List of reptiles of Trinidad and Tobago

This list of reptiles of Trinidad and Tobago is derived from The Reptile Database which includes a total of 116 species of reptiles recorded on Trinidad, The reptiles of Trinidad are made up of 55 species of snakes, 49 species of lizards, 3 species of crocodilians and 14 species of turtles.[1]

On the island of Tobago, 57 species of reptiles were recorded.

Table of contents
Turtles: Cheloniidae · Dermochelyidae · Emydidae · Geoemydidae · Kinosternidae · Podocnemididae · Testudinidae
Crocodilians: Alligatoridae · Crocodylidae
Lizards: Amphisbaenidae · Dactyloidae · Gekkonidae · Gymnophthalmidae · Iguanidae · Phyllodactylidae · Polychrotidae · Scincidae · Sphaerodactylidae · Teiidae · Tropiduridae
Snakes: Aniliidae · Anomalepididae · Boidae · Colubridae · Dipsadidae · Elapidae · Leptotyphlopidae · Typhlopidae · Viperidae
References

Turtles (Testudines)

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Trinidad has a total of 14 species of turtles that are grouped into 7 families. Among them, there are 5 marine species, almost all of them in danger of extinction.[2]

Tobago has a total of 7 species of turtle that are grouped into 4 families.[3]

Cheloniidae

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Chelonia mydas
Eretmochelys imbricata

Order: Testudines · Family: Cheloniidae

Sea turtles (Cheloniidae) are a family of large turtles found in all tropical seas and some subtropical and temperate seas. Sea turtles developed from land turtles about 120 million years ago and are well adapted to life in the sea. They feed mainly on jellyfish, crustaceans and squid. 4 chelonids were recorded in both Trinidad and Tobago.

Dermochelyidae

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Dermochelys coriacea

Order: Testudines · Family: Dermochelyidae

The leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) is the largest of all existing turtles and can reach a length of 2 metres (6.6 ft) and a weight of more than 600 kilograms (1,300 lb). It is found in all tropical or subtropical seas. Unlike most sea turtles, leatherbacks are often found in the colder waters of temperate zones. It is the only extant species of the Dermochelyidae family and is considered critically endangered. All other species in this family are only known as fossils. This species occurs in both Trinidad and Tobago.

Chelidae

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Chelus fimbriata

Order: Testudines · Family: Chelidae

Emydidae

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Trachemys scripta

Order: Testudines · Family: Emydidae

The emydidae (Emydidae) are a family of carnivorous aquatic and semi-aquatic turtles. They live most of the time in ponds, reservoirs and rivers, coming to land when they have to find suitable places to lay their eggs. This family is made up of 10 genera that contain more than 50 species. One of them occurs in Trinidad.

Geoemydidae

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Rhinoclemmys punctularia

Order: Testudines · Family: Geoemydidae

Kinosternidae

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Order Testudines · Family: Kinosternidae

Podocnemididae

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Podocnemis expansa

Order: Testudines · Family: Podocnemididae

Testudinidae

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Order: Testudines · Family: Testudinidae

Crocodilians (Crocodylia)

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Alligatoridae

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Caiman crocodilus

Order: Crocodylia · Family: Alligatoridae

The alligatoridae (Alligatoridae) are a family of crocodilian sauropsids (reptiles) native to the Americas, including alligators and caimans. It includes the extant genera Alligator, Caiman, Melanosuchus and Paleosuchus, as well as numerous extinct genera. Of the 7 species that inhabit America, 2 occur in Trinidad.

Crocodylidae

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Crocodylus acutus
Crocodylus intermedius

Order: Crocodylia · Family: Crocodylidae

Crocodilians (Crocodylidae) are a family of archosaur sauropsids (reptiles) commonly known as crocodiles. This family includes 14 species of large semi-aquatic reptiles that inhabit tropical areas of the world. Crocodiles tend to congregate in freshwater habitats, such as rivers, lakes, wetlands, and sometimes brackish water. They are ambush hunters who usually wait for their prey, generally fish or land animals, to approach, before attacking them. They feed mainly on vertebrates such as fish, reptiles and mammals, and sometimes invertebrates such as mollusks and crustaceans, depending on the species. As cold-blooded predators, they have a slow metabolism and can therefore survive long periods without food. Despite their slow appearance, crocodiles are very fast over short distances, even out of water. However, these 2 species are considered waifs to the island. Meaning, that Trinidad and Tobago is not in their natural distribution. With these two species likely coming in from the surrounding waterways of Venezuela.

Lizards (Squamata - suborder Lacertilia)

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In Trinidad, 49 species of lizards were recorded, which are grouped into 11 families.

Amphisbaenidae

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Amphisbaena alba

Order: Squamata · Family: Amphisbaenidae

Dactyloidae

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Anolis extremus

Order: Squamata · Family: Dactyloidae

Gekkonidae

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Hemidactylus mabouia

Order: Squamata · Family: Gekkonidae

Gymnophthalmidae

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Order: Squamata · Family: Gymnophthalmidae

Iguanidae

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Iguana iguana

Order: Squamata · Family: Iguanidae

Phyllodactylidae

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Order: Squamata · Family: Phyllodactylidae

Scincidae

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Order: Squamata · Family: Scincidae

Sphaerodactylidae

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Gonatodes albogularis

Order: Squamata · Family: Sphaerodactylidae

Teiidae

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Ameiva ameiva

Order: Squamata · Family: Teiidae

Tropiduridae

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Order: Squamata · Family: Tropiduridae

Snakes (Squamata - suborder Serpentes)

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See also: List of snakes of Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad has 55 species of snakes, grouped into 10 families.[4]

Aniliidae

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Anilius scytale

Order: Squamata · Family: Aniliidae

  • Anilius scytale (Linnaeus, 1758)

Anomalepididae

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Order: Squamata · Family: Anomalepididae

Colubridae

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Leptophis ahaetulla
Pseustes poecilonotus

Order: Squamata · Family: Colubridae

Boidae

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Epicrates cenchria

Order: Squamata · Family: Boidae

Dipsadidae

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Clelia clelia

Order: Squamata · Family: Dipsadidae

Elapidae

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Order: Squamata · Family: Elapidae

Leptotyphlopidae

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Epictia goudotii

Order: Squamata · Family: Leptotyphlopidae

Typhlopidae

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Order: Squamata · Family: Typhlopidae

Viperidae

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Bothrops atrox

Order: Squamata · Family: Viperidae

References

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  1. ^ Uetz, P. & Jirí Hošek (ed.). "Trinidad". The Reptile Database. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  2. ^ Uetz, P. & Jirí Hošek (ed.). "Testudines Trinidad". The Reptile Database. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  3. ^ Uetz, P. & Jirí Hošek (ed.). "Testudines Tobago". The Reptile Database. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  4. ^ Uetz, P. & Jirí Hošek (ed.). "Serpentes Trinidad". The Reptile Database. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
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