2026/05/18 by R. Graham Reynolds · 1 voice
Environmental Science · #Amphibian and Reptile Biology #Species Distribution and Climate Change #Turtle Biology and Conservation
paper · pdf · doi:10.3897/arphapreprints.e199501
openalex publication_date 2026/05/18 · openalex created_date 2026/05/19 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
The Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), an archipelago of more than 200 islands and islets at the southeastern terminus of the Lucayan Archipelago, support a native terrestrial reptile fauna of 11 species representing eight families. Of these, eight species are endemic to the TCI, and two additional non-endemic species are each represented by endemic subspecies; four further subspecies are recognized among the endemic species. Seven reptiles are of significant conservation concern, particularly the Critically Endangered S pondylurus turksae (likely now restricted to a single population) and the Endangered Cyclura carinata . Here, I present the first annotated checklist and illustrated species accounts for all native terrestrial reptiles of the TCI, synthesizing published literature through 2026 with original field data collected across the Turks and Caicos Banks between 2006 and 2025. Each account provides information on taxonomy, type specimen data, description, distribution within the archipelago, habitat use, natural history, and IUCN conservation status. Species accounts are accompanied by original photographs, including the first published photographs of Tropidophis g. greenwayi , and the first genetic sequence data and published photographs for the blindsnake Antillotyphlops platycephalus from the TCI are also included. This will provide a current reference for researchers, conservation practitioners, and natural historians working in the TCI and the broader Caribbean region.