Several years ago, I was hiking the hills behind Grand Case when I noticed a young goat caught with its head stuck in a wire fence (1st photo). It had stuck its head through to eat something, but couldn’t get out because of its horns. Although it was very afraid by my approach, I was able to free the young […]

Like other insects, butterflies use heat from the sun to warm up their bodies. That’s why they are more likely to rest with their wings open in the morning, when they are trying to warm up. On this tropical checkered skipper, you can also see that the body and the inner portion of the wings are dark, which also aids […]

On St. Martin, we have two native species of Anolis lizards, Anolis pogus (top in the photo) and Anolis gingivinus (bottom in the photo). They are both considered part of the “bimaculatus” group of anoles that live in the Northern Lesser Antilles, and as such are generally thought to come from a common ancestor arriving from the Greater Antilles. It […]

Cuban tree frogs are a highly-successful invasive species on St. Martin and elsewhere. Even though their tadpoles need fresh water to live in, they are able to live in relatively dry areas. One way they do this is by taking advantage of almost any available body of fresh water, even small, temporary pools. They also have a technique that helps […]

The snowy egret is common on St. Martin today, often seen on our salt ponds where it feeds and nests. I would also guess that it was a common resident 200 years ago. However, 100 years ago it may not have been here at all. It seems strange, but you can find out why at my St. Martin Book Fair […]

The nests of Killdeer and other shorebirds are extremely vulnerable to predators like dogs, rats and mongoose. They also rely on camouflage, so they may also be destroyed accidentally by people walking, horseback riding or ATV riding through nesting areas. In this photo, the Killdeer nest is actually relatively easy to spot because the mudflat is wet and dark, but […]

Here is a very young nymph of the leaf-mimic katydid Phoebolampta caeruleotergum. This species was discovered on St. Martin in 2006. It is possible that it also lives on other nearby islands, but I have not yet seen it documented anywhere except St. Martin. The adult is primarily green, with angular wings that make it look very much like a […]

The bellyache bush benefits from 24-hour pollination. During the day, butterflies like the great southern white visit bellyache bush flowers for nectar, and at night, moths like the striped grass looper do the same. To learn more about the rhythms of wildlife, from day to night, rainy season to dry and many more, attend the free Wildlife Beats workshop at […]

Here’s a green lynx spider eating a hoverfly that I photographed while doing a nature walk with Sister Marie Laurence School students. I am still impressed by small spiders capturing large prey. The hoverfly, like many from that family, is a bee-mimic. Looking like a bee may make them less appealing to some predators, but not to the green lynx […]

Here are some of the photos we took in the mini-studio I set up in the classroom at Sister Marie Laurence School. As you can see, the students were able to collect quite a wide variety of insects, spiders and other invertebrates. We also learned that if you keep two spiders in the same container one might get eaten.