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Thursday 17 OcTOber 2024 locAl
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                                                                                    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
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