Guadeloupe 2018
Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2018 4:20 pm
Hello,
It's been a while since I have done a trip report. The last year has been very busy (baby, house, work), and Sardinia in april 2017 was the last true nature trip (far too long for me and my partner).
So this trip in Guadeloupe, a lesser antilles island that we already know, was highly anticipated.
We haven't been disappointed !
This trip was far better than the last in 2014, more species, more fun, more food ( ).
We stayed, in Bouillante, a small town in the Basse-Terre island (Guadeloupe is in fact two island, Grande-Terre and Basse-Terre) for three weeks. Basse-Terre is less populated, and home to the national park of the same name. It's a volcanic island (Grand-Terre is reefal and flat) :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guadeloupe
We also spent three days in Terre-de-Bas, an island of the Saintes archipelago.
Here you have more photos (with also landscapes, flora etc..) :
https://www.flickr.com/gp/141135600@N04/SxP69T
And now for the herps :
In Guadeloupe there is some species you can't miss.
Eleutherodactylus jonhstonei and Eleutherodactylus martinicensis are one of these. Three was lot of them in the garden of the house we rent, and there distinctive calls were heard all the nights.
Eleutherodactylus johnstonei :
Eleutherodactylus johnstonei by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Eleutherodactylus jonhstonei by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
It's a invasive species, living mostly in disturbed habitats, near roads, houses, etc.
Eleutherodactylus jonhstonei by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Eleutherodactylus jonhstonei by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Eleutherodactylus martinicensis :
Eleutherodactylus martinicensis by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Eleutherodactylus martinicensis by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Eleutherodactylus martinicensis by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Eleutherodactylus martinicensis by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Eleutherodactylus martinicensis by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
A local one (but also present in Martinique and other Antilles islands)., very common, even in disturbed habitats, but also in the heart of the old growth forest.
There is also two other species of Eleutherodactylus, all of them are endemic from Basse-Terre. Eleutherodactylus barlagnei is very rare, maybe extinct and there isn't any data since at least ten years. It's the only stream breeding species of the Guadeloupe Eleutherodactylus (so maybe more affected by Chytrid).
We search for him but didn't find it.
The last one is Eleutherodactylus pinchoni, a species that we missed last time. Before the trip, we asked local naturalists (a very rare thing in Antilles !) where to find them (they become very rare in lowland area). They gave us very good advices !
We find them in the highest areas of Guadeloupe, in the clood forests and the lands around the Soufrière (1500 m) :
The first, a female :
Eleutherodactylus pinchoni by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
And the 2nd, a male :
Eleutherodactylus pinchoni by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Eleutherodactylus pinchoni by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Eleutherodactylus pinchoni by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
We go to this place two times, one for only two hours, and second (me, alone) for a longer time, but with disastrous weather (rain, rain, and thunder ...).
Another amphibiens is, as usual in neotropics, the cane toad (everywhere!) : Rhinella marina by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Another interesting thing is Antilles is the number of species and subspecies of Anolis. Last time, didn't know why, but we didin't photographied a lot of them.
In Basse-Terre, with have five/six subspecies of Anolis marmoratus.
First, at Bouillante, where we stayed : subsp. girafus :
Anolis marmoratus subsp. girafus by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Anolis marmoratus subsp. girafus by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
In old growth forests, in the heart of the island : subsp. alliaceus :
Anolis marmoratus subsp. alliaceus by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Anolis marmoratus subsp. alliaceus by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
North, near Deshaies, subsp. inornatus :
Anolis marmoratus subsp. inornatus by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
South-east of Basse-Terre, at Capesterre-Belle-Eau, subsp. marmoratus (the most beautiful of all, for me) :
Anolis marmoratus subsp. marmoratus by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Anolis marmoratus subsp. marmoratus by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
An not yet described subspecies, endemic from the small islets of "Ilets Pigeon", subsp. pigeonnensis :
Anolis marmoratus pigeonnensis by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Anolis marmoratus pigeonnensis by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
In Grande-Terre, subsp. speciosus (the old male can have all the head blue) :
Anolis marmoratus subsp. speciosus by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Here two interesting and recent publications about them :
https://www.researchgate.net/publicatio ... asse_Terre
https://www.researchgate.net/publicatio ... _Kahouanne
All around the island we found Sphaerodactylus fantasticus, a very small gecko, always foraginf on the leaf litter (more common along littoral forests) :
Sphaerodactylus fantasticus by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Sphaerodactylus fantasticus by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Invasive Iguana iguana are also everywhere, and sadly they took the place of Iguana delicatissima on the main islands (we saw them in 2014, in the islet of Désirade) :
Iguana iguana by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
And now, go to the archipelago of Saintes, at the south of Basse-Terre. We stayed three days at Terre-de-Bas (a mongoose free island). The main goal was to find the Alsophis sanctonum. As mongoose haven't been introduced to the Saintes, Alsophis are still common here (nearly extinct on Guadeloupe).
Archipel des Saintes by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Terre-de-Bas is not touristic, so life is very calm and slow here. Habitats are also very different from Basse-Terre, more dry :
Grande Anse by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Trace de l'étang by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Naturaliste(s) by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
The Saintes have their species of Anolis, Anolis terrealtae caryae :
Anolis terraealtae subsp. caryae by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Anolis terraealtae subsp. caryae by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
And molokoi turtles Trachemys stejnejeri (introduced, from a long time, maybe by arawak people) :
Trachemys stejnejeri by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
And, at last (we found only one individual, after a long walk in the dry forest) :
Alsophis sanctonum subsp. danforthi by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Alsophis sanctonum subsp. danforthi by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
The habitat : Trace de l'Etang by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
It's a long snake, hard to miss, but quick to escape ...
During our stay in the Saintes we sympathize with a sailer from Saint-Marteen. During our last day in Guadeloupe He take us to Kahouanne, a desert islet, near Deshaies (North of Basse-Terre). Here we have the chance to meet our last species of Anolis, Anolis kahouannensis :
Anolis kahouannensis by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Anolis kahouannensis by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Kahouanne :
Ilet à Kahouanne by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Anolis habitat :
Ilet à Kahouanne by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
That's all of the herp ! But we can't resume Guadeloupe only with them, they is also tens of interesting species. For example one the most noisy katytid of the world (110 dB), Karukerana aguilari :
Karukerana aguilari by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Tens of Xerophyllopteryx fumosa :
Xerophyllopteryx fumosa by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Beautiful butterflies (with scale !) :
Urania leilus by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Crabs ! :
Gecarcinus ruricola by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
And tropical landscapes :
Première et deuxième chutes du Carbet by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Grand étang by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Plage de Grande Anse by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
And the food :
Marché de Basse-Terre by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
In the field we were always with Marcel, our one year child :
Naturaliste(s) by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Even when looking for frogs at night (18h-21h) :
Naturaliste(s) by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
The guy who invented the baby bag is a genius !
If you want to see pictures of landscapes, insects, flora etc .. here my flickr album of our trip (in chronogical order) :
https://www.flickr.com/gp/141135600@N04/6te5NQ
and the last from 2014 :
https://www.flickr.com/gp/141135600@N04/KspxBS
Robin
It's been a while since I have done a trip report. The last year has been very busy (baby, house, work), and Sardinia in april 2017 was the last true nature trip (far too long for me and my partner).
So this trip in Guadeloupe, a lesser antilles island that we already know, was highly anticipated.
We haven't been disappointed !
This trip was far better than the last in 2014, more species, more fun, more food ( ).
We stayed, in Bouillante, a small town in the Basse-Terre island (Guadeloupe is in fact two island, Grande-Terre and Basse-Terre) for three weeks. Basse-Terre is less populated, and home to the national park of the same name. It's a volcanic island (Grand-Terre is reefal and flat) :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guadeloupe
We also spent three days in Terre-de-Bas, an island of the Saintes archipelago.
Here you have more photos (with also landscapes, flora etc..) :
https://www.flickr.com/gp/141135600@N04/SxP69T
And now for the herps :
In Guadeloupe there is some species you can't miss.
Eleutherodactylus jonhstonei and Eleutherodactylus martinicensis are one of these. Three was lot of them in the garden of the house we rent, and there distinctive calls were heard all the nights.
Eleutherodactylus johnstonei :
Eleutherodactylus johnstonei by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Eleutherodactylus jonhstonei by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
It's a invasive species, living mostly in disturbed habitats, near roads, houses, etc.
Eleutherodactylus jonhstonei by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Eleutherodactylus jonhstonei by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Eleutherodactylus martinicensis :
Eleutherodactylus martinicensis by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Eleutherodactylus martinicensis by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Eleutherodactylus martinicensis by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Eleutherodactylus martinicensis by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Eleutherodactylus martinicensis by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
A local one (but also present in Martinique and other Antilles islands)., very common, even in disturbed habitats, but also in the heart of the old growth forest.
There is also two other species of Eleutherodactylus, all of them are endemic from Basse-Terre. Eleutherodactylus barlagnei is very rare, maybe extinct and there isn't any data since at least ten years. It's the only stream breeding species of the Guadeloupe Eleutherodactylus (so maybe more affected by Chytrid).
We search for him but didn't find it.
The last one is Eleutherodactylus pinchoni, a species that we missed last time. Before the trip, we asked local naturalists (a very rare thing in Antilles !) where to find them (they become very rare in lowland area). They gave us very good advices !
We find them in the highest areas of Guadeloupe, in the clood forests and the lands around the Soufrière (1500 m) :
The first, a female :
Eleutherodactylus pinchoni by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
And the 2nd, a male :
Eleutherodactylus pinchoni by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Eleutherodactylus pinchoni by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Eleutherodactylus pinchoni by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
We go to this place two times, one for only two hours, and second (me, alone) for a longer time, but with disastrous weather (rain, rain, and thunder ...).
Another amphibiens is, as usual in neotropics, the cane toad (everywhere!) : Rhinella marina by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Another interesting thing is Antilles is the number of species and subspecies of Anolis. Last time, didn't know why, but we didin't photographied a lot of them.
In Basse-Terre, with have five/six subspecies of Anolis marmoratus.
First, at Bouillante, where we stayed : subsp. girafus :
Anolis marmoratus subsp. girafus by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Anolis marmoratus subsp. girafus by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
In old growth forests, in the heart of the island : subsp. alliaceus :
Anolis marmoratus subsp. alliaceus by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Anolis marmoratus subsp. alliaceus by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
North, near Deshaies, subsp. inornatus :
Anolis marmoratus subsp. inornatus by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
South-east of Basse-Terre, at Capesterre-Belle-Eau, subsp. marmoratus (the most beautiful of all, for me) :
Anolis marmoratus subsp. marmoratus by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Anolis marmoratus subsp. marmoratus by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
An not yet described subspecies, endemic from the small islets of "Ilets Pigeon", subsp. pigeonnensis :
Anolis marmoratus pigeonnensis by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Anolis marmoratus pigeonnensis by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
In Grande-Terre, subsp. speciosus (the old male can have all the head blue) :
Anolis marmoratus subsp. speciosus by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Here two interesting and recent publications about them :
https://www.researchgate.net/publicatio ... asse_Terre
https://www.researchgate.net/publicatio ... _Kahouanne
All around the island we found Sphaerodactylus fantasticus, a very small gecko, always foraginf on the leaf litter (more common along littoral forests) :
Sphaerodactylus fantasticus by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Sphaerodactylus fantasticus by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Invasive Iguana iguana are also everywhere, and sadly they took the place of Iguana delicatissima on the main islands (we saw them in 2014, in the islet of Désirade) :
Iguana iguana by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
And now, go to the archipelago of Saintes, at the south of Basse-Terre. We stayed three days at Terre-de-Bas (a mongoose free island). The main goal was to find the Alsophis sanctonum. As mongoose haven't been introduced to the Saintes, Alsophis are still common here (nearly extinct on Guadeloupe).
Archipel des Saintes by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Terre-de-Bas is not touristic, so life is very calm and slow here. Habitats are also very different from Basse-Terre, more dry :
Grande Anse by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Trace de l'étang by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Naturaliste(s) by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
The Saintes have their species of Anolis, Anolis terrealtae caryae :
Anolis terraealtae subsp. caryae by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Anolis terraealtae subsp. caryae by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
And molokoi turtles Trachemys stejnejeri (introduced, from a long time, maybe by arawak people) :
Trachemys stejnejeri by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
And, at last (we found only one individual, after a long walk in the dry forest) :
Alsophis sanctonum subsp. danforthi by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Alsophis sanctonum subsp. danforthi by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
The habitat : Trace de l'Etang by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
It's a long snake, hard to miss, but quick to escape ...
During our stay in the Saintes we sympathize with a sailer from Saint-Marteen. During our last day in Guadeloupe He take us to Kahouanne, a desert islet, near Deshaies (North of Basse-Terre). Here we have the chance to meet our last species of Anolis, Anolis kahouannensis :
Anolis kahouannensis by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Anolis kahouannensis by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Kahouanne :
Ilet à Kahouanne by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Anolis habitat :
Ilet à Kahouanne by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
That's all of the herp ! But we can't resume Guadeloupe only with them, they is also tens of interesting species. For example one the most noisy katytid of the world (110 dB), Karukerana aguilari :
Karukerana aguilari by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Tens of Xerophyllopteryx fumosa :
Xerophyllopteryx fumosa by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Beautiful butterflies (with scale !) :
Urania leilus by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Crabs ! :
Gecarcinus ruricola by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
And tropical landscapes :
Première et deuxième chutes du Carbet by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Grand étang by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Plage de Grande Anse by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
And the food :
Marché de Basse-Terre by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
In the field we were always with Marcel, our one year child :
Naturaliste(s) by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
Even when looking for frogs at night (18h-21h) :
Naturaliste(s) by Robin Duborget, sur Flickr
The guy who invented the baby bag is a genius !
If you want to see pictures of landscapes, insects, flora etc .. here my flickr album of our trip (in chronogical order) :
https://www.flickr.com/gp/141135600@N04/6te5NQ
and the last from 2014 :
https://www.flickr.com/gp/141135600@N04/KspxBS
Robin