British Virgin Islands
Reptiles found only in the British Virgin Islands include the Anegada Ground Iguana Cyclura pinguis (ARKive WM) (IUCN), the Virgin Gorda Least Gecko Sphaerodactylus parthenopion (Wikipedia), the Carrot Rock Anole Anolis ernestwilliamsi (Anole Annals) (caribherp WM), the Carrot Rock Skink Spondylurus macleani (Google Books) (BHL), the Anegada Skink Spondylurus anegadae (iNaturalist) (flickr), and two worm snakes: Antillotyphlops naugus (caribherp WM) (iNaturalist) and Antillotyphlops catapontus (iNaturalist) (p. 135 of IRF WM pdf).
The
sole endemic frog, the Virgin
Islands Coqui Eleutherodactylus
schwartzi (IUCN)
(YouTube) formerly also lived in the U.S.
Virgin Islands, but now survives only on Tortola, Jost Van
Dyke, and Virgin
Gorda.
Insects unique to the British Virgin Islands include the
Anegada Calisto Calisto
anegadensis (Butterflies
of America), the Anegada Skipperling Copaeodes
eoa (p. 16 of FM
pdf), an owlet moth Perigea
gloria (BOLD)
(BHL),
the tortrix moths Episimus
chica and Episimus
vixenus (both on p. 28 of ISEZ
PAN WM pdf),
a nepticulid moth Stigmella virginica (GBIF), a braconid wasp Coiba
guanaensis (USNM),
the
darkling beetles Xerolinus
camanoensis (PLAZI)
and Adelina mystax
(Internet
Archive),
a
weevil Sicoderus
vanini (GBIF),
and a planthopper Parthenormenis
sanctae-ursulae (BHL).
Other
endemic invertebrates include the
goblin spiders Longoonops
gorda (AMNH WM)
and Stenoonops tortola
(AMNH WM),
a caponiid spider Nops
finisfurvus (ResearchGate),
a tarantula Cyrtopholis flavostriata (GBIF), a scorpion Microtityus
eustatia (ResearchGate),
a centipede Polycricus
bredini (CHILOBASE)
(BHL), the marine snails Eratoidea
gorda (GBIF) and Parviturbo zylmanae (fig. 31 at ZENODO pdf),
an amphipod crustacean Podocerus
jareckii (BHL),
a leptostracan crustacean Saronebalia guanensis (nhm.org pdf), and several shrimps: Pseudalpheopsis
guana (Semantic
Scholar),
Alpheus zimmermani
(Semantic
Scholar),
and Microprosthema
jareckii (BHL).
Plants occurring only on Anegada include the Poke-me-boy Vachellia anegadensis (POWO)
(ResearchGate)
and the Wire Wist Metastelma
anegadense (IUCN)
(ResearchGate).
Pitcairnia
jareckii (IUCN)
(iNaturalist) (BHL)
is a bromeliad known from Guana Island, Great
Camanoe Island, and Tortola. Kiaerskov’s
Lidflower Myrcia neokiaerskovii (= Calyptranthes
kiaerskovii) (IUCN) (iNaturalist),
last collected on Puerto Rico in 2001, may now survive only on Virgin
Gorda and Tortola.
Endemic fungi include Lactifluus guanensis (Fungal Planet WM pdf). Arthonia anegadensis (CNALH) is a lichen known only from Anegada.
An
overview of the natural history of this territory of the United Kingdom is provided at (JNCC
WM
pdf) and it is part of the Caribbean
Islands biodiversity hotspot (Biodiversity Hotspots WM). A list of endemic
species is at (p. 441 of European
Commission WM pdf).