible Environment Degradation.
number of Donax sp. has gradually decreased”
Where have all the chip-chip gone? Jo-Anne Nina Sewlal Dept of Life Sciences, University of the West Indies
The bivalve Donax sp. or Chip Chip as it is commonly known has always been a favourite of shell collectors both young and old in Trinidad. They are usually found on the sand in the intertidal zone. The abundance of Donax sp. on the beach of North Manzanilla first struck me during a field trip with the late Prof. Peter Bacon (UWI) in 2001. My first thought that this was a shell collectors’ paradise, because not many people use this beach as they do Maracas or Tyrico. However, over the past five years I have noticed that the number of Donax sp. has gradually decreased. They are being replaced by another bivalve, Glycymeris sp. The latter is recognized by its prominent vertical groves which give the shell a fan-shaped appearance. This change in the shell population could not be on account of avid shell collectors, since as I mentioned before the amount of human traffic on this beach is minimal. Has anyone else made this observation on any other beaches in Trinidad and Tobago?
Volume 1, Issue 1
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Mannonphryne olmonae: An Ecological Assessment in Tobago, of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago Jahson Alemu In April 2006 a team of future conservationists won one of the 2006 BPCP Future Conservationist awards, an award with aims to develop the skills through practical conservation projects. The Trinidad and Tobago BPCP team, who call themselves Project L.E.A.P. (Learning, Educating and Protecting), has been working feverishly over the last 6 months studying an endemic species of frog to the island of Tobago, Mannophryne olmonae (Bloody Bay poison Frog). A common close relative, the Yellow Chinned or Yellow Throated Frog (Mannophyrne trinitatis), exists in Trinidad. However, the Bloody Bay Poison frog is believed to be threatened with extinction and has been classified as critically endangered by the IUCN. This team is working to collect further data on this species and raise awareness to the conserve frog and its habitat. Project L.E.A.P. got into fully swing by May 2006 and the next 3-4 months were spent doing a monumentous amount of fieldwork within the Main Ridge forest reserve. Field work consisted of doing presence and density surveys along Doctor's River, Roxborough River, Argyle River, King's Bay River, Bloody Bay River, and various other minor rivers along the Charlotteville/L’anse Fourmi Road. Screening was also conducted for amphibian diseases. Along with the field aspect of the project, the team has also started an education programme. Public workshops for children and teenagers have been greeted with enthusiasm. They have worked with both Environment TOBAGO and Buccoo Reef Trust in this respect. In order to assist with the volume and intensity of the fieldwork, coupled with training sessions and a community conservation outreach programme, a volunteer programme was instituted in June and has been invaluable to the team’s progress. Since then there have been 16 volunteers, many of whom have continued to show interest in returning to work with the team. Volunteers have included teachers and students. Some volunteers were so inspired by the experience that they have applied for the 2007 BPCP Future Conservationist Awards. Fieldwork is now complete and they are in the data analysis and write phase of the project. The education campaign continues and is expected to culminate within the next couple months. At the end of the project the report will be made available at local libraries and tertiary institutions. The team consists if 6 members: Jahson Alemu I (Team Leader), Michelle Cazabon, Alicia Roach, Lena Dempewolf, Kerrie Naranjit and Ryan Mannette.
“Unlike its name the Bloody Bay Frog is nonpoisonous”
Bloody Bay Poison Frog Bloody Bay Poison Frogs are dullish brown and unlike its namesake are non-poisonous. Males may reach up to 25 mm and females 28 mm in length. Sexes are distinguished by the bright yellow chin and black collar in females and grey/black chin in males, however, during calling the males turn jet black. This species is found in the upland areas of north-eastern Tobago and Little Tobago Island, at elevations above 120 m showing a preference for forested and wetland areas (Hardy, 2004), where they favour rocky edges of densely shaded streams, and are known to call from within or near to moving water (Murphy, 1997). The population has undergone a rapid decline, estimated to be over 80% over the last 3 generations (Hardy, 2004). Threats include predation, parasites and pathogens, as well as a general change in species dynamics (Hardy, 2004). The estimated range is small and ecological information is limited. Information about the causes of this phenomenon and possible solutions remain unknown and will become increasing difficult if population decline continues, and the risk of extinction will increase. Although the area is protected, few conservation actions are in place, and very little research is being done. We hope to provide information to support future research and begin suitable conservation action. References: Hardy, J. 2004. Mannophryne olmonae. In: IUCN 2004. 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Murphy, John C. 1997. Amphibians and Reptiles of Trinidad and Tobago.
Blood Bay Poison Frog (Mannophyrne trinitatis) Photo: Ryan Mannette
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Environment TOBAGO newsletter Book Review: DOWN THERE ON A VISIT Percy R. Lowe 1911. A Naturalist on Desert Islands. London: Witherby 230 pp. Christopher K. Starr Dept of Life Sciences, University of the West Indies The broad genre of natural-history writing includes a curious type of book that appears almost exclusively in English. In this, the author relates her/his experiences as a naturalist in a particular place. Such "naturalist-in" books (my own term) are not exactly treatises on the place or its natural history. There is much on those topics, to be sure, but above all they relate what it was like to be a naturalist in that place during a particular period. Often the title is straightforwardly A Naturalist in ... or The Naturalist in ..., although not all so titled are true naturalist-in books. My purpose here is to acquaint you with another of the great many naturalist-in books. Earlier reviews in this series appeared in the quarterly bulletin of the Trinidad & Tobago Field Naturalists' Club.
“ biota of this sort is very vulnerable to the impact of humans activities�
This book is based on one year spent in New Zealand (35-47ES), mainly in coastal areas, but with some vigorous excursions into the internal highlands. New Zealand comprises two main islands -- imaginatively known as North and South Islands -- and a great many small fringing islands. In the course of her professional duties, the author visited many of these smaller islands. Given their rugged topography, it is difficult in some seasons to land on many of the small islands, so that Gillham may well have been the first naturalist to set foot on some of them. I must comment that in just one year she managed to explore coastal New Zealand to an amazing extent. The disadvantage of this is of course that the time spent in most places was necessarily very short, so that there is no in-depth treatment of any one locality. Although she is not a geologist, Gillham shows a keen sense of land forms. Coming from Britain, she was well prepared to appreciate a land that is rather similar in climate and some other aspects, yet situated on the opposite side of the globe. I should note that she has very little to say about life in the sea, and there is virtually nothing about seasonality, which is quite marked. One cannot do everything. As a remote, mountainous, oceanic archipelago, New Zealand has very high endemism for the group as a whole, although with very little
single-island endemism. That is, a high fraction of the plants and animals is not found in any other part of the world, while few species are restricted to just one island. As an example of the pattern common to remote oceanic islands, New Zealand's native mammals comprise just two species of bats. A biota of this sort is very vulnerable to the impact of human activities, a major theme of the book. These include the effects of introduced species, both those that have come accidentally with humans and those that were brought deliberately. The first kind includes many plants, and the author is a keen plant watcher. The prevalence of introduced plants is seen in her experience at one point in her travels of counting 20 species of English weeds without any special effort. The deliberately introduced species include many mammals. As in Australia, rabbits were introduced and soon became a major source of ecological disruption. The case of the Virginia deer from North America and red deer from Europe is especially instructive in this regard. It seemed like such an obviously good idea to let them loose in New Zealand, where they have done well, and initially they were regarded as valuable assets to be protected. Only much later was it realized that they could do much more harm than good, and these two species, now well established, have come to be seen as pests. At the same time, Gillham does not automatically assume that any introduced species must be bad for the ecosystem. On examination, she usually concludes that it is, but there is always the possibility that it also does some good. As an example, the introduced deer are often blamed for much of the erosion in highland forests, but she suggests that they may sometimes have the opposite effect by cropping vegetation that can build up and trigger land slides. The smaller, fringing islands of New Zealand have very little that is naturally peculiar to them, but they are of special interest as refuges for animals that have been eliminated from the main islands. In some cases, marginalization is due to native predators, in others due to introduced species. The author gives as examples
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many birds that now live only on fringing islands. One can also cite the lizard-like tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus), the sole surviving representative of the reptile order Rhynchocephalia, now found (and doing well) only on a very few of the smaller islands. In our own region, we see an analogous situation in the St Lucia whiptail lizard, Cnemidophorus vanzoi, which was once found throughout St Lucia and now survives (abundantly) on little Maria Island. The author treats some topics in land use and economic biology, including the harvesting of birds and marine animals by the aboriginal Maoris. There is much about their use of "muttonbirds", an array of shearwaters and petrels that are extensively hunted on a seasonal basis. However, the treatment of most economically significant species is subordinate to their natural history. As with a great many naturalist-in books, we find heavy emphasis on birds. The author seems mostly drawn to the larger birds, which makes sense, given her emphasis on coastal areas. In an appendix, Gillham lists 90 native and 25 introduced birds of New Zealand. The single most coherent theme in the book is probably the nesting habits of penguins, of which there are six species in New Zealand. For a naturalist coming from Britain, these must have seemed inexhaustibly strange and engaging, and one understands how she never got tired of watching them. The author also gives a great deal of attention to ferns, without really saying very much about them. There is an appendix listing 68 species.
“ a high fraction of the plants and animals is not found in any other part of the world, while few species are restricted to just one island ”
WHAT’S HAPPENING @ ET Acquisitions for Environment TOBAGO • • • • • •
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CREP - Fresh and saltwater quality testing equipment CREP – complete computer system, 2 printers and scanner GIS hand held equipment 25 DVDs for the Education Centre and Education Outreach Programme on coral reefs, rainforests and biodiversity Research materials – Environmental sustainable indicators for the Tourism industry Vehicle
Accomplishments for 2006
Development of the Biodiversity Brochure Development of the Teachers Resource book for Environmental Education in Secondary Schools Acquisition of Kilgwyn on the Greenhill Estate from the THA
Environment TOBAGO t-shirts now available!!! Contact office for details of sizes, colours and prices.
Volunteers needed! Persons who are interested in helping with cataloguing and filing of ET’s educational, research and operational material and archiving.
New members Sebastian Prinz Kay Glover Eliza Lochan MaureenWalker Veronica J. Danzer Laila Mustapha Britt Stegerhoek Alan Porter Fred & Beverly Smith
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What’s new @ ET for 2007! New-Clean School Programme Environmental Photo Contest Summer Eco-camp Charity sale of environmental photographs (via internet) – for our 10th anniversary
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