Dominican Republic

Two bird species now appear to be extinct in neighboring Haiti and survive only in the Dominican Republic: the Bay-breasted Cuckoo (BirdLife Int'l)(flickr) and Ridgway’s Hawk (GRIN).  The Eastern Chat-Tanager (IBC)(flickr), also now occurring solely in the Dominican Republic, is sometimes considered a full species.

The Dominican Republic is home to the world's smallest lizard, the Jaragua Dwarf Gecko Sphaerodactylus ariasae (BBC). A diverse endemic anole fauna includes the Dominican Giant Anole Anolis baleatus (flickr), the Cordillera Central Twig Anole Anolis insolitus (flickr), and the Red-fanned Stout Anole Anolis marcanoi (Reptile Database). Other endemic reptiles include the Hispaniolan Ground Iguana Cyclura ricordi (ARKive), the Serpentine Four-toed Galliwasp Celestus agasepsoides (Caribherp), the Santo Domingo Curly-tailed Lizard Leiocephalus lunatus (wildherps.com), and the Martin Garcia Threadsnake Mitophis asbolepis (Caribherp).

Amphibians unique to the Dominican Republic include the Hispaniolan Yellow Tree Frog Osteopilus pulchrilineata (ARKive), the Hispaniolan Crestless Toad Bufo fluviaticus (IUCN Red List), theYellow Split Toed Eleuth Eleutherodactylus flavescens (ARKive), the Montane Cricket Frog Eleutherodactylus haitianus (Caribherp), the High Mountain Eleuth Eleutherodactylus patriciae (ARKive), and the Melodius Pine Eleuth Eleutherodactylus pituinus (flickr).

Freshwater fish restricted to the Dominican Republic include the Hispaniolan Rivulus Rivulus roloffi (flickr), the Sulfur Limia Limia sulphurophila (FishBase), Perugia’s Limia Limia perugiae (eol), the Striped Limia Limia zonata (flickr), the Elegant Molly Poecilia elegans (flickr), the Jaragua Pupfish Cyprinodon nichollsi (AMNH pdf file), and the Black-and-blue Pupfish Cyprinodon higuey (AMNH pdf file).

Beetles known only from the Dominican Republic include a ground beetle Platynus baorucensis (Harvard Univ. Caribbean Insects), and two longhorned beetles: Phoenicus sanguinipennis (USDA pdf file) and Mecosarthron domingoensis (Smithsonian). Endemic butterflies include Calisto tasajera (Butterflies of America), Calisto galli (Butterflies of America), Strymon andrewi (Butterflies of America), and Cyclargus kathleena (Butterflies of America).  Other endemic insects include a silk moth Hispaniodirphia lemaireiana (Saturniidae World), a tiger moth Lophocampa lesieuri (Markku Savela), an ant Pheidole harlequina (Discover Life), and seven recently described species of stinkbugs (p. 31 of NDSU pdf file). Other endemic invertebrates include a cave-dwelling amphipod Ottenwalderia kymbalion (Contributions to Zoology), a pholcid spider Tainonia samana (Pholcidae), and several land snails: Abbottella moreletiana (Femorale), Cerion yumaensis (Cerion), Chondropomium hooksi (OSU), and Helicina prasinata (Internet Archive),.

Orchids found solely in the Dominican Republic include Lepanthopsis constanzensis (IOPSE), Tolumnia henekenii (Orchids Online), and Psychilis dodii (IOPSE). Other endemic plants include the Dominican Cherry Palm Pseudophoenix ekmanii (ARKive), a silver palm Coccothrinax boschiana (Int'l Palm Soc.), Podocarpus hispaniolensis (Albion College), Pitcairnia domingensis (FCBS), Cinnamodendron ekmanii (Flora of Hispaniola), Vachellia barahonensis (acaciaID), Cubanola domingensis (PlantFiles), Magnolia pallescens (flickr), the Bayahibe Rose Pereskia quisqueyana (ARKive), Melocactus pedernalensis (Flora of Hispaniola), Isidorea pungens (flickr), and Pinguicula casabitoana (World of Pinguicula). Endemic genera include Salcedoa (Espacinsular), Anacaona (NYBG), Linnaeosicyos (UMSL pdf file), Vegaea (FTBG), and Pedinopetalum (NYBG).

The Dominican Republic is part of the Caribbean Islands biodiversity hotspot (CI). Important terrestrial ecoregions include the Hispaniolan Pine Forests (EoE) and the Hispaniolan Moist Forests (EoE). With Haiti now almost completely deforested, many formerly more widely ranging Hispaniolan endemic species (in addition to the birds mentioned above) and genera (15 terrestrial vertebrate genera are unique to the island) may already survive only in the Dominican Republic.