ANIMALS ACROSS THE ARCHIPELAGO

A look at native and endemic Bahamian fauna throughout The Bahamas

By Scott Johnson Photographs Courtesy Of Scott Johnson of Wild Bahamas

Covering an area of 300,000 km2 and consisting of 29 islands, 661 cays, and 2,387 rocks, the Bahama archipelago offers visitors a range of marine and terrestrial ecosystems to enjoy and explore. From a biogeographical standpoint, our islands can be divided into groups based on which bank they are situated in. The Bahama islands rest on three large and several smaller bank systems. These include Little Bahama Bank, Great Bahama Bank, Cay Sal Bank, and islands on their own banks.

Some animals are unique to each of the various bank systems. For example, islands on Little Bahama Bank are the only places in The Bahamas where you can find birds such as the endangered and endemic Bahama warbler, the olive-capped warbler, and the Bahama nuthatch. The Bahama nuthatch, a critically endangered endemic Bahamian bird, was only found on Grand Bahama but, sadly, is presumed to be extinct due in part to major natural disturbances such as Hurricane Dorian, which devastated the island in 2019. Likewise, the Bahama warbler and olive-capped warbler might have shared a similar fate on Grand Bahama due to Hurricane Dorian. Since the horrific storm, both species have only been seen on Abaco.

Reptiles, such as the Abaco boa, one of the smallest West Indian boa species, are native to Abaco.

Great Bahama Bank is the largest bank system in The Bahamas and is where most of the major Bahamian island groups are situated. Not surprisingly, this bank is home to the largest diversity of native Bahamian animals, many of whom are found only on the islands on this bank. For example, birds such as the endangered Bahama oriole are found only on Andros. Other bird species, such as the Great-lizard cuckoo, are only found on Andros and Eleuthera. In addition, reptiles such as the Bahamian boa, Bahama anole, and Northern Bahamas rock iguanas (inclusive of the Andros iguana, Exuma iguana, and Allan’s Cay iguana) are found exclusively on islands and cays of Great Bahama Bank. Cay Sal Bank is the westernmost bank system in The Bahamas and is the only place you can find the Cay Sal Bank green anole.

Islands that reside on their own banks are where you can find a high count of diverse Bahamian species. Examples include the Crooked-Acklins Island boa, Crooked-Acklins green anole, the endangered Mayaguana geckolet, and the San Salvador threadsnake. Great and Little Inagua have the highest diversity of single-island vertebrates in The Bahamas. Animals native to the Inagua group include:

• The Inagua woodstar

• Inagua geckolet (the smallest reptile in The Bahamas)

• Inagua curlytail lizard

• Inagua whiptail lizard

• Inagua croaking gecko

• Inagua trope

• Inagua blindsnake

Regarding its indigenous species diversity, Inagua is truly The Bahamas’ “best-kept secret”.

The Bahamas contains a wealth of natural treasures in the form of our flora and fauna. For many species, however, their restricted range puts them at risk of extinction. One catastrophic event, such as a major hurricane, a development, or the introduction of non-native animals such as rats, raccoons, and housecats, can decimate the entire population of a sensitive species. Proper research and conservation practices are needed to ensure our single-island native species with limited distributions can survive well into the future.

No matter what island you choose to visit and explore, you can always find at least one Bahamian animal to add to your life list. UA