Monday, 08-Mar-2021 16:06:04 GMT

Reptiles and Amphibians of the Marshall Islands

Contents:
  Class Amphibia (amphibians)
    Order Anura (frogs and toads)
  Class Reptilia (reptiles)
    Order Testudines (turtles and tortoises)
      Family Chelonidae (marine turtles)
      Family Dermochelyidae (leatherback turtles)
    Suborder Lacertilia (lizards)
      Family Gekkonidae (geckos)
      Family Scincidae (skinks)
      Family Varanidae (monitor lizards)
    Suborder Serpentes (snakes)
      Family Colubridae (advanced snakes)
      Family Typhlopidae (blind worm snakes)
  REFERENCES

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Class Amphibia (amphibians)

Order Anura (frogs and toads)

Scientific name: Bufo marinus
English name: marine toad
Marshallese name: porok
Status or range: periodically brought in; no evidence of breeding population

Class Reptilia (reptiles)

Order Testudines (turtles and tortoises)


Family Chelonidae (marine turtles)

Scientific name: Chelonia mydas
English name: green turtle
Marshallese name: won, won-waan, jebake (brown colored)
Status or range: nests, endangered species, RMI, globally
Atoll workshop: Lae, Lib, Likiep, Mejit (has decreased during the past 5 years), Namdrik
Traditional use: food, eggs, pet, handicraft, to sell, medicine, to win a lover's heart

Scientific name: Caretta caretta
English name: loggerhead turtle
Marshallese name: won
Status or range: transient, endangered in Hawaii, threatened worldwide

Scientific name: Eretmochelys imbricata
English name: hawksbill turtle
Marshallese name: jebake
Status or range: transient, endangered species, RMI, globally
Atoll workshop: Lib, Likiep, Mejit (has decreased during the past 5 years)
Traditional use: food, to sell, handicraft, medicine

Scientific name: Lepidochelys olivacea
English name: Pacific Ridley turtle
Marshallese name: won
Status or range: transient, threatened worldwide


Family Dermochelyidae (leatherback turtles)

Scientific name: Dermochelys coriacea
English name: leatherback turtle
Marshallese name: won
Status or range: transient, threatened worldwide

Order Squamata (scaled reptiles)

Suborder Lacertilia (lizards)

Family Gekkonidae (geckos)


Scientific name: Gehyra oceanica
English name: oceanic gecko
Marshallese name: korab kiro
Status or range: introduced, widespread

Scientific name: Gehyra mutilata
English name: stump-toed gecko
Marshallese name: korab
Status or range: widespread in Oceania
Atoll workshop: Namdrik (no distinction made as to species)
Traditional use: medicine

Scientific name: Hemiphyllodactylus typus
English name: four-fingered gecko
Marshallese name: korab
Status or range: widespread
Atoll workshop: Namdrik (no distinction made as to species)
Traditional use: medicine

Scientific name: Hemidactylus renatus
English name: house gecko
Marshallese name: korab
Status or range: widely introduced
Atoll workshop: Namdrik (no distinction made as to species)
Traditional use: medicine

Scientific name: Lepidodactylus lugubris
English name: mourning gecko
Marshallese name: korab
Status or range: parthegenetic, originated on Amo
Atoll workshop: Namdrik (no distinction made as to species)
Traditional use: medicine


Scientific name: Lepidodactylus moestus
English name: ?
Marshallese name: korab
Status or range: Micronesia to Amo
Atoll workshop: Namdrik (no distinction made as to species)
Traditional use: medicine

Scientific name: Lepidodactylus sp.
English name: ?
Marshallese name: korab
Status or range: Amo to Tuamotus
Atoll workshop: Namdrik (no distinction made as to species)
Traditional use: medicine

Scientific name: Nactus pelagicus
English name: Pacific slender toed gecko
Marshallese name: kirabro
Status or range: parthegenetic

Scientific name: Perochirus ateles
English name: Micronesian gecko
Marshallese name: korab
Status or range: spotty in Oceania, on Amo
Atoll workshop: Namdrik (no distinction made as to species)
Traditional use: medicine

Family Scincidae (skinks)


Scientific name: Emoia arnoensis
English name: Amo skink
Marshallese name: ?
Status or range: endemic Micronesia

Scientific name: Emoia boettgeri
English name: Boettger's skink
Marshallese name: ?
Status or range: endemic Marshalls, Carolines

Scientific name: Emoia caeruleocauda
English name: Pacific blue-tailed skink
Marshallese name: karable (brown), aoeb (black)
Atoll workshop: Namdrik
Traditional use: medicine

Scientific name: Emoia cyanura
English name: brown-tailed copper striped skink
Marshallese name: kiruble (juveniles)

Scientific name: Emoia jakati
English name: Jakoti skink
Marshallese name: ?


Scientific name: Eugongylus albofacsiolatus
English name: white-striped sand skink
Marshallese name: menuel
Status or range: large, diurnal, ground lizard

Scientific name: Cryptoblepharus boutoni
English name: snake-eyed skink
Marshallese name: ?
Status or range: widespread in Oceania, reported on Bokar, Bikar

Scientific name: Lamprolepis smaragdina
English name: green tree skink, emerald skink
Marshallese name: kilij (green), aoeb (black)
Status or range: strictly arboral, widespread

Scientific name: Lipinia noctua
English name: moth skink
Marshallese name: ?
Status or range: diurnal, partly arboral

Family Varanidae (monitor lizards)


Scientific name: Varanus indicus
English name: mangrove monitor lizard
Marshallese name: tokake, kutiltil
Status or range: introduced by Japanese; currently only Aur, Wotje, Enewetak
Atoll workshop: Namdrik
Traditional use: medicine

Suborder Serpentes (snakes)

Family Colubridae (advanced snakes)

Scientific name: Boiga irregularis
English name: brown tree snake
Marshallese name: jedpanit
Status or range: introduced, Wake, Kwajelein, no breeding population recorded, serious pest on Guam

Family Typhlopidae (blind worm snakes)


Scientific name: Ramphotyphlops braminus
English name: Brahminy blind snake
Marshallese name: majlol?
Status or range: parthegenetic, presumably introduced, possibly prehistorically
Atoll workshop: Namdrik?
Traditional use: medicine?


REFERENCES

Abo, Takaji, Byron W. Bender, Alfred Capelle, and Tony DeBrum 1985. Marshallese-English Dictionary, third edition. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, Hawaii

Brown, Walter C. 1991. Lizards of the Genus Emoia (Scincidae) with Observations on Their Evolution and Biogeography. Memoirs of the California Academy of Science, No. 15


Buden, Donald W. 1995. Reptiles, Birds and Mammals of Mokil and Pingelap Atolls, Eastern Caroline Islands. Micronesica, Vol. 28(1), pp. 9-23

________ 1996a. Distribution of Reptiles of Pohnpei, Federated Stales of Micronesia, with a Guide to Identification of Species. [Unpushing project report submitted to South Pacific Regional Environment Programme, Apia, Western Samoa]

________ 1996b. Reptiles, Birds and Mammals of Ant Atoll, 1996c. Reptiles, Birds and Mammals of Pakin Atoll, Eastern Caroline Islands. Micronesica, Vol. 29(1), pp. 37-48

Frank, Norman and Erica Ramus, 1996. A Complete Guide to Scientific and Common Names of Reptiles and Amphibians of the World. N. G. Publishing, Pottsville, Pennsylvania

Gressitt, J. L, 1961. Terrestrial Fauna, in Blumenstock, David I. (ed) A report on typhoon effects upon Jaluit Atoll. Atoll Research Bulletin, No. 75


Kiester, A. Ross 1983. Zoogeography of Skinks (Sauria: Scincidae) of Arno Atoll, Marshall Islands, pp. 359-363. in Rhodin, A. G. J. and K. Miyata (eds.) Advances in Herpetology and Evolutionary Biology. Museum of Compariative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Eastern Caroline Islands. Micronesica, Vol. 29 (1), pp. 21-36

Lamberson, Janet O. 1987. "Reptiles of Enewetak Atoll" in Devaney, Dennis M. et al "The Natural History of Enewetak Atoll", United States Department of Energy

Loveridge, Arthur 1945. Reptiles of the Pacific World, The MacMillan Company, New York, New York

Marshall, Joe T. Jr. 1950. Vertebrate Ecology of Arno Atoll. Atoll Research Bulletin, No. 3, pp. 1-38


________ 1957. Atolls visited during the first year of the Pacific Rat Ecology Project. Atoll Research Bulletin, No. 56, pp.1-11

National Research Council 1990. Decline of the Sea Turtles, Causes and Prevention. National Academy Press, Washington, D.C.

Nelling, Chris 1995. Mangrove Monitors. Reptile & Amphibian Magazine, Jan./Feb., pp. 30-35

Ota, Hidetoshi, Robert N. Fisher, Ivan Ineich, and Ted. J. Case 1995. Geckos of the Genus Lepidodacylus (Sqamata: Reptilia) in Micronesia: Description of a New Species and Reevaluation of the Status of Gecko moestus Peters, 1867. Copeia, 1995 (1), pp.183-195

Radtkey, R. R., S. C. Donnellan, R. N. Fisher. C. Moritz, K. A. Hanley and T. J. Case 1995. When Species Collide; the origin and spread of an asexual species of gecko. Pro. R. Soc. Lon. B., 259,pp.145-152


Spennemann, Dirk H. R. 1997. Distribution of Rat Species (Rattus spp.) on the Atolls of the Marshall Islands: Past and Present Dispersal. Atoll Research Bulletin, No. 446, pp. 1-18

Wiles, Gary J., A. Binion Amerson Jr. and Robert E. Beck 1989. Notes on the Herpetofauna of Tinian, Mariana Islands. Micronesica, Vol. 22 (1), pp. 107-118

__________ 1990. The Mammals of Tinian, Mariana Islands. Micronesica, Vol. 23 (2), pp. 167-180

Wiles, Gary J., Gordon H. Rodda, Thomas H. Fritts and Estanislao M, Taisacan 1990. Abundance and Habitat Use of Reptiles on Rota, Mariana Islands. Micronesica, Vol. 23 (2), pp.153-165

Wright, Kevin 1993. The Marine Toad (Bufo marinus). Reptile & Amphibian Magazine, Jan./Feb., pp. 43-46


Zug, George R. 1991. Lizards of Fiji: Natural History and Systematics. Bishop Museum Bulletin in Zoology 2, pp. 50-53

Zug, George R. and Brad R. Moon 1995. Systematics of the Pacific Slender-toed Geckos, Nactus Pelagicus Complex: Oceania, Vanuatu, and Solomon Islands Populations. Herpetologica, Vol. 51 (1), pp. 87-89

Biodiversity Atoll Workshop notes

personal communication: Buden, Donald W., College of Micronesia, Pohnpei Wiles, Gary J.; wildlife biologist, Department of Agriculture, Guam