About
The Haitian striped sphaero is only known from one specimen. Worryingly, despite surveys at and around the area it was first found, no other specimens have been found since!
The lack of sightings on this species has led to fears that this species may have already become extinct.
The Haitian striped sphaero is part of the family Sphaerodactylidae, which diverged from all other families of reptiles 87 million years ago. This is around the time that humans and rabbits shared a common ancestor!
Habitat loss due to agricultural expansion on the island is a major threat to this species, alongside charcoal production and overgrazing. No suitable vegetation now has survived around the type locality since 1997.
There are no known species-specific conservation measures currently in place for this species. To aid conservation, further research is required to clarify the population status of this species and see if it still survives. This species does not occur in any protected areas.
- Order: Squamata
- Family: Sphaerodactylidae
- Population: Possibly extinct
- Trend: unknown
EDGE Score
Distribution
The species is found in Département de l’Artibonite, Haiti.
Habitat and Ecology
This species lives around a coastal oasis surrounded by dry forest