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The Best of St. Croix |
Reptile Ramble 2009 |
This year as one of their educational activities, St. Croix Environmental Association (SEA) held a Reptile Ramble at the Southgate Coastal Reserve conducted by Claudia Lombard a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It was an educational acvtivity for children as well as adults. Their next activity of this sort will be an Amphibian Ramble in the rainforest. Call 340-773-1989 for details. |
The road leading in to the Reserve. This is how roads on the island looked before paving. These off-the-beaten-path roads are now primarily used as roads to beaches and in seldom travelled areas. |
The children used specimen to catch the small lizards. |
The wavy texture of the glass made it a little difficult to see the tiny lizards. |
Claudia Lombard, wildlife biologist, explains the differences between the lizard types indigenous to the island chain. On this month's ramble which is part of a program to "Do One Thing for Wildlife 2009" the reptile found at the reserve is the Sphaero lizard. It is indiginous to the Virgin Islands. The Anole lizard, found in our backyards is also indiginous to the Virgin Islands the British Virgin Islands and the Puerto Rico chain. The Sphaero has white spots and white projections on its body, it is only about an inch and a half long. All animals were released back into the wild. |
This one's lost part of his tail. Don't worry, it will grow back. |
Climbing the seagrape trees was also great fun. |
Then it was time to release the lizard back to the wild. |
A member of SEA speaks to parents about conservation. |
And at the end, we head back inland. |