Flowers, Plants and Animals – Cayman Islands Wildlife
The islands were originally colonized by animals and plants from neighboring Cuba, Jamaica as well as Central America and other Caribbean islands. Over time, some evolved into species and subspecies unique to the Cayman Islands. Please note that the Cayman Islands are home to more species than the Galápagos.
There are no large animals on the Cayman Islands. The agouti, a rabbit sized rodent, inhabit forested areas, but are rarely seen. Bats are the only mammals native to the Cayman Islands where nine species have been found. These bats are only found in the Caribbean, with the Grand Cayman Brown Bat only found on that island.
More than 200 species of birds have been identified on the Cayman Islands including the antillean grackle, smooth-billed ani, many species of heron (green-backed and yellow-crowned), snowy egret and the bananaquit, along with ducks, sandpipers and terns. The islands’ national bird, the Grand Cayman Parrot, along with the Cayman Brac parrot are endemic to their respective islands and are both protected species. With iridescent green bodies and white eye patches, they are difficult to spot in the forest. The world’s smallest butterfly, the pygmy blue, lives on the Cayman Islands.
Cayman Brac is probably most famous for it’s 140 foot (43m) high bluff/lighthouse, bat caves and Brac Parrot Reserve. The Brac is also home to birds such as the brown booby, frigate and peregrine falcon.
Little Cayman, one of the few remaining wild areas of the Caribbean, is home to the largest population (> 5 thousand breeding pairs) of the red-footed booby in the Western Hemisphere. Other birds of the island include frigate, west Indian whistling ducks, blue herons, snowy egrets, caribbean elaenias, vitelline warblers and barn swallows. Booby Pond Nature Reserve, recognized by BirdLife International as an ‘Important Bird Area’ is a bird watcher’s paradise.
There are three types of Iguana on the islands: The Blue Iguana, an endangered species endemic to Grand Cayman can grow to five feet in length; Green iguana, on the other hand, are everywhere; Rock Iguana are protected on Cayman Brac (rarely seen) and Little Cayman where they are more common. There are also plenty of frogs and lizards on the islands. Small crocodiles, who the islands are named after, exist but are rarely seen.
The Cayman Islands are mostly xeric scrub and dry forests with evergreen hardwoods growing slowly to recover from 20th century logging. That said, Grand Cayman has the largest inland mangrove swamp in the Caribbean. Once covered in mahogany and other large trees, the Cayman Islands are now home to coconut, silver thatch palm, seagrape, almond and australian pine trees. Fruit trees include papaya, avocado, breadfruit, mango, naseberry and various citrus trees are also found on the islands.
The Cayman Islands are home to a number of flowering plants including rare endemic (to Grand Cayman) species of orchid, including the ghost orchid and the banana orchid, the islands’ national flower. The cayman sage salvia is also making a comeback (from near extinction).
Shallow, crystal clear waters, along with mangrove wetlands, seagrass beds and coral reefs surround and protect the Cayman Islands, providing a home to a multitude of marine life. Grand Cayman’s reef is full of star, finger, brain, cactus and other stony corals… along with elkhorn, large pink montastrea and multi-coloured zoanthids. The sea bottom also has sea fans, yellow tube sponges and gorgonians.
Grand Cayman’s famous North Sound is a shallow reef surrounded by clear blue water – This 35 square mile (90sq km) area has some of the healthiest coral in the Caribbean and is teeming with marine life.
The waters are home to a large variety of tropical fish including angelfish, parrotfish, damselfish, wrasses, snappers, tarpon as well as the friendly Nassau grouper. Cayman Island waters are also home to lobster, reef squid, octopus, sting-rays, eagle-rays, barracudas, reef sharks and turtles (green, hawksbill and loggerhead). The fresh water Hickatee turtle can also be found on the islands.
Cayman Brac’s crystal clear waters offer shallow and wreck diving along with amazing deep wall dives. With some of the best diving in the Caribbean (and the world), Little Cayman’s beauty lies beneath the surface (of the sea). The island’s shallow waters have dramatic walls dropping deep are covered with colourful coral and sponges where the waters are filled with incredible sea life.
Note: There are four species of snakes on the Cayman Islands, although none of them are venomous or dangerous to humans. On the islands, there are however: several species of scorpions, some of which are poisonous (but not lethal); the brown recluse spider (who avoids humans), whose venom can cause extensive tissue damage; as well as the 2 inch (6cm) long scolopendra morsitans centipede who has a painful and venomous bite, and even their feet can be highly irritating to human skin.
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