Ornate hawk eagles, giant scorpions, river otters! Maracas rich in biodiversity

By wildgirl -

Dr Anjani Ganase reports on the 2025 TT Bioblitz which was conducted on September 20-21 from base camp at Maracas Bay 

 The final tally of all species encountered at the Maracas Bioblitz is still being completed but initial numbers surpass 1000 and are a testament to the amazing wildlife that exists along the North Coast of Trinidad.

 

Bioblitz event organisers, Jernella Chedick and Amy Deacon, officially kick off Maracas Bioblitz 2025.

Plant species took the lead with 419 species, the highest number of species in Bioblitz history. This may be no surprise, as the diverse plants species form the backbone of our northern range rainforests. But what naturalists found living among the plants will blow your mind!

MOTHS

Forests do not exist without bugs. Bugs were the second highest tallied with 337 recorded species. A large portion included butterflies and moths. Rainer Nrshima Deo, Game Warden from the Forestry Division, joined the El Tucuche overnighting team. Rainer aimed to reach the summit of El Tucuche by nightfall specifically to collect and observe moths for the survey. What he was attempting was unique but challenging given the unforgiving terrain of the mountain. He set up light traps and was immediately blown away by the number of moths and the rarity of the species encountered. Even for an experienced lepidopterist such as Rainer, there were at least 35 species that he could not identify. He therefore sought assistance from local and regional experts via the iNaturalist application. While Rainer and expert Matthew Cock are still working through identifications, Rainer reckons that at least five species of moths were never recorded for Trinidad and Tobago with possibilities of some being species new to science.

Rainer – Overnighting in El Tucuche may have pushed me past my physical and mental limits but I do see myself in the near future conducting more surveys of the lepidoptera biodiversity on the summit.

Moths attracted to a light trap using a white sheet and UV black light. Photo courtesy Rainer N. Deo

 

SCORPIONS AND FUNGI

Explorers also found three species of scorpions, including the giant scorpion (Chactus raymondhansi), the country’s largest scorpion, and the thick tailed scorpion (Tityus trinitatis), the country’s most venomous scorpion. All species are endemic to our island. Fungi pursuits were led by Jeffrey Wong Sang, whose team discovered 48 species of many different shapes, sizes, colours and function.

 

Luminous lizard. Photo courtesy Zak Ali

LUMINOUS LIZARDS

From the herpetology group (amphibians and reptiles), let’s start with the luminous lizard. This creature is one of the rarest lizards on the island. The Herps team – as they are affectionately called – lead by Saifudeen Muhammad discovered evidence of this species still existing in the upper reaches of El Tucuche, where it hasn’t been seen for decades. Saifudeen, who has been a leader for the Bioblitz over the last two years, found the Maracas region to be a unique and challenging terrain that required significant planning to cover the area. The team recorded 38 species, but the most rewarding were the rare encounters, such as the golden tree frog found among bromeliads in the high elevations of El Tucuche.

ORNATE HAWK EAGLE

The enthusiastic birders recorded about 148 species. Bird watchers combed the skies from the coast all the way to the summit of El Tucuche at 930m. Recreational viewers would easily spot brightly coloured flocks of red and green macaws flying over Las Cuevas beach, but the adventurer naturalists took a boat to La Vache caves to record the colony of oilbirds, while others hiked up El Tucuche to record by sight and sound. Dr Mark Hulme, Lecturer in Zoology from the University of the West Indies, utilised remote audio recordings in the dense forest habitats of El Tucuche to help record and identify difficult-to-see species from their unique sounds. The ornate hawk eagle is an example of a species that was both sighted and had its call recorded during the Bioblitz.

Other audio recordings included the possible capture of sounds of the lined quail-dove; but we await confirmation through the iNaturalist application by world bird experts. Mark’s highlight was seeing the blue-capped tanager, another high elevation species that is scarcely encountered. While he was not able to photograph that, he did manage to photograph the speckled tanager, another high elevation species.

Giselle Ragoonanan, Wildlife Conservationist and Environmental Educator, conducted bird banding for volunteers during Bioblitz permitting people to see science in action. Bird banding is one of the most powerful tools in conservation science that helps scientists discover how long birds live, patterns of movement and migration and how populations change over time. These insights are essential for tracking the health of species and ecosystems.

Giselle Ragoonanan demonstrating bird banding. Photo courtesy Alana Joseph

Speckled Tanager. Photo courtesy Mark Hulme

 

BATS AND OTTERS

Giselle also led the mammal team that documented 14 species, including eight bat species with the assistance of the Trinibats team. The methods were mixed with the use of camera traps, Sherman live traps, and bat mist-netting. Species highlights included the sighting of a Neotropical river otter, the common opossum, agouti, armadillo and the spiny rat.

Giselle shared, “The moment that stood out for me was encountering pregnant female bats during our mist-netting session. It is humbling to hold in hand an organism that sustains powered flight while carrying developing young, and sometimes even with a pup attached. This is all while also providing critical ecosystem services like insect control, seed dispersal and pollination”

PIPEFISH

Last but not least is the aquatic team that surveyed both rivers, streams and beaches, bays and rocky marine habitats.  A total of 83 species was tallied with the collection of a unique pipefish species yet to be identified. I joined the marine team, snorkelling along the rocky coast of Las Cuevas near Fort Abercromby. Low visibility aside, I was surprised by the pelagic and benthic communities present.

On Saturday, naturalists could be seen combing the forests, coasts, and waters of the 5 km area. Then, we all descended on the community centre on Sunday to showcase findings to the community. Environmental NGOs, such the El Socorro Centre for Wildlife Conservation, SpeSeas, Garden with Wings, ARC Environmental, and Mushrooms of Trinidad and Tobago. Some research and government agencies, such United Nations Development Programme, Forestry Division, Environmental Management Authority, Institute of the Marine Affairs and The University of the West Indies, Zoology Museum were also present to highlight projects in research and conservation.

2025 Bioblitzers. Photo courtesy Elizabeth Seebaran.

 

 SUNDAY SCIENCE

Community members, volunteers, even fellow explorers roamed from booth to booth, whenever they were not counting and identifying. The atmosphere was one of excitement and satisfaction. It was gratifying to see Minister of Planning, Economic Affairs and Development, Mr Kennedy Swaratsingh, who spent the morning visiting every booth and group to learn about our native biodiversity and what was needed to build a better connection with our natural ecosystems. Recommendations included enforcement of existing laws, supporting research to inform policies, and continuing to build environmental education.

The success of the Bioblitz which drew a record number of 250 volunteers this year, was built on the long-term dedication of the Bioblitz Organising Committee, who consist of representatives of the Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club and the Department of Life Sciences at the University of the West Indies, made up of expert leads, and event coordinators. Dedicated support from sponsors First Citizens over the last fourteen years demonstrates how conservation partnerships work. All understand and promote education and conservation as necessary long-term missions that may build slowly but result in significant progress towards appreciation and protection for our natural heritage. Thank you for another fantastic experience!

  

Giant scorpion (Chactus raymondhansi). Photo courtesy Saifudeen Muhammad


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