Turks and Caicos Islands
Reptiles
found nowhere
else include the Caicos Dwarf Boa Tropidophis
greenwayi
(ARKive
WM) (iNaturalist),
the Turks Dwarf Gecko Sphaerodactylus
underwoodi (iNaturalist),
the Caicos Dwarf
Gecko Sphaerodactylus
caicosensis (iNaturalist),
the Caicos Barking Gecko Aristelliger
hechti (flickr)
(Caribherp WM),
the
Caicos Skink Spondylurus
caicosae (Penn
State Univ. WM) (Project
Noah), the Turks Skink Spondylurus
turksae (PLAZI),
and the Caicos
Curlytail Leiocephalus
psammodromus (iNaturalist).
Among the endemic reptile subspecies are the Turks and Caicos
Rock Iguana Cyclura
carinata carinata (iNaturalist)
(IUCN)
and the Turks Rainbow Boa Epicrates
chrysogaster chrysogaster (ARKive
WM) (iNatualist).
Land snails unique to the Turks and Caicos Islands include Cerion lewisi
(flickr)
(fig. 5 at BHL),
Cerion brevispira (Femorale WM),
Cerion abbotti (WMSDB),
Cerion blandi
(WMSDB)
(BHL),
Cerion caicosense
(Femorale WM),
and Eutrochatella
candida (Femorale WM).
Endemic marine snails include Parviturbo
robustior (p. 58 of zenodo
pdf), Mitrella
guanahaniensis (WMSDB),
and the cone snails Conasprella
lusca (Eddie
Hardy) (fig. d at BHL) and Conasprella
lenhilli (IUCN).
Endemic arthropods include a tiger beetle Tetracha naviauxi (GBIF),
a comb-clawed beetle Hymenorus
pygmaeus (AMNH),
a darkling beetle Xerolinus
(or Diastolinus)
dozieri
(p. 5 of zobodat
pdf), a weevil Lachnopus
rhabdotus (Zootaxa),
the horseflies Stenotabanus
sputnikulus
(AMNH)
and Stenotabanus farri
(AMNH),
a leaf-footed bug Leptoglossus
caicosensis (p. 19 of UNAM
WB
pdf), a seed bug Xyonysius
acticola (p. 7 of FLVS
pdf), a cricket Caribacusta
caicosensis (OSF),
a hairstreak butterfly subspecies Strymon
acis leucosticha
(UKOTCF WM),
and a wall crab spider Selenops
baweka (iNaturalist).
The most spectacular of several cave-dwelling marine invertebrates is a
remipede crustacean Micropacter
yagerae
(CaveBiology.com
WM
pdf) known only from Providenciales and the sole member of the
endemic family Micropacteridae. Other endemic cave-dwellers
include the remipedes Kaloketos
pilosus (GBIF)
and Lasionectes
entrichoma (fig. 5c at ResearchGate),
an opossum
shrimp Stygiomysis
clarkei (BHL),
a woodlouse Armadilloniscus streptus
(BHL),
the
marine isopods Bahalana
caicosana (fig. 3c at ResearchGate)
and Stenetrium
caicosensis (ResearchGate),
the amphipods Bahadzia
stocki and
Spelaeonicippe provo
(both at ResearchGate),
and several copepods: Erebonectoides
macrochaetus (ResearchGate),
Fosshagenia
ferrarii (Marine
Planktonic Copepods),
and Caiconectes antiquus
(p.
4 of CaveBiology.com
WM
pdf).
A sponge Willardia
caicosensis (p. 4 of Smithsonian
pdf)
is known only from deep waters off the Turks and Caicos
Islands. A cone snail Conasprella lusca (Eddie Hardy) (p. 6 of DCBD pdf) may also be endemic.
Vascular plant species restricted to the Turks and Caicos Islands
include the Winter Orchid Encyclia
caicensis (IOSPE WM)
(iNaturalist), Caroline's Pink
Stenandrium carolinae
(ARKive
WM),
the
Turks Island Heather Limonium
bahamense (iNaturalist),
the
Slender-stemmed
Peppergrass
Lepidium filicaule (Times
of the Islands) (p. 9 of UKOTCF WM
pdf),
the Silvery Silverbush Argythamnia
argentea (p. 24 of ICCS WM
pdf) (iNaturalist),
the Turks Island Prickly-pear Opuntia
x lucayana (GBIF),
the
Ambergris Buttonwood Spermacoce
capillaris (ARKive
WM) (BHL),
Britton's
Buttonbush Spermacoce
brittonii (GBIF) (iNaturalist),
and
the TCI Milkweed Vine Cynanchum
(or
Metastelma)
stipitatum (fig. 4 at BHL)
(GBIF).
The
Turks and Caicos Islands is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom, part of the Bahamian
Dry Forests terrestrial ecoregion (EoE),
and are included in the Caribbean
Islands biodiversity hotspot (Biodiversity
Hotspots WM).
An
overview of the
Turks and Caicos Islands and a description of some of its endemic
species can be found at (JNCC
WM
pdf).