Little Tobago Island (20673)
Trinidad and Tobago, Caribbean
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2018
National site name: Little Tobago Island
Central coordinates: Latitude: 11.2977, Longitude: -60.5032
System: freshwater, marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 140
Area of KBA (km2): 13.52006
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Little Tobago Island is a small island about 2 km off the coast at Speyside in north-east Tobago. It is approximately 113 ha in area and has a maximum elevation of about 140m. There is no permanent habitation on the island but it is regularly visited by day visitors to view the tropicbirds and marine life surrounding the island.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.
Additional biodiversity: The Island serves as an important breeding site for Audubon’s Shearwater, Red-billed Tropicbird and Brown Noddies. Other breeding species include Brown Booby, Bridled Tern, Sooty Tern and Laughing Gull. The island supports small populations of the biome restricted species Rufous-vented Chachalaca and Copper-rumped Hummingbird. Non-bird biodiversity: Little Tobago supports populations of three replitles with limited distributions. The Ocellated Gecko Gonatodes ocellatus are common in the stands of Coccothrinax and Anthurium. This species is endemic to Tobago and Little Tobago (Murphy 1997). The subspecies of snake Mastigodryas boddaerti, M.d. dunni has a similar distribution. The subspecies of Bachia heteropa, B.h. alleni is limited to Tobago, Little Tobago, Grenada and the Grenadines. One endemic plant Pilea tobagensis has been collected on Little Tobago.
Delineation rationale: Mark has the shapefiles.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: Little Tobago Island is almost completely forested. It represents the only large remnant of deciduous seasonal forest which was once found throughout the lower elevations of Tobago. The forest is of secondary origin as the island was once cultivated. However by 1944 the vegetation had already appeared to have reached a climax (Beard 1944). Dominant tree species include the naked Indian tree Bursera simaruba and the palm Coccothrinax barbadensis. Stands of Royal Palm Roystonea oleracea occur. The aroid Anthurium hookeri is abundant as a ground flora and as an epiphyte. Along exposed coasts the canopy becomes progressively lower and windswept with the cacti Cephalocereus moritziannus, Cactus broadwayi and the succulent Batis maritime occurring.
Land use: nature conservation and research | tourism/recreation
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 100 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Guides to the island come from the local community and Little Tobago receives moderately good protection from hunters. The major threats include the potential introduction of predators to the island and the ever-present threat of hurricanes.
Additional information
References: Bacon, P.B. and R.P. ffrench (1972);Beard, J.S. , (1944);Dinsmore, J.J. (1972);Murphy, J.C. (1997);Hardy, J.D Jr. (1982); Hayes, F. E., and S. Bodnar. (2007)