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Key Places for biodiversity

Learn the wildlife of Cuba and Hispaniola

Cuba · Haiti · Dominican Republic

Cuba and Hispaniola is one of E.O. Wilson's Key Places, irreplaceable for life on Earth. 8,244 species have research-grade observations there on iNaturalist, and KnowKi turns the most recorded into short lessons with real photos.

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Āki the kiwi, KnowKi's guide

Most recorded here

The species with the most research-grade observations on iNaturalist, and how many each has. Most recorded doesn't mean native.

Birds

  1. Greater Antillean Grackle Quiscalus niger1,602
  2. Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos1,418
  3. Gray Kingbird Tyrannus dominicensis1,295
  4. Hispaniolan Woodpecker Melanerpes striatus1,260
  5. Palmchat Dulus dominicus1,216
  6. Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis1,206
  7. Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura1,141
  8. Common Gallinule Gallinula galeata1,068
  9. Great Egret Ardea alba989
  10. American Kestrel Falco sparverius970

Plants

  1. Sea grape Coccoloba uvifera871
  2. Coconut palm Cocos nucifera785
  3. Sea Almond Terminalia catappa421
  4. Red mangrove Rhizophora mangle399
  5. Noni Morinda citrifolia344
  6. Beach Morning Glory Ipomoea pes-caprae339
  7. Trumpetwood Cecropia schreberiana337
  8. Sensitive Plant Mimosa pudica310
  9. Puerto Rico royal palm Roystonea borinquena300
  10. Butterfly pea Centrosema virginianum295

Mammals

  1. Jamaican Fruit-eating Bat Artibeus jamaicensis217
  2. Domestic Cat Felis catus144
  3. Desmarest's Hutia Capromys pilorides121

Insects

  1. White Peacock Anartia jatrophae1,082
  2. Gulf Fritillary Dione vanillae978
  3. Western Honey Bee Apis mellifera888
  4. Zebra Longwing Heliconius charithonia840
  5. Julia Heliconian Dryas iulia536
  6. Malachite Siproeta stelenes438
  7. Gray Cracker Hamadryas februa432
  8. Great Southern White Ascia monuste406
  9. Tropical Checkered-Skipper Burnsius oileus406
  10. Band-winged Dragonlet Erythrodiplax umbrata404

Spiders and kin

  1. Pantropical Huntsman Spider Heteropoda venatoria345
  2. Leucauge argyra317
  3. Gray Wall Jumping Spider Menemerus bivittatus304
  4. Spinybacked Orbweaver Gasteracantha cancriformis287
  5. Golden Silk Spider Trichonephila clavipes157
  6. Banded Garden Spider Argiope trifasciata106
  7. Leucauge regnyi106
  8. Brown Widow Latrodectus geometricus105
  9. Silver Garden Orbweaver Argiope argentata105
  10. Tropical Orbweaver Eriophora ravilla104

Reptiles

  1. Bark Anole Anolis distichus2,292
  2. Northern Curly-tailed Lizard Leiocephalus carinatus1,094
  3. Brown Anole Anolis sagrei870
  4. Common Stout Anole Anolis hispaniolae832
  5. Cuban Green Anole Anolis porcatus793
  6. Tropical House Gecko Hemidactylus mabouia706
  7. Haitian Curlytail Lizard Leiocephalus personatus592
  8. Rhinoceros Iguana Cyclura cornuta549
  9. East Dominican Green Anole Anolis callainus548
  10. Allison's Anole Anolis allisoni474

Amphibians

  1. Hispaniolan Common Tree Frog Osteopilus dominicensis573
  2. Cuban Tree Frog Osteopilus septentrionalis550
  3. Cane Toad Rhinella marina311
  4. Eastern Giant Toad Peltophryne peltocephala182
  5. Hispaniolan Giant Frog Eleutherodactylus inoptatus133
  6. Abbott's Robber Frog Eleutherodactylus abbotti112
  7. Yellow Split-Toed Frog Eleutherodactylus flavescens105
  8. Hispaniolan Red-Rumped Frog Eleutherodactylus weinlandi89

Fish

  1. Atlantic Sergeant Major Abudefduf saxatilis409
  2. Atlantic Blue Tang Acanthurus coeruleus408
  3. Caribbean Bluehead Wrasse Thalassoma bifasciatum343
  4. Yellowtail Snapper Ocyurus chrysurus227
  5. Slippery Dick Halichoeres bivittatus214
  6. Schoolmaster Snapper Lutjanus apodus211
  7. Caribbean Ocean Surgeonfish Acanthurus tractus192
  8. Common Lionfish Pterois volitans186
  9. Stoplight Parrotfish Sparisoma viride181
  10. Four-eyed Butterflyfish Chaetodon capistratus175

Mollusks

  1. Cuban Brown Snail Zachrysia provisoria301
  2. West Indian Fuzzy Chiton Acanthopleura granulata262
  3. Queen Conch Aliger gigas249
  4. Flamingo Tongue Snail Cyphoma gibbosum189
  5. Four-toothed Nerite Nerita versicolor178
  6. Florida Tree Snail Liguus fasciatus153
  7. Beaded Periwinkle Cenchritis muricatus152
  8. Candy Cane Snail Liguus virgineus133
  9. West Indian Bulimulus Bulimulus guadalupensis119
  10. Checkered Nerite Nerita tessellata116

How a trip works

A trip has its own trail of lessons: meet six species, match them to new photos, then practice with four choices. Species you learn go into your Fieldbook, and starting a trip earns its Passport stamp. Your home place stays as it is.

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Species lists and counts from research-grade observations on iNaturalist, as of October 2026. KnowKi is not affiliated with the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation. Free, with no ads, no account and no purchases.