Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Wildlife of Puerto Rico
Seeking out the wildlife in Puerto Rico can be rewarding, if you're determined, as the is-
land's tropical environment and high endemism (that's fancy talk for the characteristic of
having lots of endemic species) allows visitors to see things that exist nowhere else on earth.
The island's jungle mountains and surreal variety of terrain - including some of the wettest
and driest forests in the subtropical climate - have a bit of everything. Still, the pleasure for
animal lovers will come in modest doses - there are no huge wild beasts, nor skies filled with
a riot of brightly colored exotic birds. To get a sense of the quiet charms offered by Puerto
Rico's wildlife, consider the island's most famous creature, the humble common coquí. The
nocturnal serenade of this small endemic frog is the sound of the island, an ever-present re-
minder of the island's precious natural environment.
Amphibians & Reptiles
The endless coastline of Puerto Rico is one of its most inviting environments to both human
and animal visitors. The most exciting fauna lives along the island's coast. Despite heavy
coastal development (see the boxed text,
Click here
), a handful of the island's beaches are
still nesting sites for two of the world's most critically endangered turtles, the hawksbill
and leatherback sea turtles. An excellent place to view the nesting process is on the isolated
northern beaches of the island of Culebra (
Click here
).
Above and below ground, and under water,
Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands Wildlife Viewing
by David W Nellis gives you all the
facts on the flora and fauna of Puerto Rico.
The hawksbill and leatherback sea turtles are among the 25 species of amphibians and
61 reptiles on the island - one of the most diverse collections of such animals in the world.
Certainly the most famous amphibian is the tiny but highly vocal coquí frog (its distinctive
nighttime croak has been measured at 10 decibels), which has been adopted as a national
symbol.
Iguanas are often kept as semiwild pets and pose unlikely obstacles on numerous Puerto
Rican golf courses. The most notable wild species is the Mona ground iguana, which still
survives in large numbers on the western island of Mona - often dubbed the Galápagos of
the Caribbean because of its unique biological diversity. You'll find other iguana's lazily
eyeing your lunch at outdoor cafes on Vieques and Culebra, domesticated to the point where
French fries from tourists seem to comprise most of their diet. Refrain from feeding iguanas,
however, as food for humans can kill them.
