Jamaica

Birds found nowhere else than Jamaica include the Yellow-billed Amazon (birdfinding.info WM), the Jamaican Parakeet (birdfinding.info WM), the Crested Quail-Dove (eBird), the Ring-tailed Pigeon (eBird), the Jamaican Lizard-Cuckoo (iNaturalist), the Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo (eBird), the Jamaican Woodpecker (eBird), the Jamaican Tody (eBird), the Jamaican Mango (iNaturalist), the Jamaican Spindalis (Steve Metz), the Jamaican Euphonia (eBird), the White-eyed Thrush (birdfinding.info WM), the Jamaican Vireo (eBird), and the Jamaican Poorwill (Wikipedia). Birds representing endemic genera include the Jamaican Owl (eBird), the Red-billed Streamertail (birdfinding.info WM), the Yellow-shouldered Grassquit (eBird), the Orangequit (eBird), and the Jamaican Blackbird (eBird).

Mammals unique to Jamaica include the Jamaican Hutia (ARKive WM) (BioLib), the Jamaican Fig-eating Bat (ResearchGate) (iNaturalist), the Jamaican Flower Bat (BCI) (BHL), the Jamaican Greater Funnel-eared Bat (BHL), the Jamaican Red Bat (twitter WM) (BHL) and the Jamaican Long-tongued Bat (p. 32 of NEPA WM pdf) (BHL). Extinct species include the Jamaican Monkey (Carnivora), the Jamaican Rice Rat (Wikipedia), and the Jamaican Round-eared Bat Tonatia saurophila (p. 11 of AMNH WM pdf) (ZooKeys). The Jamaican Mustached Bat (Cockpit Country) and the Jamaican Brown Bat Eptesicus lynni (p. 31 of NEPA WM pdf) have also sometimes been considered full species.

Reptiles restricted to Jamaica include the Jamaican Iguana (IUCN) (IIF), the Jamaican Twig Anole (iNaturalist), the Bluefields Anole (iNaturalist), the Blue Mountain Anole (iNaturalist), the Jamaican Giant Gecko (ResearchGate), the Jamaican Forest Dwarf Gecko (iNaturalist), the Southern Jamaica Banded Dwarf Gecko (iNaturalist),the Jamaican Ameiva (flickr), the Jamaican Skink (Save Goat Islands), the Limestone Forest Galliwasp (Reptile Database), the Blue-tailed Galliwasp (Save Goat Islands), the Jamaican Eyespot Dwarf Boa (Ian G. Brennan), the Jamaican Boa (ARKive WM), the Jamaican Red Racerlet (flickr), the Jamaican Blindsnake (iNaturalist), and the Jamaican Slider (flickr).

All of Jamaica's native amphibians are endemic including the Jamaican Forest Frog (iNaturalist), the Jamaican Cave Frog (ARKive WM), the Western Yellow-bellied Frog (flickr), the Blue Mountain Rock Frog (iNaturalist), the Portland Bight Cave Frog (IUCN), the Jamaican Masked Frog (ARKive WM), the Jamaican Laughing Tree Frog (iNaturalist), and the Jamaican Snoring Tree Frog (IUCN).

Freshwater fish known solely from Jamaica include the Jamaican Killifish (It Rains Fish), the Striped Gambusia (FishBase), Wray’s Gambusia (STRI WM), and the Blackbelly Limia (Wikipedia).

Butterflies exclusively found in Jamaica include the Homerus Swallowtail (Butterflies of America), the Thersites Swallowtail (iNaturalist), the Jamaican Kite (ATL pdf), the Jamaican Checkerspot (Butterflies of America), the Jamaican Calisto (Butterflies of America), the Jamaican Crescent (iNaturalist), the Jamaican Sister (iNaturalist), the Jamaican Mestra (Jamaican Butterflies WM), Drury's Hairstreak (iNaturalist), a sulphur Eurema adamsi (Jamaican Butterflies WM), the Jamaican Flasher (iNaturalist), and Turner's Skipper (ResearchGate). Endemic moths include Idalus delicata (iNaturalist), Antichloris quadricolor (iNaturalist), Parvicincia belli (iNaturalist), Carathis palpalis (iNaturalist), Phoenicoprocta jamaicensis (iNaturalist), and the extinct dayflying moth Urania sloanus (Moths of Jamaica WM) (GBIF).

Other endemic insects include the damselflies Diceratobasis macrogaster (flickr) and Hypolestes clara (iNaturalist), the stick insects Malacomorpha cyllarus (iNaturalist) and Diapherodes jamaicensis (Phasmatodea), the longhorn beetles Eburia jamaicae (iNaturalist) and Leptostylopsis jamaicensis (iNaturalist), a cave-dwelling ground beetle Platynus cavicola (GBIF), a jewel beetle Chrysobothris bimaculata (GBIF), a grasshopper Dellia karstica (Jamaican Biotic Survey WM), a raspy cricket Camptonotus jamaicensis (OSF), the Jamaican jumping leaves Phyllotettix (GBIF), a cave-dwelling cricket Uvaroviella cavicola (p. 9 of USF pdf), a katydid Jamaicana flava (iNaturalist), a cicada Diceroprocta fusipennis (iNaturalist), a lanternfly Jamaicastes basistella (iNaturalist), a water scorpion Ranatra jamaicana (iNaturalist), the ants Leptogenys reggae (AntWiki) and Camponotus capperi (iNaturalist), the bees Euglossa jamaicensis (iNaturalist) and Agapostemon swainsonae (iNaturalist), and the Jamaican Cavefly Neoditomyia farri (ARKive WM).

Other endemic invertebrates include the velvetworms Speleoperipatus spelaeus (ARKive WM) and Plicatoperipatus jamaicensis (iNaturalist), the Jamaican Bromeliad Crab Metopaulias depressus (ScienceMedia WM) (iNaturalist), a cave-dwelling crab Sesarma verleyi (JCO WM), a woodlouse Acanthoniscus richardsonae (GBIF), a spiny orb-weaver Micrathena rufopunctata (iNaturalist), a smiley-faced spider Spintharus davidattenboroughi (ResearchGate), a flattie spider Selenops wilmotorum (iNaturalist), the jumping spiders Allodecta maxillaris (Harvard) and Peckhamia espositoae (GBIF), a wandering spider Acanthoctenus remotus (iNaturalist), a harvestman Reventula amabilis (figs. 19-22 at UFRJ pdf), a millipede Eurhinocricus rosenbergi (iNaturalist), an earthworm Dichogaster harperi (figs. 1D-E at ScienceDirect pdf), and 505 endemic terrestrial molluscs including Anoma levis and Pleurodonte peracutissima (both at ansp.org WM) and all of the helicinid snails (ansp.org WM) and annulariid snails (ansp.org WM). A gastrotrich family, the Hummondasyidae (ResearchGate), is currently known only from Jamaica.

Among more than 800 vascular plant species unique to Jamaica are the orchids Tolumnia triquetra (IOSPE WM), Broughtonia sanguinea (iNaturalist), Zemisia discolor (iNaturalist), Pleurothallis hirsutula (IOSPE WM), and Lepanthes obtusa (IOSPE WM). Other endemic plants include the bromeliads Tillandsia adamsii (Cockpit Country) and Wittmackia negrilensis (iNaturalist), Agave harrisii (iNaturalist), the Aluminum Plant Pilea grandifolia (TopTropicals.com), Begonia minor (iNaturalist), Justicia jamaicensis (iNaturalist), Blakea trinervia (iNaturalist), the Jamaican Poinsettia (iNaturalist), Lobelia martagon (iNaturalist), Peperomia amplexicaulis (iNaturalist), Passiflora calcicola (iNaturalist), Polystichum harrisii (iNaturalist), and several cacti: Melocactus caroli-linnaei (iNaturalist), Opuntia kingstoniana (GBIF), and Pseudorhipsalis alata (Smithsonian),.

Trees endemic to Jamaica include the palms Thrinax excelsa (Wikipedia) and Roystonea princeps (flickr), the Brilliant Raintree (iNaturalist), Phyllanthus arbuscula (iNaturalist), a birch Bursera hollickii (Save Goat Islands), Podocarpus purdieanus (RBGE), Erithalis orbiculata (ResearchGate), Malpighia proctorii (p. 13 of NEPA pdf), Pimenta jamaicensis (iNaturalist), Sciodaphyllum brownei (iNaturalist), Lisianthius umbellatus (iNaturalist), Pisonia jamaicensis (marcoscaraballo.com), Pavonia troyana (iNaturalist), Sloanea jamaicensis (iNaturalist), Verbesina petrobioides (iNaturalist), and Wercklea flavovirens (ARKive WM). Endemic tree genera include Portlandia (iNaturalist), Dendrocousinsia (iNaturalist), and Tetrasiphon (BHL) (JSTOR).

Other endemic vascular plant genera include Odontocline (flickr) (iNaturalist), Hippobroma (iNaturalist), Salpixantha (BHL), Jacmaia (GBIF), and Jamaicanthus (ResearchGate) (GBIF). Neriacanthus (GBIF) (fig. 3B at BHL) is sometimes considered distinct from the more widespread Salpixantha.

Endemic non-vascular plants include the liverworts Harpalejeunea reflexula (GBIF), Frullania azureomontana (ResearchGate), and Leiolejeunea grandiflora (GBIF). Endemic lichens include Ocellularia imshaugii (GBIF).

Jamaica is part of the Caribbean Islands biodiversity hotspot (Biodiversity Hotspots WM). Terrestrial ecoregions include the Jamaican Moist Forests (EoE) and the Jamaican Dry Forests (EoE).