|
Caribbean Islands National Wildlife Complex
Caribbean Islands National Wildlife Complex is an administrative unit of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service which oversees National Wildlife Refuges in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Navassa Island of the U.S. Minor Outlying Islands. The NWR complex also manages the reintroduction of the critically endangered Puerto Rican parrot into the wild. Components Puerto Rico * Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge * Culebra National Wildlife Refuge * Desecheo National Wildlife Refuge * Laguna Cartagena National Wildlife Refuge * Vieques National Wildlife Refuge U.S. Minor Outlying Islands * Navassa Island National Wildlife Refuge U.S. Virgin Islands * Buck Island National Wildlife Refuge * Green Cay National Wildlife Refuge * Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge Caribbean Ecological Services Field Office The Caribbean Ecological Services Field Office was established in 1974 as part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Southeast Region (Region 4). Th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
United States Fish And Wildlife Service
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people." Among the responsibilities of the USFWS are enforcing federal wildlife laws; protecting endangered species; managing migratory birds; restoring nationally significant fisheries; conserving and restoring wildlife habitats, such as wetlands; helping foreign governments in international conservation efforts; and distributing money to fish and wildlife agencies of U.S. states through the Wildlife Sport Fish and Restoration Program. The vast majority of fish and wildlife habitats are on state or private land not controlled by the United States government. Therefore, the USFWS works closely with private groups su ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vieques National Wildlife Refuge
The Vieques National Wildlife Refuge (Spanish: ''Refugio nacional de vida silvestre de Vieques'') is a National Wildlife Refuge on the island of Vieques in the Puerto Rico archipelago. It is part of the Caribbean Islands National Wildlife Refuge Complex. The refuge contains several ecologically distinct habitats including; beaches, coastal lagoons, mangrove wetlands, and upland forested areas. Some of the best examples of sub-tropical dry forest in the Caribbean can be found on refuge lands. The marine environment surrounding the refuge contains coral reefs and sea grass beds. The refuge and its surrounding waters are home to at least two plants and eight animals on the Federal endangered species list including; the Antillean manatee (''Trichechus manatus manatus''), the brown pelican (''Pelecanus occidentalis''), and four species of sea turtles. In addition to its ecological value, the refuge contains important resources of archeological and historic significance, a legacy ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
List Of National Wildlife Refuges Of The United States
As of 2022, there are 588 National Wildlife Refuges in the United States, with the addition of the Green River National Wildlife Refuge. Refuges that have boundaries in multiple states are listed only in the state where the main visitor entrance is located. The newest refuge replaces the Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge in Pennsylvania. Refuges are listed whether or not they are open to the public. Many are not. The United States is divided into eight regions for administrative purposes: __NOTOC__ Alabama Alaska American Samoa Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia * None Florida Georgia * (*) - Refuge is part of the Savannah Coastal Refuges Complex. Guam Hawaiʻi Idaho * (*) - Refuge is part of the Southeast Idaho National Wildlife Refuge Complex. Illinois * See also: Mark Twain National Wildlife Refuge Complex Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisia ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tropical And Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests
The tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forest is a habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature and is located at tropical and subtropical latitudes. Though these forests occur in climates that are warm year-round, and may receive several hundred centimeters of rain per year, they have long dry seasons that last several months and vary with geographic location. These seasonal droughts have great impact on all living things in the forest. Deciduous trees predominate in most of these forests, and during the drought a leafless period occurs, which varies with species type. Because trees lose moisture through their leaves, the shedding of leaves allows trees such as teak and mountain ebony to conserve water during dry periods. The newly bare trees open up the canopy layer, enabling sunlight to reach ground level and facilitate the growth of thick underbrush. Trees on moister sites and those with access to ground water tend to be evergreen. Infertile sites also tend ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
American Coot
The American coot (''Fulica americana''), also known as a mud hen or pouldeau, is a bird of the family Rallidae. Though commonly mistaken for ducks, American coots are only distantly related to ducks, belonging to a separate order. Unlike the webbed feet of ducks, coots have broad, lobed scales on their lower legs and toes that fold back with each step which facilitates walking on dry land. Coots live near water, typically inhabiting wetlands and open water bodies in North America. Groups of coots are called covers or rafts. The oldest known coot lived to be 22 years old. The American coot is a migratory bird that occupies most of North America. It lives in the Pacific and southwestern United States and Mexico year-round and occupies more northeastern regions during the summer breeding season. In the winter they can be found as far south as Panama. Coots generally build floating nests and lay 8–12 eggs per clutch. Females and males have similar appearances, but they can be dis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Antillean Nighthawk
The Antillean nighthawk (''Chordeiles gundlachii'') is a nightjar native to the Caribbean and Florida Keys. Its specific epithet, ''gundlachii'', is in honor of Cuban naturalist Juan Gundlach. Description The adults are dark with brown, grey and white patterning on the upperparts and breast; the long wings are black and show a white bar in flight. The tail is dark with white barring; the underparts are white with black bars. The adult male has a white throat; the female has a light brown throat. The most distinguishing characteristic to determine its identity from its closest relative the common nighthawk are the contrasting pale tertials near the back of the wings of a sitting bird. There are two color morphs, a gray and a rufous type. Like other nighthawks, this bird will display by flying upward with a distinctive call note, then diving, pulling out of the dive only a few feet from the ground. This creates a rush of air and distinctive sound. Habitat and distribution Their ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico
Cabo Rojo (, ) is a city and municipality situated on the southwest coast of Puerto Rico and forms part of the San Germán–Cabo Rojo metropolitan area as well as the larger Mayagüez–San Germán–Cabo Rojo Combined Statistical Area. History The area near Las Salinas (salt flats) has been inhabited since 30 BC and AD 120 according to archaeological evidence. Punta Ostiones, listed in the National Register of Historic Places as an archeological site, was home to a large group of Archaic Indians. Despite the threat of pirates and natives, the Spanish settled the area of Los Morrillos around 1511. By 1525, salt mining was an important industry in the area. In 1759 the first request to establish itself as a town was denied. Cabo Rojo was founded on December 17, 1771, by Nicolás Ramírez de Arellano, a descendant of Spanish royalty and nobility, with the approval of Governor and Captain General Miguel de Muesas. According to Fray Iñigo Abbad y Lasierra by the end of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge
Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge preserves habitat for threatened and endangered species, with particular emphasis on the leatherback sea turtle (''Dermochelys coriacea''). Its two miles (3 km) of sandy beaches on the southwest corner of Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands is an ideal nesting place for leatherbacks. The National Wildlife Refuge is open to the public for limited hours on Saturdays and Sundays. The Aklis Archeological Site, a prehistoric shell midden on the coast, is in the refuge. The site dates back to the year 400 and show evidence of human occupation for over 200 years, and has yielded a wide variety of artifacts, including pottery and stone tool fragments, and human remains. The site is subject to gradual erosion. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The last scene of the 1994 film ''The Shawshank Redemption'' was filmed in the refuge. Sandy Point NWR is administered as part of the Caribbean Islands National Wildlife com ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Green Cay National Wildlife Refuge
Green Cay National Wildlife Refuge, encompasses the 6 ha (14 acre) island of Green Cay lying midway between the town of Christiansted and Buck Island Reef National Monument, just north of Saint Croix in the United States Virgin Islands of the Caribbean. It is administered as part of the Caribbean Islands National Wildlife complex. There is a smaller "Green Cay" off the coast of Saint Thomas (). Wildlife The wildlife refuge preserves habitat for the largest remaining population of the endangered Saint Croix ground lizard. Much smaller populations of ground lizards live on nearby Protestant Cay () and on Ruth Island. Its extirpation from the mainland of Saint Croix is generally attributed to the introduction of the small Indian mongoose. In 2008, the National Park Service reintroduced the lizard to Buck Island, translocating 57 individuals from Green Cay. Important Bird Area Green Cay has, along with the nearby Southgate Coastal Reserve, been recognised as an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Buck Island National Wildlife Refuge
Buck Island National Wildlife Refuge is located about 2 miles (4 km) south of the island of St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands of the United States. Adjacent to the refuge is Capella Island, about half the size of Buck, owned by the territorial government. There is a second Buck Island just north of St. Croix that is the centerpiece of Buck Island Reef National Monument. The refuge is characterized by a thorn scrub habitat with rocky coastline surrounded by spectacular reefs. A lighthouse (still maintained by the United States Coast Guard) stands over of cactus and grassland. The island was transferred to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service due to "its value for migratory birds." The U.S. Navy transferred some lands in 1969 and the remainder was received from the Coast Guard in 1981. The surrounding waters contain reefs and a shipwreck that attract large numbers of snorkelers, divers, and boaters. The islands are surrounded by beautiful coral reef habitats and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Navassa Island National Wildlife Refuge
Navassa Island (; ht, Lanavaz; french: l'île de la Navasse, sometimes ) is a small uninhabited island in the Caribbean Sea. Located northeast of Jamaica, south of Cuba, and west of Jérémie on the Tiburon Peninsula of Haiti, it is subject to an ongoing territorial dispute between Haiti and the United States, which administers the island through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The U.S. has claimed the island, as an appurtenance, since 1857, based on the Guano Islands Act of 1856. Haiti's claim over Navassa goes back to the Treaty of Ryswick in 1697 that established French possessions on mainland Hispaniola from Spain, as well as other specifically named nearby islands. However, there was no mention of Navassa in the treaty detailing terms. Haiti's 1801 constitution claimed several nearby islands by name, among which Navassa was not listed, but also laid claim to "other adjacent islands", which Haiti maintains included Navassa. The U.S. claim to the island, first made in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Laguna Cartagena National Wildlife Refuge
The Laguna Cartagena National Wildlife Refuge (Spanish: ''Refugio de Vida Silvestre de Laguna Cartagena'') is a 1043-acre National Wildlife Refuge in Lajas, Puerto Rico. It is part of the Caribbean Islands National Wildlife Refuge Complex. The present lagoon is a remnant of what was once a large open expanse of water and one of the most important freshwater habitats for migrating waterfowl and aquatic birds in Puerto Rico. Due to agricultural practices, about 90 percent of the lagoon is covered with cattail. Intensive cattle grazing and sugar cane production have greatly altered the original landscape. In addition to the lagoon, there are uplands that include pastureland, abandoned sugar cane fields, and in the foothills of the Sierra Bermeja. These hills, geologically the oldest in the Caribbean, protect native forest with many endemic plant species. The area is a stopover for neotropical migrants and several species of waterbirds. The endangered yellow-shouldered blackbir ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
