A REPORT ON THE REPTILES OF MARIA ISLAND MAJOR, ST-LUCIA, WEST-INDIES

During the course of a study to compare the habitats of Maria Major an d Praslin islands, St, Lucia, time was spent surveying Maria Major for reptile species, The focus of the survey was to collect as much morph ometric data as was feasible in the limited time available and to esta blish a full reptile species list. Emphasis was placed on finding indi viduals of the rarest snake in the world, the St. Lucia racer Liophis ornatus. A total of six lizard and two snake species was identified, T he lizards Cnemidophorus vanzoi, Gymnophthalmus pleei leutkeni, Anolis (Dactyloa) luciae, Thecadactylus rapicauda, Hemidactylus palaichthus and Sphaerodactylus microlepis were all previously recorded from the i sland as was the St, Lucia racer Liophis ornatus. The second snake spe cies, not previously recorded on Maria Major, was the worm snake Lepto typhlops bilineata. The status of each species is discussed and the im portance of this unique island to the survival of some of these specie s is emphasised.