Jamaica
Birds
found nowhere
else than Jamaica include the Yellow-billed Amazon (ARKive),
the Black-billed Amazon (ARKive),
the
Crested Quail-Dove (IBC), the Ring-tailed Pigeon
(flickr),
the Jamaican
Lizard-Cuckoo (flickr),
the
Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo (flickr), the
Jamaican
Woodpecker (Mangoverde),
the
Jamaican Tody (IBC),
the
Jamaican Owl (Owl
Pages), the
Jamaican Mango (flickr),
the
Jamaican Spindalis (Steve
Metz), the Jamaican Euphonia (IBC),
the White-eyed Thrush (Cockpit
Country), and the Jamaican
Paraque (BirdLife
Int'l). Birds representing endemic genera include
the Red-billed Streamertail (Amazilia),
the
Yellow-shouldered Grassquit (flickr),
the
Orangequit (flickr),
and the
Jamaican Blackbird (ARKive).
Mammals unique to Jamaica include the Jamaican Hutia (ARKive),
the Jamaican Fig-eating Bat Ariteus
flavescens (Mammalian
Species pdf file), the Jamaican Flower Bat Phyllonycteris
aphylla (p. 66 of UNL
4 MB pdf file), the Jamaican Greater Funnel-eared Bat Natalus jamaicensis (EDGE),
and the Jamaican Red Bat Lasiurus degelidus (p. 101 of UNL
4 MB
pdf file).
Reptiles restricted to Jamaica include the Jamaican Iguana Cyclura collei (IIF),
the Jamaican Twig Anole Anolis
(or Norops)
valencienni
(Saumfinger.de),
the Bluefields Anole Anolis
(or Norops)
opalinus
(Amazilia),
the Blue Mountain Anole Anolis
reconditus (Caribherp),
the Jamaican Giant Gecko Tarentola
albertschwartzi (Caribherp),
a dwarf gecko Sphaerodactylus
semasiops (Caribherp),
the Jamaican Ameiva Ameiva
dorsalis (flickr),
the Jamaican
Skink Spondylurus fulgidus (Penn
State Univ.), the
Limestone
Forest Galliwasp Celestus
barbouri (Caribherp),
the Jamaican
Boa Epicrates
subflavus (ARKive),
the Jamaican Racer Hypsirhynchus
ater (Caribherp),
and the Jamaican
Blindsnake Typhlops
jamaicensis (Caribherp).
All of Jamaica's native amphibians are endemic including the Jamaican
Peak Frog Eleutherodactylus
alticola (Caribherp),
the Jamaican Cave
Frog Eleutherodactylus
cundalli (ARKive),
the Western Yellow-bellied Frog Eleutherodactylus
pantoni (Mel
J. Rivera), the Jamaican Masked Frog Eleutherodactylus luteolus
(ARKive),
the Jamaican
Laughing Treefrog Osteopilus
brunneus (flickr),
and the Jamaican
Snoring Treefrog Osteopilus
crucialis (Caribherp).
Freshwater fish known solely from Jamaica include the Striped Gambusia Gambusia melapleura (FishBase),
Wray’s Gambusia Gambusia
wrayi (Brian
Langerhans), the Blackbelly Limia Limia melanogaster (FishBase),
the Jamaican Killifish Cubanichthys
pengelleyi (It
Rains Fish), and the Blue Poecilia Poecilia caudofasciata
(fig. 6 at BHL).
Butterflies exclusively found in Jamaica include the Giant Swallowtail (Butterflies
of America), the Thersites Swallowtail (Butterflies
of America), the Jamaican Kite (ATL
pdf file), the Jamaican Checkerspot (Butterflies
of America), the Jamaican Flasher (Butterflies
of America), the Jamaican Callisto (Butterflies
of America), the Jamaican Satyr (flickr),
and Turner's Skipper Troyus
turneri (Butterflies
of America).
Other endemic invertebrates include a
tiger moth Idalus
delicata (Moths
of Jamaica), an extinct dayflying moth Urania sloanus (NHM-London),
a damselfly Hypolestes
clara (Pinterest),
a longhorned beetle Eburia
jamaicae (Smithsonian),
a cave-dwelling ground beetle Colpodes
cavicola (Harvard),
a grasshopper Dellia
karstica (Jamaican
Biotic Survey), the Jamaican Cavefly Neoditomyia
farri (ARKive),
a cave-dwelling velvetworm Speleoperipatus
spelaeus
(ARKive),
and the Jamaican Bromeliad Crab Metopaulias
depressus
(ScienceMedia).
Jamaica has 505 endemic terrestrial molluscs including all of
the helicinid snails (Jamaican
Biotic Survey) and annulariid snails (Jamaican
Biotic Survey).
Among over 900 vascular plant species unique to Jamaica are the
palms Thrinax
excelsa (Wikipedia),
Calyptronoma occidentalis
(PACSOA),
and Roystonea
princeps (flickr).
Endemic orchids include Tolumnia
triquetra (IOPSE),
Broughtonia
sanguinea (flickr),
Pleurothallis
hirsutula (IOPSE),
and Lepanthes obtusa
(IOPSE).
Other endemic plants include a
cactus Disocactus alatus
(Cal's
Plant of the Week), a bromeliad Tillandsia
adamsii (fcbs),
Wercklea flavovirens
(ARKive),
the
Aluminum Plant Pilea
grandifolia (TopTropicals.com),
Carica jamaicensis
(ARKive),
Begonia minor
(flickr),
and Brunfelsia
jamaicensis (ARKive).
Endemic plant genera include Portlandia
(ARKive),
Salpixantha
(eol),
Tetrasiphon
(ARKive),
Acanthodesmos
(JSTOR),
Odontocline (JSTOR
as Senecio
tercentenariae), Zemisia (Internet
Archive), and
Dendrocousinsia
(BHL).
Jamaica is part of the Caribbean Islands biodiversity hotspot (Biodiversity
Hotspots). Terrestrial ecoregions include the
Jamaican Moist Forests (EoE) and the
Jamaican Dry Forests (EoE).