This is a list of amphibians and reptiles found in the British overseas territory of Montserrat, located in the Caribbean Lesser Antilles. The continuing eruptions of the Soufrière Hills volcano have devastated much of the island.
Amphibians There are three species of amphibian on Montserrat, one of which was introduced.Malhotra & Thorpe 1999 also includes Eleutherodactylus martinicensis in its species checklist for Montserrat, at p. 117, but this is not supported by the main text, which describes only three amphibian species for the island, nor do other sources support the presence of this species.
Frogs (Anura) Tropical frogs (Leptodactylidae) Species Common name(s) Notes Image Eleutherodactylus johnstonei Lesser Antillean whistling frog, coqui Antillano, Johnstone's whistling frog Least concern.Conservation status, where available, is from the IUCN Red List and is indicative of the status of the species as a whole, not just populations on Montserrat. Abundant. Leptodactylus fallax Giant ditch frog, mountain chicken Critically endangered. Regional endemic; extant only on Montserrat and Dominica. Volcanic activity from the late 1990s through 2012 caused habitat destruction, coupled with the arrival of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in 2009, decimating the population. True toads (Bufonidae) Species Common name(s) Notes Image Bufo marinus Cane toad, giant neotropical toad, marine toad Least concern. Introduced. Abundant.
Reptiles Including marine turtles and introduced species, there are 15 reptile species on Montserrat. Two are endemic: the Plymouth anole (Anolis lividus) and the Montserrat galliwasp (Diploglossus montisserrati).
Turtles (Testudines) Tortoises (Testudinidae) Species Common name(s) Notes Image Geochelone carbonaria Red-footed tortoise Scaly sea turtles (Cheloniidae) Species Common name(s) Notes Image Caretta caretta Loggerhead turtle Endangered. Very rarely recorded around Montserrat. Not recorded nesting on Montserrat. Chelonia mydas Green turtle Endangered. Resident in waters around Montserrat. Recorded nesting. Eretmochelys imbricata Hawksbill turtle Critically endangered. Relatively common year-round. Recorded nesting. Leathery sea turtles (Dermochelyidae) Species Common name(s) Notes ImageDermochelys coriacea Leatherback turtle Critically endangered. Rarely recorded in Montserrat waters or nesting.
Lizards and snakes (Squamata)
Geckos (Gekkonidae) Species Common name(s) Notes ImageHemidactylus mabouia House gecko Introduced. Sphaerodactylus fantasticus Fantastic least gecko Thecadactylus rapicauda Turnip-Tailed Gecko Iguanas and anolids (Iguanidae) Species Common name(s) Notes ImageAnolis lividus Plymouth anole Endemic. Widespread and frequently abundant. Iguana iguana melanoderma Saban black iguana Regionally endemic to Montserrat and Saba. No current evidence of green iguana. The Saban black iguana is darker coloured than the other subspecies of green iguana, with colouration deepening in older individuals. It possesses a noticeable black patch between the eye and tympanum. Whiptails (Teiidae) Species Common name(s) Notes Image Pholidoscelis pluvianotatus Montserrat ameiva Regional endemic. Numbers have declined significantly due to volcanic activity. Glass lizards and alligator lizards (Anguidae) Species Common name(s) Notes Image Diploglossus montisserrati Montserrat galliwasp Critically endangered. Endemic. Known from only one specimen collected in 1964 until it was re-found in 1998. Most recently sighted in 2018. Skinks (Scincidae) Species Common name(s) Notes Image Mabuya mabouya. Reported in as M. bistriata. Regional endemic. Rare. Worm snakes (Typhlopidae) Species Common name(s) Notes Image Typhlops monastus Montserrat worm snake Regional endemic; populations found on Saint Kitts and Nevis are of subspecies T. m. geotomus. Colubrids (Colubridae) Species Common name(s) Notes ImageAlsophis antillensis Antilles racer, island racer, leeward racer Regional endemic. Widespread.
Notes
References Note: All species listed above are supported by Malhotra & Thorpe 1999, unless otherwise cited.
.