Jamaica Indigenous Animals

Jamaica indigenous animals

 

Here are some facts about Jamaica's indigenous animals

1 . There are approximately two dozen of indigenous birds
2 . There are four types of Jamaica animals crayfish
3 . The native crocodile is found more abundant in the southern parishes
4. Bat species are most numerous in Jamaica
5. The mongoose introduced in 1872 is now seen as a native Jamaica animal
6. The Coney is a type of rodent that is not found all over the island
7. The swallowtail butterfly is the largest butterfly in the western hemisphere
8. The stream-tail hummingbird is found only on this island and is the national bird
9. The manatee is also an animal in Jamaica that is well protected

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Jamaica Indigenous animals

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Look and listen to how Jamaicans react when they meet one of Jamaica's indigenous animals
the crocodile

 Jamaica indigenous animals NATIONAL BIRD - The Doctor
Bird or Swallow-tail Hummingbird
DOCTOR BIRD (Trochilus polytomous). The ‘Doctor Bird’
or Swallow-tail Hummingbird lives only on this
island and is one of the most outstanding of the 320 species
of hummingbirds. The beautiful feathers of these
birds have no counterpart in the entire bird population and
they produce iridescent colours characteristic only of that
family. The doctor bird has been immortalized for many decades
in the island's folklore and song.

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 Jamaica indigenous animals

 The Swallowtail butterfly
Did you know that this little island has the largest species of butterflies in the western world? The swallow tail butterfly is one of the largest found in the western hemisphere. It has a wing span of 12.5 cm It is easily identified by its yellow and black spotted colour The swallow tail butterfly was first discovered in the eighteenth century. This butterfly is found only in Jamaica.
l Jamaica indigenous animals:Learn how to make a swallowtail butterfly

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  Jamaica indigenous animals 

The Coney

The Coney is the only existing endemic animal on the island. It looks like a rodent similar to a rat. These animals are found only on the eastern end of the island. They are also called Hutia. The Coney was the food of the first inhabitants ( Arawaks) . Coneys live underground in broken rocks. They come out at night to feed on fruits, plant shoots, and barks. They are known by only a few individuals who live there. They were thought to be extinct when the mongoose was introduced to control the snake. They are now an endangered species and a few are found in the Hellshire Hills in St Catherine, Red Hills,St Andrew, St Thomas, and Portland  

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 Iguana
How would you enjoy a dish of lizard for a meal? This has been a delicacy for many people living on the island for years ago. The Iguana which looks like a big lizard was the dish of the first natives (Arawaks) later to be adopted by the Spaniards and British and Africans. The Iguana was believed to be terminated by mongooses and dogs who accompany hunters in their search for wild hogs. In 1990 they were found and included in a captive breeding program at the Hope Botanical Garden and zoo. They were then bred and taken back to Hellshire hill a natural habitat.
 Jamaica indigenous animals

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Manatee
 Manatee May not be one of Jamaica's indigenous animals but the West Indian

Manatee (Trichechus manatus) is one of only three species of manatees in the

 world. It is one of Jamaica's threatened species and is protected by the Wildlife

protection law since 1971. The Manatee is a marine animal but it also lives in large

bodies of fresh water where there are adequate supply of aquatic plants




Jamaican fruit bat

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 Bats are classified as mammals. They all have eyes and can more or less
see well. But they also use echolocation to help navigate in the dark

. According to (Griffiths and Klingener 1988). There are twenty one

 species representing 6 families which are present across the island of Jamaica

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Jamaican Crayfish and Shrimp

 Jamaican Cray fish are not indigenous to Jamaica rivers and streams but we do however have 14 indigenous freshwater shrimp species (Hunte, 1978). Of this number, nine occur in the Black River and Rio Cobre systems collectively. The impact of the crayfish on the native crustacean fauna is being investigated.We have found that the crayfish and shrimps are both thriving business in the southern parts of the island




Jamaican Crocodile
The Jamaica crocodile is said to be indigenous to Jamaica. Crocodiles and
their kind has been on the earth for over 200 million years with hardly a change in their body form. This reptile is seen on the Jamaican Coat of Arms and as such, it is a part of the Jamaican cultural natural heritage.

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    Jamaica indigenous animals 

Were you expecting to find more of these indigenous animals. No problem you may stay right on this site and search from the box below to find more of Jamaica's indigenous animals or anything you wish to find out about Jamaica. However,  some other interesting facts you should know before you do your research.
Here is a list and facts on some noteworthy species of Jamaican Animals
* 2 Endemic parrots [The Yellow-billed and the Black-
billed parrot]
* Sea turtles ( Leatherback, Loggerhead, Green Turtle
Hawksbill )
* Manatees,
* Over a dozen different kinds of frogs and
* 25 species of Harmless Bats!
* More than 200 species of birds, 25 of which are endemic
* 21 subspecies that are found nowhere else.
* Over 100 different types of butterflies including
* The endangered Swallowtail Butterfly
* Jamaican Iguana
* Crocodiles
* Mongoose
* Coney or Jamaican Huita