St. Croix Ground Lizard
Ameiva polops
Hotel on the Cay signed a cooperative agreement in 2005 with the U.S. Division of Fish & Wildlife Service to work with the agency to protect the critical habitat of this highly Endangered species. The cooperative agreement, a first time ever between the federal agency and private entity, has served as a model for other such partnerships throughout the United States.
The St. Croix Ground Lizard is one of the most Endangered species in the world. It was thought to be extinct on St. Croix during the 20th century, but in the late 1960’s a remnant population was observed on a beach north of Frederiksted on the west end of St. Croix. In 1977, Protestant Cay was designated by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service as one of two protected critical habitats (and only commercial cay) for the Endangered St. Croix Ground Lizard. Currently there are also populations on the uninhabited islands of Ruth Cay and Green Cay. In 2008, a small population of Ameiva was translocated from Green Cay to uninhabited Buck Island where the founder population has doubled in size.
The reasons for the lizard’s dramatic decline are associated with St. Croix’s sugar cane industry. Much of the native forest was cleared to make way for the sugar cane crop, and at the same time the Small Indian Mongoose was introduced from Asia, purportedly to control the rats in the sugar cane fields. The mongoose, however, is active during the day, while the rat is active at night, and so both non-native species were able to, and still do, coexist. The mongoose did have a devastating impact on native species, resulting in one species of snake (which was completely harmless and yet did eat rats) becoming extinct and the St Croix ground lizard disappearing from the main island.
The St. Croix Ground lizard is a sun-loving lizard which can reach up to 8” in length. Its tail often measures twice its body length. The males can be identified with a turquoise blue belly and orange throats, and both male and female sport blue and black ring tail markings.
These beautiful lizards have powerful claws which they use for scavenging during the day around their burrows. Although their claws are formidable, they do not climb. They can be seen in most areas of Protestant Cay, a sub tropical dry forest, especially where dappled sunlight is present and in areas with light leaf litter and woody debris. Despite their long bifid tongue, the species is totally harmless and defenseless.
Ongoing efforts are in place to control and/or eliminate predation of the ground lizards by the population of cattle egrets roosting and nesting on Protestant Cay. The remaining ground lizard population (numbered under 200), are an exciting sight to travelers and biologists from around the world. Plans are currently underway to restore coastal habitats on the cay that will increase cover and foraging opportunities for the lizard, as well as provide viewing opportunities of this incredibly rare endangered species for visitors to the cay.
Please approach these shy creatures quietly or sit in areas where they are known to habituate. Listening for the rustle of leaf litter will help in your search. Patience, good photography skills and a measure of luck will result in amazing photos of these beautiful creatures teetering on extinction.
Agave eggersiana:
Egger’s Century Plant, Agave eggersiana, is found nowhere else but St. Croix and her satellite islands. This is a very large plant whose flower stalk can grow up to 7 m (21 feet), producing yellow tubular flowers that provide nectar for hummingbirds, banana quits, bees, and many, many other wildlife species. Century plants bloom only once in their lifetime, providing them with only one opportunity to reproduce!
This plant grows on dry, exposed areas and are highly vulnerable to trampling from goats and other animals. Coastal development has led to the decline in habitat for this species. Because it takes many years to reach maturity, the plant is extremely vulnerable to many habitat impacts.
One cause of concern with regards to this species is the introduction of pest species not native to St. Croix. A counterpart of the Egger’s Century Plant on St. Thomas and St. John, the Mission Agave, Agave missionum, succumbed to predation from a beetle accidentally imported with ornamental agaves from the Southeast US. Many young plants died, and the populations have yet to fully recover.
This plant is critically endangered, with only a few isolated individuals remaining. It is being maintained in horticultural collections such as the St. George Village Botanical Gardens on St. Croix, an affiliate member of the Center for Plant Conservation. Wild populations such as the one on Protestant Cay are critical for the future of this species.
Renata Platenberg, PhD
Reptile Ecologist/Wildlife Biologist
Endangered Species Coordinator
Division of Fish and Wildlife
These magnificent plants were recently uncovered while clearing the north slope of Protestant Cay. This spring, three of the mature plants bloomed at the same time producing spectacular yellow blossoms on a sturdy stalk twenty feet in height. As the stalks dried and fell to the ground, the blossoms become clones of the parent plants and dropped off to root. There is now a large population of Agave eggersiana on the rocky slopes of Protestant Cay that have attracted a number of biologists from U.S. Fish & Wildlife Division for study.
White-crowned Pigeon:
The White-crowned Pigeon Patagioenas leucocephala is locally endangered in the Virgin Islands. Native to the Caribbean, this bird is resident in the Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, and Antigua, and rarer in Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and other Caribbean islands.
This shy bird requires two distinct habitats: one for breeding and one for foraging. It typically breeds in coastal red mangroves, including around the USVI salt ponds. Being skittish, these birds will abandon their nest if disturbed. The pigeon feeds on fruits, seeds, and insects in low-lying forested habitats.
The main threats to this species are hunting and habitat loss. In the USVI this bird is protected from hunting, and the protection of their mangrove breeding sites from disturbance and encroachment is important for the conservation of this species. There are several breeding sites on St. Croix that are off-limits to visitors during the breeding season.
Renata Platenberg, PhD
Reptile Ecologist/Wildlife Biologist
Endangered Species Coordinator
Division of Fish and Wildlife
In the past few months, these “birds with white hats” as guests call them, have decided Protestant Cay is a great place to hang out. We are watching for signs of nest building as the population has grown dramatically over the past few months, adding another exciting yet Endangered species to our tropical paradise. Please view from a distance or approach quietly as they are very shy.
Other Images
White Heron
The Century Plant in bloom
