Protected Areas and Trinidad and Tobago's Herpetofauna

Tobago Glass Frog. Photo by Renoir Auguste

Protected areas represent a management tool (or strategy) to help conserve biodiversity. Biodiversity is not only important to wildlife conservation, but to human health, local communities and national economy as well. In order to maximize the effectiveness of protected areas and its overarching uses, information on the species present within them is fundamental. Species lists represent a component that all designated protected areas should have in order to properly manage them and those in and around it. Monitoring has shown to improve management plans with updated information.

Trinidad and Tobago has a variety of designated protected areas. Yet, species lists for them are lacking. A national ecological baseline study (Project ID: GCP/TRI/003/GFF) aimed to help fill this gap for six pilot protected areas. The six areas that were under consideration for protected status (or in some cases, improved protected status) included the Caroni Swamp, Nariva Swamp, Matura National Park/Matura Forest, Trinity Hills, Main Ridge Forest Reserve, and North East Tobago Marine Protected Area. Many different taxonomic groups were assessed, including the amphibians and reptiles (herpetofauna).

Main Ridge Forest Reserve. Photo by Renoir Auguste

From the baseline survey results, 67 herpetofauna species were recorded within the six pilot protected areas. These included 25 amphibian species, 4 turtle species, 1 crocodilian species and 37 squamate (lizard and snake) species. These represent about 70% of the country's amphibians and 50% of the reptiles currently known for the country, suggesting these protected areas are important areas for herpetofauna.


Improved management of the protected areas, national policies, and future monitoring can be based on these results. Indeed, the local government has recently accepted a National Protected Areas System Plan to protect areas in Trinidad and Tobago to help conserve biodiversity based on these results. Hopefully with funding and support, longer term monitoring and local community outreach activities can help provide more quantitative data needed to maintain the long term sustainability of these protected areas and the conservation of biodiversity within them for the benefit of all.

Reference:

Auguste, R.J. (2019). Herpetofaunal checklist for six pilot protected areas in Trinidad andTobago. Herpetology Notes 12, 577-585.