Barbados

América del Norte

119

Documented species

Parks and reserves

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Barbados is a singular island in the eastern Caribbean because it is not volcanic in origin like its neighbours, but is formed by a cap of coral limestone raised on top of marine sediments. That permeable nature explains why there are practically no surface rivers and why the water moves through a system of caves and underground cavities, such as Harrison's Cave. The original forest cover disappeared almost entirely with sugar cane cultivation, and today only a small remnant of mature woodland is left at Turner's Hall. The west coast keeps reefs and seagrass meadows where turtles feed, and the island's beaches support one of the most important hawksbill turtle nesting populations in the whole Caribbean.

The nature of Barbados

National animal: The brown pelican, the country's emblematic bird, linked to the islet that gave its port its name

Did you know?

The Barbados threadsnake is the smallest snake in the world: it measures around ten centimetres, is as thin as a strand of spaghetti and fits coiled on a coin. It was formally described in 2008 and its biology is as extreme as its size, since the female lays a single egg from which hatches a young snake that takes up more than half the length of its mother.

Biodiversity profile

Caribe (Antillas Menores, Islas de Barlovento)Dato no disponible con precision en fuentes verificadas consultadas

Climate

•Tropical con estacion seca (Aw), isla relativamente plana rodeada de arrecifes de coral

Main biomes

•Vegetacion costera y matorral tropical sobre terreno calizo elevado (terrazas coralinas)
•Escasos remanentes de bosque original, en gran parte sustituido por agricultura historica de caña de azucar
•Caliza coralina levantada
•Cueva y río subterráneo
•Arrecife de coral
•Pradera marina
•Bosque maduro residual
•Playa de puesta de tortugas
•Matorral costero

Marine and coastal ecosystems

•Arrecifes de coral perimetrales que rodean la isla
•Playas de anidacion de tortugas marinas

Flagship wildlife

•Anolis de Barbados (endemico)
•Tortuga marina verde y carey (anidacion estacional)
•Aves marinas costeras
•Serpiente hilo de Barbados
•Tortuga carey
•Pelícano pardo
•Mono verde
•Tortuga verde
•Colibrí garganta de rubí
•Rabijunco colirrojo
•Pez volador
•Erizo blanco
•Garza real

Notable endemic species

•Anolis de Barbados (Anolis extremus), introducido en otras islas del Caribe oriental como Santa Lucia
•Endemismo relativamente bajo debido a la topografia plana y la larga historia de transformacion agricola de la isla
•Serpiente hilo de Barbados
•Mapache de Barbados, extinto

Notable threatened species

•Dato no disponible con precision agregada en fuentes verificadas consultadas

Notable protected areas

•Dato no disponible con precision en fuentes verificadas consultadas
•Cuevas de Harrison
•Bosque de Turner's Hall
•Reserva de Vida Silvestre de Barbados
•Parque Nacional de Farley Hill
•Costa de Carlisle Bay
•Flower Forest

Main conservation threats

•Perdida historica extensa de vegetacion nativa por la agricultura de caña de azucar desde la epoca colonial
•Presion de desarrollo costero y turistico sobre arrecifes de coral
•Huracanes tropicales

Conservation

The island's turtle conservation project, running since 1987, has multiplied the nesting hawksbill population and maintains a permanent rescue service for hatchlings disorientated by hotel lights. The flying fish, a culinary and cultural symbol of the country, is the subject of regional fishing agreements.

Where and when to watch wildlife

The west coast beaches between May and October for hawksbill turtle nesting. Turner's Hall at dawn for birds and green monkeys. Carlisle Bay year-round for turtles in the water.

Barbados presenta informacion cuantitativa de biodiversidad especialmente limitada en las fuentes consultadas, en parte por su reducido tamaño y su larga historia de transformacion agricola.

Sources: Wikipedia - List of amphibians and reptiles of Saint Lucia (referencia cruzada al anolis de Barbados) | The Commonwealth - Caribbean and Americas

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