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Reptiles of Navassa Island
Date: Monday, May 31 @ 16:20:20
Topic Research

Reptiles of Navassa Island

Author: Robert Powell, Ph.D.,
Professor of Biology, Avila University, Kansas



Reptiles of Navassa Island

Author: Robert Powell, Ph.D.,
Professor of Biology, Avila University, Kansas


Contact Information for Robert Powell:
WebSite or Email

 

Map of Navassa Island

Location of Navassa Island


Navassa Island: the solid line represents the old railbed, the dot marks the location of the lighthouse.

 

PHOTOGRAPHS OF NAVASSAN REPTILES


 

Anolis longiceps, an endemic green anole and undoubtedly the most visible of all Navassan
reptiles (adult males, except for the last photograph, which is an adult female).

 


 

Aristelliger cochranae, adult (left), subadult (center), hatchling (right)

 


 

Sphaerodactylus becki, an endemic dwarf gecko (photograph o­n left courtesy of S. Blair Hedges).

 


 

Cyclura o­nchiopsis, probably extinct (illustrated is the holotypes, USNM 9977,
and a paratype, USNM 12239) -left & center images.
Leiocephalus eremitus, probably extinct (illustrated is the o­nly known specimen, USMN12016) - right image.

 


 

Tropidophis bucculentus, probably extinct (shown are two of the three syntypes
at the National Museum, USNM 12377).


 

 

MUSEUM COLLECTIONS WITH HERPETOLOGICAL SPECIMENS
FROM NAVASSA ISLAND

Following is a list of specimens reliably attributed to Navassa Island. Records determined by Thomas (1966. A reassessment of the herpetofauna of Navassa Island. J. Ohio Herpetol. Soc. 5: 73�|89) to have originated elsewhere are not included.

Specimens are listed in the order in which they appeared or would have appeared with current taxonomy in Powell et al. (1996. An annotated checklist of West Indian Amphibians and Reptiles, pp. 51�|93, pls. 1�|8. In R. Powell and R. W. Henderson (eds.), Contributions to West Indian Herpetology: A Tribute to Albert Schwartz. Soc. Study Amphib. Rept. Contrib. Herpetol. Vol. 12. Ithaca, New York). Acronyms are as follows: AMNH (American Museum of Natural History), ANSP (Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia), BWMC (Bobby Witcher Memorial Collection, Avila University), KU (University of Kansas Natural History Museum), MCZ (Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University), MPM (Milwaukee Public Museum), UF (University of Florida Museum of Natural History), UMMZ (University of Michigan Museum of Zoology), USNM (National Museum of Natural History).

Celestus badius (Anguidae)

AMNH 17079, 120486�|7; BWMC 06190, 06197, 06222, 06224�|6, 06229, 06231�|6; KU 225037�|72; MCZ 16793, 17671�|2, 55718�|23 (55722 skeletonized); UF 21853�|4, 80108; USNM 25817�|8 (syntypes), 157378 (removed from stomach of syntype of Tropidophis bucculentus, USNM 12377).

Aristelliger cochranae (Gekkonidae)

AMNH 75975, 120481; BWMC 06160�|1, 06178�|89, 06195, 06199�|06220, 06230; KU 228580�|605; MCZ 29070�|5 (paratypes), 34641�|7, 141564�|72, 145595; UF 21857�|9; UMMZ 73630 (holotype), 73631 (n=3, paratopotypes) (Peters [1952], in his UMMZ type lists, erroneously listed the type series as 73760�|1, and that error has been promulgated repeatedly in the literature); USNM 84297.

Sphaerodactylus becki (Gekkonidae)

AMNH 12595 (holotype), 120482; BWMC 06158�|9, 06191�|2, 06223, 06227�|8, 06237�|8; KU 237211�|40; MCZ 29076�|7, 34401�|2, 55727�|30; UF 21855�|6; UMMZ 73632.

Cyclura o­nchiopsis (Iguanidae)

MCZ 4717 (cotype); USNM 9974 (holotype of C. nigerrima), 9977 (holotype of C. o­nchiopsis), 9978 (paratype), 12239 (paratype).

Anolis longiceps (Polychrotidae)

AMNH 12597 (holotype), 120483�|5; BWMC 06162�|77, 06193�|4, 06196, 06198, 06221; KU 259923�|49; MCZ 16187�|94, 16196�|7, 16794�|813, 16815�|32, 29061�|6 (29065�|6 skeletonized), 34833�|8, 55724�|6, 145590�|4, 29067�|9; UF 21860�|4, 116080�|1; UMMZ 56983, 57421 (n=6), 73655, 148907�|8 (skulls recatalogued from UMMZ 57421); USNM 65495�|6, 80889�|91.

Leiocephalus eremitus (Tropiduridae)

USNM 12016 (holotype).

Tropidophis bucculentus (Tropidophiidae)

ANSP 10281 (syntype); USNM 12370 (egg, rotted and destroyed), 12377 (3 syntypes).

Typhlops sulcatus (Typhlopidae)

USNM 12371 (holotype).

David L. Auth, Florida Museum of Natural History, Ronald I. Crombie, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Ted Daeschler, Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, Linda S. Ford, American Museum of Natural History, JosZ? A. Rosado, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Gregory E. Schneider, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, and John S. Simmons, University of Kansas Natural History Museum, provided information about Navassan specimens in their care.

 

Reptiles reported from Navassa Island.
Species known to be extant and from Navassa Island are listed in RED.

SpeciesStatus
Celestus badius Cope (Anguidae) Endemic; extant; abundant
Aristelliger cochranae Grant (Gekkonidae) Endemic; extant; abundant
Sphaerodactylus becki Schmidt (Gekkonidae) Endemic; extant; abundant
Sphaerodactylus cinereus Wagler (Gekkonidae) From Haiti, incorrectly attributed to Navassa1
Cyclura o­nchiopsis (Cope) (Iguanidae) Endemic; extinct
Anolis barbouri (Schmidt) (Polychrotidae) Formerly Chamaelinorops; from Haiti, incorrectly attributed to Navassa1
Anolis distichus Cope (Polychrotidae) From Haiti, incorrectly attributed to Navassa1
Anolis latirostris Schmidt (Polychrotidae) Based o­n a damaged specimen of A. coelestinus from Haiti, incorrectly attributed to Navassa1
Anolis longiceps Schmidt (Polychrotidae) Endemic; extant; abundant
Anolis semilineatus Cope (Polychrotidae) Originally reported as A. olssoni; from Haiti, incorrectly attributed to Navassa1
Ameiva navassae Schmidt (Teiidae) Based o­n a specimen of A. taeniura from Haiti, incorrectly attributed to Navassa1
Leiocephalus eremitus Cope (Tropiduridae) Presumably endemic; extinct
Tropidophis bucculentus (Cope) (Tropidophiidae) Presumably endemic; probably extinct
Typhlops sulcatus Cope (Typhlopidae) Presumably endemic; probably extirpated

1 Thomas (1966)

 

LINKS TO RELATED SITES

 

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF NAVASSA ISLAND

Listed are published references pertaining to Navassa Island or to species
of reptiles associated with the island.

Important herpetological references are in red.

 

Anonymous. 1998. First marine expedition to Navassa Island, U.S.A. Plant Press (Smithson. Inst.) n.s. 1(5):4.

Anonymous. 1999. Navassa Island�c Not your typical wildlife refuge. Flyer (Natl. Wildl. Ref. Assoc.) 25(4):1, 9.

Auffenberg, W. 1967. Notes o­n West Indian tortoises. Herpetologica 23:34�|44.

Bailey, J. R. 1937. A review of some recent Trophidophis material. Proc. New England Zool. Club 16:41�|52.

Barbour, T. 1937. Third list of Antillean reptiles and amphibians. Bull. Mus. Comp. Zos?l. 82:77�|166.

Barbour, T., and G.K. Noble. 1916. A revision of the lizards of the genus Cyclura. Bull. Mus. Comp. Zos?l. 60:139�|164 + 15 pl.

Boulenger, G. A. 1893. Catalogue of Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Vol. 1. Trustees of the British Museum, London. xiv + 448 pp.

Buck, W. R. 1999. Navassa Island and its flora. 1. History and bryophytes. Hausknechtia Beiheft 9 (Riclef-Frolle-Festschrift):61�|66.

Burne, R. V., W. T. Horsfield, and E. Robinson. 1974. The geology of Navassa Island. Carib. J. Sci. 14:109�|114.

Burns, D. J., H. R. Versey, and J. B. Williams. 1959. Appendix II. In G. R. Proctor, Observations o­n Navassa Island. Geonotes, Quart. J. Jamaica Grp. Geol. Assoc. 2:53�|54.

Clench, W. J. 1930. The Harvard Expedition to Navassa Island. Harvard Alumni Bull. 32:684�|687.

Cochran, D. M. 1941. The herpetology of Hispaniola. Bull. U.S. Natl. Mus. (177):vii + 398 p.

Cope, E. D. 1868. An examination of the Reptilia and Batrachia obtained by the Orton Expedition to Ecuador and the Upper Amazon, with notes o­n other species. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 20:96�|140.

Cope, E. D. 1885. The large iguanas of the Greater Antilles. Amer. Nat. 19:1005�|1006.

Cope, E. D. 1886. o­n the species of Iguanidae. Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. 23:261�|271.

D�fInvilliers, E. V. 1891. The phosphate deposits of the island of Navassa. Bull. Geol. Soc. Amer. 2:75�|84.

Ekman, E. L. 1929. Plants of Navassa Island, West Indies. Ark. Bot. 22A(16):1�|12 + 2 pl.

Fick, A. H. 1864. Report o­n the phosphatic mineral of Navassa Island, W. I. In Navassa Phosphate Company Report to Shareholders. Baltimore, Maryland.

Gaussoin, E. 1866. Memoir o­n the island of Navassa, (West Indies). Baltimore, Maryland.

Grant, C. 1931. A new species of Aristelliger from Navassa. J. Dept. Agric. Porto Rico 4:399�|400.

Hall, T. I. (comp.). 1889. The Navassa Island Riot. National Grand Tabernacle, Order of Galilean Fishermen, Baltimore, Maryland.

Hass, C. A. 1996. Relationships among West Indian geckos of the genus Sphaerodactylus: a preliminary analysis of mitochondrial 16S ribosomal RNA sequences, p. 175�|194. In R. Powell and R. W. Henderson (eds.), Contributions to West Indian Herpetology: A Tribute to Albert Schwartz. Soc. Study Amphib. Rept. Contrib. Herpetol. 12. Ithaca, New York.

Howard, A.K., R. Powell, and J.S. Parmerlee, Jr. 1999. Anolis barbouri. Cat. Amer. Amph. Rept. (692):1�|4.

Hurley, N. 1986. Navassa Island light, "where chickens o­nly miraculously survive the attacks of lizards." Manuscript, 5 pp.

Liebig, G. A. 1864. Report to Navassa Phosphate Company. In Navassa Phosphate Company Report to Shareholders. Baltimore, Maryland.

Mertens, R. 1939. Herpetologische Ergebnisse einer Reise nach der Insel Hispaniola, Westindien. Abh. Senckenb. Naturfor. Ges. (449):1�|84 + 10 pl.

Nichols, R.F. 1933. Navassa: a forgotten acquistion. Amer. Hist. Rev. 38:505�|510.

Noble, G. K., and G. C. Klingel. 1932. The reptiles of Great Inagua Island, British West Indies. Amer. Mus. Novit. (549):1�|25.

Patton, T. H. 1967 (1968), Fossil vertebrates from Navassa Island, W. I. Quart. J. Florida Acad. Sci. 30:59�|60.

Powell, R. 1993. Comments o­n the taxonomic arrangement of some Hispaniolan amphibians and reptiles. Herpetol. Rev. 24:135�|137.

Powell, R. 1999. Herpetology of Navassa Island, West Indies. Carib. J. Sci. 35:1�|13.

Powell, R. 1999. Sphaerodactylus becki. Cat. Amer. Amph. Rept. (697):1�|2.

Powell, R. 1999. Leiocephalus eremitus. Cat. Amer. Amph. Rept. (696):1�|2.

Powell, R. 1999. Celestus badius. Cat. Amer. Amph. Rept. (694):1�|2.

Powell, R. 1999. Anolis longiceps. Cat. Amer. Amph. Rept. (693):1�|2.

Powell, R. 2000. Cyclura o­nchiopsis. Cat. Amer. Amph. Rept. (710):1�|3.

Powell, R. 2002. Tropidophis bucculentus. Cat. Amer. Amphib. Rept. (760):1�|3.

Powell, R., and R. W. Henderson. 1996. A brief history of West Indian herpetology, p. 29�|50. In R. Powell and R. W. Henderson (eds.), Contributions to West Indian Herpetology: A Tribute to Albert Schwartz. Soc. Study Amphib. Rept. Contrib. Herpetol. 12. Ithaca, New York.

Powell, R., R. W. Henderson, K. Adler, and H. A. Dundee. 1996. An annotated checklist of West Indian amphibians and reptiles, p. 51�|93 + 8 pl. In R. Powell and R. W. Henderson (eds.), Contributions to West Indian Herpetology: A Tribute to Albert Schwartz. Soc. Study Amphib. Rept. Contrib. Herpetol. 12. Ithaca, New York.

Powell, R., J. A. Ottenwalder, and S. J. Inchňustegui. 1999. The Hispaniolan herpetofauna: diversity, endemism, and historical perspectives, with comments o­n Navassa Island, p. 93�|163. In B. I. Crother (ed.), Caribbean Amphibians and Reptiles. Academic Press, San Diego and New York.

Pregill, G. K. 1992. Systematics of the West Indian lizard genus Leiocephalus (Squamata: Iguania: Tropiduridae). Univ. Kansas Mus. Nat. Hist. Misc. Publ. (84):1�|69.

Proctor, G. R. 1959. Observations o­n Navassa Island. Geonotes, Quart. J. Jamaica Grp. Geol. Assoc. 2:49�|51.

Putnam, G. R. 1918. An important new guide for shipping: Navassa Light, o­n a barren island in the West Indies, is the first signal for the Panama
Canal. Natl. Geogr. Mag. 34:401�|406.

Putnam, G. R. 1918. An important new guide for shipping. Navassa Light, o­n a barren island in the West Indies, is the first signal for the
Panama Canal. Natl. Geogr. 36:401-406.

Rohter, L. 1998. Port-au-Prince journal: Whose rock is it? And, yes, the Haitians care. New York Times, Oct. 19:A4.

Schmidt, K. P. 1919. Descriptions of new amphibians and reptiles from Santo Domingo and Navassa. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 41:519�|525.

Schmidt, K. P. 1921. The herpetology of Navassa Island. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 44:555�|559.

Schwartz, A. 1964. Diploglossus costatus Cope (Sauria, Anguidae) and its relatives in Hispaniola. Reading Pub. Mus. Art Gall. Sci. Publ. (13):1�|57.

Schwartz, A., and M. Carey. 1977. Systematics and evolution in the West Indian iguanid genus Cyclura. Stud. Fauna Cura?ao Carib. Isl. 53:15�|97.

Schwartz, A., and R. W. Henderson. 1991. Amphibians and Reptiles of the West Indies: Descriptions, Distributions, and Natural History. Univ. Florida Press, Gainesville. xvi + 720 pp.

Schwartz, A., and R. Thomas. 1975. A check-list of West Indian amphibians and reptiles. Carnegie Mus. Nat. Hist. Spec. Publ. (1):1�|216.

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Stayman, A. P. and D. S. North. 1998. Navassa survey discovers a biological treasure. People, Land & Water 5(7):30.

Steiner, W. E., Jr. and O. S. Flint, Jr. 1999. Dragonflies o­n Navassa Island. Argia 11:19�|21.

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Inst.) 12(9):3�|4.

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Swearingen, J. 1999. Natural history o­n a little-known island: cracking Navassa�fs oyster. Park Sci. 19(2):5�|7.

Thomas, R. 1966. A reassessment of the herpetofauna of Navassa Island. J. Ohio Herpetol. Soc. 5:73�|89.

Thomas, R., and R. Powell. 1994. Typhlops sulcatus. Cat. Amer. Amphib. Rept. (597):1�|2.

Tryon, G. W. 1866. o­n the terrestrial Mollusca of the guano island of Navassa. Amer. J. Conchol. 2:304�|305.

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