Page 18 - AHATA

Tuesday 16 January 2024 locAl
A10

Unique fauna of Aruba

lizards, and the main threats to their a wide variety of habitats, includ-
survival are boas – an invasive spe- ing Aruba’s xeric scrublands, where
cies introduced by humans as pets it typically grazes on weeds and
– and humans through destruction grasses.
of their habitat.
The Aruban Conew has a brownish
Prikichi grey color and a distinctive white
(parakeet, Aratinga pertinax) belly. This white fur extends to the
The Prikichi is the national bird of bottom of the tail which becomes
Aruba. On Aruba, Bonaire, and Cu- visible as the rabbit runs. These rab-
raçao, parakeets can be found, but bits can grow up to approximately
each of the three islands has a dif- 40 centimeters in length over their
For a small island, Aruba sure has bel are donkeys, goats, humans ferent breed. The Yellow-shouldered short lifespan of 3 years. Cottontail
a lot of unique treasures. Among and cars. Humans are the biggest Amazon parakeet that we have rabbits reach reproductive maturi-
these, we have some subspecies enemy of the cascabel, as they kill on Aruba is also found along the ty when they are just 2 to 3 months
of animals that are unique to our them and destroy their habitat for coast of Venezuela. Unfortunately, old. A female rabbit, called a doe,
island. These have evolved to per- urbanization. there is interbreeding between the finds a suitable nest spot under a
fectly adapt to our desert climate breeds due to cage birds from, for shrub or rocks and lines it with fur.
and make Aruba their home. At the Shoco (burrowing owl, Athene cu- example, Curaçao being released She can have an average of 3 to 4
same time, they are part of what nicularia arubensis) on Aruba. The parakeet popula- litters per year averaging 5 young
makes Aruba truly one of a kind. The shoco is a small bird which is sel- tion on Aruba is in danger due to each. The doe only visits her young
dom seen. They are active during extensive deforestation occurring once or twice a day to nurse her
Cascabel (rattlesnake, Crotalus the day but are more active later on the island because of the grow- babies for a period of 2 to 3 weeks.
durissus unicolor) in the day and at night for hunting. ing population. The young reach independence at
According to the Arikok National These owls have very good night vi- 4 to 5 weeks.
Park, Aruba knows two kinds of sion and very good hearing. The prikichi weighs between 90 to
snakes, the Santanero and the The shoco is the national symbol of 100 grams. It has a greenish-brown The Aruban Conew is an endan-
Cascabel. The cascabel belongs to Aruba. head with some yellow around the gered species and protected by
the rattlesnake family. The casca- eye. The back and wings of the Aruban law. The Conew is thought
bel is the only venomous snake from The shoco has about 20cm of length, parakeet are dark green, and the to have drastically declined due
Aruba. It has a length of 65cm to and the females are slightly heavier underside of the body is a lighter to an increase in human activities,
100cm, and is about 4 to 5cm wide. than the males. They are light brown shade of green. There is also a bit habitat fragmentation and preda-
Its color varies from light brown to in color, with many white spots. The of blue in the wings. The parakeet's tion by the invasive Boa constric-
grey-brown, and its underbelly is belly of the Shoco is either white beak is gray/black. tor as well as feral cats and dogs.
white. On its back there are marks or light brown, and the shoco has However, recently there seem to
that are a little darker, in the shape striking yellow eyes. Its beak is yel- Parakeets often use termite nests as be more rabbit sightings in rural and
of diamonds. low/green. Young owls do not have breeding sites. Parakeets are found wilderness areas and also in the Na-
white spots and are lighter in color. in all natural environments (mondi) tional Park. This could be linked to a
Its reproduction is oviparous, mean- The nest of the shoco is a burrow of the island. It defends itself by fly- recent decline of the invasive Boa
ing the offspring can hatch from in the ground. If the shoco cannot ing away and loud cries. Parakeets population after the long period of
their eggs just before, during or im- find a burrow, it will dig one in soft eat seeds from the pods of the Kwihi drought. As the Conew can repro-
mediately after laying. soil. The shoco lays one or two eggs tree, Divi Divi, and columnar cactus. duce very quickly, a short break in
every other day until all the eggs They also consume natural fruits. Its predation pressure can lead to a
The cascabel lives mainly in the are laid – a shoco can lay up to four main predators are boa constric- fast increase of rabbits. Sadly, the
Arikok National Park. It likes to live eggs. The first owlets hatch after tors, humans. Boas are back on the rise again with
in dark places, and is thus found hid- three to four weeks. The shoco owl the truly wet rainy seasons we have
den among the limestone rocks and takes care of the owlets for three Conew (cottontail rabbit, Sylvila- recently experienced. This could
under stones. As a defense mecha- months until they leave the nest. gus floridanus nigronuchalis) cause a new decline in the Conew
nism, the cascabel uses its rattle as Only a few owlets survive. The Eastern Cottontail rabbit (Syl- population that was just starting to
a warning, and it is not an aggres- vilagus floridanus) was probably recover.
sive animal. The owlrs dig burrows in the ground brought over to the island by In-
with low grass vegetation. An owl dian settlers thousands of years These are but a few of Aruba’s
The cascabel feeds on lizards, small can live up to nine years. ago as a source of food. This rab- beautiful inhabitant, which we
mammals such as rats and mice. bit, locally known as Conew, has must all contribute to protect. For
It paralyzes or kills its prey with its Its defense mechanism is simply to spread all over the island and has more information, visit https://www.
venom, which is injected through fly away or retreat to its burrows. become part of our ecosystem. The arubanationalpark.org/main/flora-
a bite. The enemies of the casca- They eat mostly insects, mice and very adaptable Conew can live in fauna/ q