Insects of Exuma — walking sticks
While you are exploring the island of Great Exuma, you may easily walk right past a ‘walking stick’ or mistake it for a twig as it rests on a branch or leaf amid all the bits and pieces of the surrounding trees and shrubs in the forested and bushy areas of Exuma. That is because the green, brown or grey-brown, sometimes striped or spotted, coloring of this fascinating insect (order Phasmatodea) is the perfect camouflage, making it extremely difficult to spot.
Although walking sticks are found all over the world, they mostly inhabit tropical and sub-tropical regions where the climate is hot ...Full story
Cuban tree frog
Cuban tree frogs (Osteopilus Septentrionalis) are amphibians native to Cuba, the Bahamas and the Cayman Islands, and are the largest tree frogs in North America. They can be found in estuaries, low-density suburban developments, small towns, agricultural areas, lowlands and swamps — being attracted to damp shade around trees and shrubs, wells, rain barrels and buildings.
They range in size from 3 to 5.5 inches (76 to 140 mm) and vary in color from olive-brown to bronze, gray or grayish-white, which can change depending on the temperature and the environment. Some have dark splotches on their ...Full story
Banana spider
Banana spiders, as they are called here in the Bahamas because they weave impressive golden yellow webs, are of the genus Nephila. The name is derived from the ancient Greek, meaning ‘fond of spinning’.
Widespread in the warmer areas of the world, Nephila is the oldest surviving genus of spiders, with a fossilized specimen known from 165 million years ago, and in their ancient history some of them had a leg span of 15 cm (almost 6”).
They can vary from reddish to greenish-yellow in color with a distinctive whiteness on the cephalo-thorax (the head and thorax fused together) and the beginning ...Full story
Great egret
A great egret in flight is a breathtaking sight. (Photos by ExploreExuma)
The great egret (Ardea alba) is a large bird with all-white plumage, a member of the heron family (Ardeidae) and a close relative of the pelican. The species is widely distributed throughout most of the tropical and warmer temperate regions of the world.
It can reach one metre (39”) in height and weigh up to 950 grams (2.1 lb). With a wingspan of 165 to 215 cm (65 to 86 in), it is only slightly smaller than the great blue or grey heron. It can be distinguished from other white egrets by its yellow bill and black legs and ...Full story
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Flora and fauna
