I’m glad I took a few photos yesterday of how dry the island was. From what I know, this spring was particularly dry on St. Martin. Most of the ponds had very low water levels, often exposing large areas of mudflat. The hills were as dry as I have ever seen them. Every year, the seasonal change between wet and dry seasons impacts animals living on the island. Animals like anoles tend to breed less because there is less food. Small streams that are home to freshwater fish and mollusks often dry up, leaving survivors in the brackish water near the sea. Over longer periods of time, abnormally wet or dry years can also cause evolutionary shifts as animals are forced to adapt to abnormal conditions.
Below is a photo of the same hill during the rainy season and yesterday. It is clear that the exact same location can become a very different habitat over the course of time.
