Page 17 - AHATA

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local Friday 3 May 2024

Unique fauna of Aruba

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