IN SEARCH OF THE ST-LUCIA RACER LIOPHIS-ORNATUS, WITH FURTHER OBSERVATIONS ON THE REPTILE FAUNA OF THE MARIA ISLANDS, ST-LUCIA, WEST-INDIES

Fieldwork was undertaken on Maria Major, St. Lucia during September 19 97 in an attempt to find and obtain baseline ecological data on the en demic St. Lucia racer Liophis ornatus - arguably the rarest snake in t he world. Whilst on the island, and on the neighbouring island of Mari a Minor, morphometric data were collected on other species of reptile found. These included the lizards Cnemidophorus vanzoi, Gymnophthalmus pleei leutkeni, Hemidactylus palaichthus and Sphaerodactylus microlep is and the worm snake Leptotyphlops bilineata, Comparisons were also m ade between the Cnemidophorus vanzoi populations of Maria Major and Mi nor, described by previous workers as being different in appearance, A dditionally, a single adult male Cnemidophorus vanzoi on Maria Major w as force-fed a small radio transmitter, in order to monitor activity a nd internal temperature. This paper describes the work carried out dur ing: the field trip, presents some of the data collected and discusses possible future ecological and conservation efforts for the Maria Isl ands.