Aruba
Endemic reptiles include the Aruba Leaf-toed Gecko Phyllodactylus julieni (DCSR) (iNaturalist), the Aruba Whiptail Cnemidophorus arubensis (DCSR) (p. 48 of (DCBD pdf), and the Aruba Island Rattlesnake Crotalus unicolor (ARKive WM) (iNaturalist).
The
Aruba Brown-throated Parakeet Eupsittula
pertinax arubensis (DCSR)
(iNaturalist)
is an endemic subspecies.
Invertebrates unique to the island include the longhorned
beetle Urgleptes
hummelincki (Internet
Archive), a darkling beetle Stictodera gridelli
(Internet
Archive), a flattie spider Selenops arikok (GBIF)
(DCSR),
a rock bristletail Meinertellus
xerophilus (Internet
Archive), a scorpion Centruroides
simplex (ResearchGate),
a pseudoscorpion Pachychernes
corticalis (p. 3 of Zool.
Med Leiden WM pdf), a cave-dwelling
silverfish Anelpistina
arubana
(Wikispecies)
(BHL),
the freshwater isopods Arubolana
imula (fig. D at BHL)
and Stygocyathura
hummelincki (Internet
Archive), a copepod Metacyclops
mutatus (Internet
Archive), a sponge Dercitus
arubensis (ZooKeys),
and several land snails: Cerion
arubanum (Femorale
WM),
Neosubulina (or Leptinaria) scopulorum (figs. 1-2 at ResearchGate)
(Internet
Archive), Cistulops
arubana (Femorale
WM),
Hojeda vanattai
(Plate
5 at ResearchGate), and Brachypodella
arubana (fig. 70 at Internet
Archive).
Among
the marine
molluscs known only
from Aruban waters are the cone shells Conus
curassaviensis (Eddie
Hardy), Tenorioconus
monicae (ResearchGate),
Conus
wendrosi (Femorale
WM), Conus
vantwoudti (Femorale
WM), Jaspidiconus booti
(fig. b at BHL),
Conasprella hendrikae
(figs. 1A-D at ResearchGate),
and Conus
hieroglyphus (IUCN).
Other endemic marine molluscs include Gibberula arubagrandis
(BHL),
Granulina plagula
(BHL),
Splendrillia stellae
(GBIF),
Cerodrillia arubensis
(GBIF),
and Eratoidea infera
(GBIF).
Plants unique to Aruba include a cactus Melocactus stramineus
(iNaturalist)
and the agaves Agave
rutteniae (fhirt)
and Agave arubensis
(fhirt)
(overheid.aw
WM).
Aruba is included in the Caribbean Islands biodiversity hotspot
(Biodiversity
Hotspots WM) and is part of the
Aruba-Curaçao-Bonaire
Cactus Scrub ecoregion (EoE). A checklist of
endemic taxa can be found at (DCBL
WM
pdf) and at (DCSR).