Animals in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Saint Vincent and The Grenadines are islands in the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean, and shares the warm, tropical climate of the area. They belong to a group of volcanic islands, and the eruption of La Soufri're in 1979 and a series of hurricans caused some damage to the ecosystem of St. Vincent. Still, it's rich in wildlife.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines are home to species of interesting frogs, including the Lesser Antillean Whistling Frog, a tiny frog whose call sounds like a piercing whistle. Another frog is the Windward Ditch Frog, or Foam-Nest Frog, named for the foamy nests the female makes when she lays her eggs. When the tadpoles hatch, they stay in the nest until they turn into adults. Unfortunately, St. Vincent is also home of the Cane Toad, a big, ugly beast whose original range was from Texas, down through the Amazon, and into Peru. The Cane Toad can grow close to 10 inches long, and has huge glands on its head and back that secrete a toxin. The toxin is so potent that it has the ability to kill a dog. The Cane Toad is omnivorous and eats whatever prey it can handle. It was introduced into places to control pests, but seems to have become a pest itself.

A variety of beautiful but endangered sea turtles, including the Loggerhead, Green Turtle and Leatherback Turtle also swim in the warm, clear waters around St. Vincent and the Grenadines. These turtles only come ashore to lay their eggs. Lizards include species of prettily colored geckos, including the introduced House Gecko and the endemic Vincent's Least Gecko. The islands are also home of the Tree Anole, which can change color to camouflage itself, and the Common Iguana, an ancient looking lizard with dinosaur spines along its back. The Common Iguana can grow to over six and half feet long and weigh up to 20 pounds.

Many species of birds live on or around St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and many of them are seabirds like frigatebirds, boobies, herons, egrets and tropicbirds, which are small, beautiful, white birds with very long, slender tails. Tropicbirds plunge into the sea to hunt for food. Parrots, macaws and pigeons also live on the islands.