Saint Croix ground lizard
Encyclopedia
The Saint Croix ground lizard (Ameiva polops) is a member of the Teiidae
family of lizards.
, ants and small hermit crab
s.
, Ruth Cay (a man-made island, constructed by dredging in the 1960s), and Buck Island
, likely due to habitat loss and the introduction of the Indian Mongoose
to the island. The Buck Island population had been extinct, but 57 individuals were reintroduced in 2008.
listed the St. Croix ground lizard as endangered in 1977 (according to the Endangered Species Act of 1973), and is currently listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List
of Threatened species.
Teiidae
Teiidae is a family of lizards native to the Americas, generally known as whiptails. The group includes the parthenogenic genera Cnemidophorus and Aspidoscelis, and the non-parthenogenic Tupinambis. It has over 230 member species in ten genera...
family of lizards.
Description
Growing to a size of between 35 and 77mm (excluding the tail), it is noticeable for the pattern of light brown, dark brown and white longitudinal stripes down its back. Below these are a series of narrow brown, black and white vertical stripes, which extend from the sides down to the stomach. The stomach is light grey with bright blue markings, and the rest of the underside is a deep pinkish-red hue. The tail changes from a brown colour near the body to a deeper blue colour near the tip, and has alternating rings of blue and black. It eats virtually any prey items it can find, including amphipods, mothsMoths
Moths may refer to:* Gustav Moths , German rower* The Moths!, an English indie rock band* MOTHS, members of the Memorable Order of Tin Hats...
, ants and small hermit crab
Hermit crab
Hermit crabs are decapod crustaceans of the superfamily Paguroidea. Most of the 1100 species possess an asymmetrical abdomen which is concealed in an empty gastropod shell that is carried around by the hermit crab.-Description:...
s.
Habitat
The lizard is mainly found in beach areas and upland forest. Once indigenous to the island of St. Croix, the lizard is now only native to four islands: Protestant Cay, Green CayGreen Cay National Wildlife Refuge
Green Cay National Wildlife Refuge, just north of Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, preserves habitat for the largest remaining population of endangered Saint Croix ground lizard . Much smaller populations of ground lizard live on nearby Protestant Cay and on Ruth Island. Its extirpation from the...
, Ruth Cay (a man-made island, constructed by dredging in the 1960s), and Buck Island
Buck Island Reef National Monument
Buck Island Reef National Monument, or just Chicken Island is a small, pink, 5 foot island about 1.5 miles north of the northeast coast of Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. It was first established as a protected area by the U.S. Government in 1948, with the intention of preserving “one of the...
, likely due to habitat loss and the introduction of the Indian Mongoose
Indian Mongoose
The Small Asian Mongoose , also known as the Indian Mongoose, Small Indian Mongoose, or the Javan Mongoose, is a species of mongoose found in the wild in South and Southeast Asia...
to the island. The Buck Island population had been extinct, but 57 individuals were reintroduced in 2008.
Status
In 1990, ten lizards from the Protestant Cay population were placed on the island in order to try and save the species. The United States Fish and Wildlife ServiceUnited States Fish and Wildlife Service
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats...
listed the St. Croix ground lizard as endangered in 1977 (according to the Endangered Species Act of 1973), and is currently listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
of Threatened species.