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a8 local
Friday 29 September 2023
Unique fauna of Aruba

çao being released on bit runs. These rabbits can
Aruba. The parakeet popu- grow up to approximately
lation on Aruba is in danger 40 centimeters in length
due to extensive deforesta- over their short lifespan of
tion occurring on the island 3 years. Cottontail rabbits
because of the growing reach reproductive ma-
population. turity when they are just 2
to 3 months old. A female
The prikichi weighs be- rabbit, called a doe, finds
tween 90 to 100 grams. It a suitable nest spot under
has a greenish-brown head a shrub or rocks and lines it
with some yellow around with fur. She can have an
the eye. The back and average of 3 to 4 litters per
wings of the parakeet are year averaging 5 young
dark green, and the under- each. The doe only visits
side of the body is a light- her young once or twice a
For a small island, Aruba er shade of green. There day to nurse her babies for
sure has a lot of unique is also a bit of blue in the a period of 2 to 3 weeks.
treasures. Among these, wings. The parakeet's beak The young reach indepen-
we have some subspecies is gray/black. dence at 4 to 5 weeks.
of animals that are unique
to our island. These have Parakeets often use ter- The Aruban Conew is an
evolved to perfectly adapt mite nests as breeding endangered species and
to our desert climate and sites. Parakeets are found protected by Aruban law.
make Aruba their home. in all natural environments The Conew is thought to
At the same time, they are (mondi) of the island. It de- have drastically declined
part of what makes Aruba fends itself by flying away due to an increase in hu-
truly one of a kind. and loud cries. Parakeets man activities, habitat
eat seeds from the pods fragmentation and preda-
Cascabel (rattlesnake, of the Kwihi tree, Divi Divi, tion by the invasive Boa
Crotalus durissus unicolor) and columnar cactus. They constrictor as well as feral
According to the Arikok emies of the cascabel are until all the eggs are laid – also consume natural fruits. cats and dogs. However,
National Park, Aruba knows donkeys, goats, humans a shoco can lay up to four Its main predators are boa recently there seem to be
two kinds of snakes, the and cars. Humans are the eggs. The first owlets hatch constrictors, humans. more rabbit sightings in rural
Santanero and the Casca- biggest enemy of the cas- after three to four weeks. and wilderness areas and
bel. The cascabel belongs cabel, as they kill them and The shoco owl takes care of Conew (cottontail rabbit, also in the National Park.
to the rattlesnake family. destroy their habitat for ur- the owlets for three months Sylvilagus floridanus nigro- This could be linked to a re-
The cascabel is the only banization. until they leave the nest. nuchalis) cent decline of the invasive
venomous snake from Aru- Only a few owlets survive. The Eastern Cottontail rab- Boa population after the
ba. It has a length of 65cm Shoco (burrowing owl, bit (Sylvilagus floridanus) long period of drought. As
to 100cm, and is about 4 to Athene cunicularia aru- The owlrs dig burrows in the was probably brought over the Conew can reproduce
5cm wide. Its color varies bensis) ground with low grass veg- to the island by Indian set- very quickly, a short break
from light brown to grey- The shoco is a small bird etation. An owl can live up tlers thousands of years in predation pressure can
brown, and its underbelly which is seldom seen. They to nine years. ago as a source of food. lead to a fast increase of
is white. On its back there are active during the day This rabbit, locally known as rabbits. Sadly, the Boas are
are marks that are a little but are more active later Its defense mechanism is Conew, has spread all over back on the rise again with
darker, in the shape of dia- in the day and at night for simply to fly away or re- the island and has become the truly wet rainy seasons
monds. hunting. These owls have treat to its burrows. They part of our ecosystem. The we have recently experi-
very good night vision and eat mostly insects, mice very adaptable Conew enced. This could cause a
Its reproduction is ovipa- very good hearing. and lizards, and the main can live in a wide variety of new decline in the Conew
rous, meaning the offspring The shoco is the national threats to their survival are habitats, including Aruba’s population that was just
can hatch from their eggs symbol of Aruba. boas – an invasive species xeric scrublands, where it starting to recover.
just before, during or imme- introduced by humans as typically grazes on weeds
diately after laying. The shoco has about 20cm pets – and humans through and grasses. These are but a few of Aru-
of length, and the females destruction of their habitat. ba’s beautiful inhabitant,
The cascabel lives mainly are slightly heavier than The Aruban Conew has a which we must all contrib-
in the Arikok National Park. the males. They are light Prikichi (parakeet, Arat- brownish grey color and a ute to protect. For more
It likes to live in dark plac- brown in color, with many inga pertinax) distinctive white belly. This information, visit https://
es, and is thus found hid- white spots. The belly of the The Prikichi is the national white fur extends to the www.arubanationalpark.
den among the limestone Shoco is either white or light bird of Aruba. On Aruba, bottom of the tail which org/main/flora-fauna/ q
rocks and under stones. As brown, and the shoco has Bonaire, and Curaçao, par- becomes visible as the rab-
a defense mechanism, the striking yellow eyes. Its beak akeets can be found, but
cascabel uses its rattle as a is yellow/green. Young owls each of the three islands
warning, and it is not an ag- do not have white spots has a different breed. The
gressive animal. and are lighter in color. Yellow-shouldered Amazon
parakeet that we have on
The cascabel feeds on liz- The nest of the shoco is a Aruba is also found along
ards, small mammals such burrow in the ground. If the the coast of Venezuela.
as rats and mice. It para- shoco cannot find a bur- Unfortunately, there is in-
lyzes or kills its prey with its row, it will dig one in soft terbreeding between the
venom, which is injected soil. The shoco lays one or breeds due to cage birds
through a bite. The en- two eggs every other day from, for example, Cura-