Cuba

Mammals unique to Cuba include the Cuban Solenodon (EDGE), the Little Goblin Bat (ARKive WM), the Cuban Greater Funnel-eared Bat (EDGE), Pfeiffer's Red Bat (Projecto CUBABAT pdf), the Cuban Evening Bat (Projecto CUBABAT pdf), and the Cuban Yellow Bat (Projecto CUBABAT pdf) (twitter WM). Three endemic genera of large rodents are the Prehensile-tailed Hutia Mysateles (iNaturalist), Desmarest's Hutia Capromys (iNaturalist), and the Cuban small hutias Mesocapromys (ResearchGate).

The Bee Hummingbird (eBird) is the world's smallest bird. The Oriente Warbler (Creagrus WM) (iNaturalist) and the Yellow-headed Warbler (eBird) comprise an endemic family, the Teretistridae. Other endemic bird genera include the Blue-headed Quail-dove (eBird), the Cuban Trogon (Marie-France Grenouillet), the Zapata Rail (EDGE), the Zapata Sparrow (eBird), the Bare-legged Screech Owl (eBird), the Zapata Wren (eBird), and the Cuban Green Woodpecker (iNaturalist). Other birds unique to Cuba include Fernandina’s Flicker (eBird), the Cuban Nightjar (eBird), the Cuban Tody (eBird), the Cuban Parakeet (eBird), the Cuban Kite (EDGE), Gundlach’s Hawk (eBird), the Cuban Pygmy Owl (eBird), the Cuban Oriole (eBird), and the Cuban Grassquit (birdfinding.info WM).

Reptiles found only in Cuba include the Cuban Crocodile (ARKive WM), the Cuban Slider (iNaturalist), the Cuban Boa (iNaturalist), the Leopard Dwarf Boa (Reptile Database), the Broad-striped Racerlet (iNaturalist), the Cuban Lesser Racer (iNaturalist), the Guantanamo Bay Blindsnake (iNaturalist), the Sierra Curlytail (iNaturalist), the Cuban Broad-banded Dwarf Gecko (iNaturalist), the Cuban Croaking Gecko (Reptile Database), the Oriente Tuberculate Gecko (iNaturalist), the Cuban Night Lizard (Reptile Database), the Cuban Pale-necked Galliwasp Diploglossus delasagra (p. 2 of Field Museum pdf), and the Cuban Brown Worm Lizard (iNaturalist). Among over 60 endemic anoles are the Knight Anole (Anole Annals), the Cuban Stream Anole (iNaturalist), and the Oriente Bearded Anole (Reptile Database). The worm lizards of the genus Cadea (Reptile Database) (iNaturalist) are sometimes considered an endemic family, the Cadeidae.

Amphibians known exclusively from Cuba include the Cuban Pine Toad (AmphibiaWeb), the Cuban Spotted Toad (iNaturalist), the Cuban Robber Frog (AmphibiaWeb), the Turquino Stream Frog (ARKive WM), the Cuban Giant Frog (CalPhotos), the Cuban Dwarf Robber Frog (AmphibiaWeb), the Western Spiny Frog (AmphibiaWeb), the Cuban Red-rumped Frog (AmphibiaWeb), and the Orange Long-nosed Frog (AmphibiaWeb). The Monte Iberia Dwarf Frog (iNaturalist) is one of the world's smallest frogs.

Freshwater fish that live solely in the rivers and streams of Cuba include the Cuban Gar (BioLib), the Cuban Cavefish (cavefishes.org.uk) (Univ. Laval WM pdf), the Joturo (Cichlid News WM), the Cuban Cichlid (FishBase), the Cuban Killifish Cubanichthys cubensis (FishBase) (Cuba en el Aquarista WM), the Barred Topminnow (FishBase), the Goldbelly Topminnow (FishBase), the Cuban Limia (STRI WM), the Cuban Gambusia (STRI WM), a sleeper goby Dormitator cubanus (FishBase), the Cuban Silverside (STRI WM), and Rivulus berovidesi (ResearchGate). Endemic marine fish include he Cuban Longfin Herring (STRI WM) and the Longtail Mullet (STRI WM).

Butterflies restricted to Cuba include Poey’s Swallowtail (Butterflies of Cuba), Gundlach's Swallowtail (Butterflies of Cuba), the Cuban Kite Swallowtail (Butterflies of Cuba), the Cuban Calisto (Butterflies of Cuba), the Chestnut Leafwing (Butterflies of Cuba), the Cuban Peacock (Butterflies of Cuba), the Cuban King (Butterflies of Cuba), the Cuban Clearwing (Butterflies of Cuba), the Holguin Skipper (Butterflies of Cuba), and the Smudged Yellow (Butterflies of Cuba). Endemic moths include a day flying moth Urania boisduvalii (iNaturalist), a hawk moth Xylophanes gundlachi (iNaturalist), an erebid moth Zellatilla columbia (p. 16 of RIMAC WM pdf), and a wasp moth Eunomia insularis (iNaturalist).

Other endemic insects include the Cuban Leafcutting Ant (iNaturalist), an acorn ant Temnothorax bermudezi (iNaturalist), the Cuban Paper Wasp (iNaturalist), the bees Megachile armaticeps (flickr) (iNaturalist) and Ceratina cyaniventris (iNaturalist), a firefly Alecton discoidalis (ResearchGate), the longhorn beetles Eburia confusa (iNaturalist) and Cubaecola hoploderoides (Cerambycidae Species WM), a shining leaf chafer Anomala calceata (iNaturalist), the weevils Exophthalmus pictus (iNaturalist) and Lachnopus guerinii (iNaturalist), a lanternfly Jamaicastes cubana (iNaturalist), a cicada Uhleroides chariclo (iNaturalist), a bordered plant bug Largus sellatus (iNaturalist), a stick insect Venupherodes venustula (Phasmatodea), a grasshopper Dellia multicolor (ResearchGate), a katydid Erioloides santiago (ResearchGate), a cockroach Byrsotria cabrerai (iNaturalist), and the damselflies Neoneura maria (flickr) and Protoneura caligata (ResearchGate).

Other endemic invertebrates include a caponiid spider Nops siboney (fr.wikipedia), the tarantulas Phormictopus auratus (Tarantupedia) and Citharacanthus cyaneus (Tarantupedia), a jumping spider Peckhamia wesolowskae (ResearchGate), a spiny orbweaver Micrathena banksi (iNaturalist), the scorpions Alayotityus juraguaensis and Cazierius parvus (both on p. 1 of Field Museum pdf), a solifuge Antillotrecha disjunctodens (iNaturalist), a whip spider Phrynus pinarensis (iNaturalist), the harvestmen Cynortoides cubana (iNaturalist) and Jimeneziella decui (ResearchGate), the millipedes Rhinocricus suprenans (iNaturalist) and Amphelictogon estebani (iNaturalist), a freshwater crab Epilobocera cubensis (iNaturalist), a crayfish Procambarus niveus (iNaturalist), a cave-dwelling freshwater shrimp Troglocubanus eigenmanni (Wirbellosen WM), the isopods Pseudarmadillo vansicklei (iNaturalist) (BHL) and Venezillo ramsdeni (iNaturalist), the freshwater snails Pomacea poeyana and Hemisinus brevis (both at Wikipedia), and several marine snails: Volvarina floresensis (p. 15 of ResearchGate pdf), Conus guanahacabibensis (fig. 67 at Avicennia pdf), and Prunum camachoi (fig. 5 at Avicennia pdf).

A spectacular land snail fauna of over 1000 endemic species includes the Cuban Painted Tree Snail Polymita picta (iNaturalist), Viana regina (iNaturalist), Liguus blainianus (EcuRed), Zachrysia auricoma (EcuRed), Blaesospira echinus (flickr), Priotrochatella stellata (p. 9 of RIMAC WM pdf), Callonia ellioti (flickr), Proserpina depressa (flickr), Farcimen procer (fig. 3F at ResearchGate), Pineria beathiana (p. 16 of RIMAC WM pdf), and Coryda alauda (iNaturalist).

Endemic families of marine life include the gastropods Globocornidae (Internet Archive) (WMSDB) and the amphipod crustaceans Miramarassidae (BHL) (GBIF).

Cuba has over 3000 vascular plant species found nowhere else. Orchids unique to Cuba include Encyclia bocourtii (IOSPE WM), Tolumnia guibertiana (iNaturalist), Broughtonia ortgiesiana (EcuRed), Tetramicra eulophiae (IOSPE WM), Lepanthes macrolabia (ResearchGate), and Dilomilis oligophylla (iNaturalist). Other endemic species include Marcgravia evenia (National Geographic WM), Mesechites roseus (iNaturalist), Pinguicula filifolia (iNaturalist), Kalmia ericoides (iNaturalist), Zamia pygmaea (acn WM), Cylindropuntia hystrix (fig. E at ResearchGate), Anastraphia recurva (iNaturalist), the Dwarf Turk's Cap Cactus (es.wikipedia), Casearia crassinervis (iNaturalist), and Lygodium cubense (iNaturalist).

Endemic trees include the Cuban Pine (conifers.org), the Cuban Petticoat Palm (PACSOA WM), Tabebuia hypoleuca (iNaturalist), Coccoloba shaferi (iNaturalist), Podocarpus angustifolius (iNaturalist) (Oryx), Hildegardia cubensis (iNaturalist), the Cuban Oak (iNaturalist), Juniperus saxicola (RBGE), Dendrocereus nudiflorus (iNaturalist), Magnolia cubensis (ResearchGate), and Aralia rex (es.wikipedia). Endemic tree genera include a palm Hemithrinax (ARKive WM), a cycad Microcycas (Cycad Pages WM), Leucocroton (Wikipedia), Hebestigma (Plants of Viñales WM), Tetralix (GTC WM), Schmidtottia (iNaturalist), Phyllomelia (PlantSystematics.org WM), Acunaeanthus (Wikipedia), Espadea (Plants of Viñales WM), Doerpfeldia (iNaturalist), Synapsis (p. 3 of revistas.uh.cu pdf), and Behaimia (NYBG) (Plants of Viñales WM).

Other endemic vascular plant genera include Siemensia (Plants of Viñales WM), Solonia (p. 49 of ResearchGate pdf), Linodendron (p. 61 of National Red List WM pdf), Roigella (Plants of Viñales WM), Ceratopyxis (Plants of Viñales WM), Sapphoa (iNaturalist), Harnackia (p. 28 of ResearchGate pdf), Adenoa (POWO), Heptanthus (Google Books), Cubanicula (iNaturalist), Feddea (Tree of Life WM), and Ancistranthus (Plants of Viñales WM).

Endemic non-vascular plants include the liverworts Drepanolejeunea senticosa (JSTOR) and Cheilolejeunea baracoensis (ResearchGate) and the mosses Heterophyllium subpiligerum (GBIF) and Bryum hioramii (GBIF). Endemic lichens include Ocellularia granpiedrensis (GBIF). Endemic fungi include Setchelliogaster aurantius (GBIF).

Cuba is part of the Caribbean Islands biodiversity hotspot (Biodiversity Hotspots WM) and the Cuba - Cayman Islands freshwater ecoregion (FEOW WM). Important terrestrial ecoregions include the Cuban Moist Forests (EoE), the Cuban Cactus Scrub (EoE), and the Cuban Pine Forests (EoE). Lists of Cuban species including information on endemism can be found at (Diversidad Biológica Cubana WM). An overview of Cuba's biota is at (ResearchGate). A beetle checklist indicating 1495 endemic species is at (FDACS WM pdf).