The Department of Life Sciences

Phylum: Chordata   Class: Reptilia

Reptiles are air-breathing animals that generally lay tough-shelled eggs and have skin covered in scales or scutes. They are found in every continent except Antarctica and inhabit marine, terrestrial and freshwater habitats. There are four extant groups; the Crocodilia – crocodiles, caimans, alligators (23 species); the Sphenodontia – tuataras (2 species); the Squamates – lizards, snakes, worm lizards (around 7,900 species); the Testudines – turtles and tortoises (around 300 species).

For more information on reptiles in general click here

Trinidad & Tobago Reptiles

There are at least 10 species of turtles found locally, five of these being marine species including the leatherback turtle which nests in high numbers on the coasts of Trinidad. There are two species of crocodilians living here but there are records of other species occasoinally appearing as waifs. 33 species of lizards from 10 families can be found all over the islands, some of these are endemic and some introduced. Over 50 species of snakes from nine families are present but only four are venomous - two pit vipers and two coral snakes. For more information about these species click here

For details about the reptiles found in Trinidad & Tobago click here

For profiles of selected reptiles species click here

UWIZM Collections

There are 26 families represented in the collection including snakes, turtles, lizards and caiman. Most of the specimens are from Trinidad and Tobago but there is a significant collection of lizards from other islands in the eastern Caribbean as well. As well as over 1,000 specimens in spirit there are several turtle shells, many snake skins and a variety of skeletal remains.

Families in the collections include: 

Alligatoridae, Amphisbaenidae, Boidae, Chelidae, Cheloniidae, Colubridae, Dactyloidae, Dermochelyidae, Dipsadidae, Elapidae, Emydidae, Gekkonidae, Geoemydidae, , Gymnophthalmidae, Iguanidae, Kinosternidae, Leptotyphlopidae, , Phyllodactylidae, Polychrotidae, Scincidae, Sphaerodactylidae, Teiidae, Testudinidae, Tropiduridae, Typhlopidae, Viperidae

Highlights

Skeleton of a spectacled caiman (Caiman crocodilus)

Skin and bones from a bushmaster snake (Lachesis muta)

Carapace of a leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)

Wet preserved "luminous" lizard (Oreosaurus shrevei)

Last updated 22 June 2018