INTRODUCTION 



The West Indian reptiles and amphibians are popular subjects of various 

 kinds of biological research. These investigations will benefit greatly from 

 Schwartz and Thomas' (1975) recent checklist, the first taxonomic summary in 

 several decades. The present lists, which started as an ecology class project 

 at the College of the Virgin Islands, are largely a compilation of Schwartz 

 and Thomas' locality records. Our lists are useful in themselves, serve as a 

 geographical index to Schwartz and Thomas, and should encourage more complete 

 docum.entation of distributions. 



627 islands are listed, some without records of reptiles or amphibians. 

 Areas and maximum elevations are given wherever available. We have included 

 everything that has a name, could support terrestrial vertebrates, and was not 

 obviously a rock periodically awash. Even so, the list is far from complete. 

 We have included the islands off the South and Central American coasts, many of 

 which have more or less West Indian faunae and which are frequented by students 

 of Antillean biota. Records from these islands are mostly from sources other 

 than Schwartz and Thomas, as are a few in the Antilles proper. All such records 

 are footnoted. 



We have not identified introduced species. Any student of these animals 

 will imjnediately recognize the obvious introductions and will have personal 

 opinions concerning the many nebulous cases. We did not wish to express our 

 opinions without discussion. The neophyte is referred to Schwartz and Thomas 

 (1975) for their opinions. 



It is likely that considerable locality data exist which are not included 

 in these lists. We invite anyone having additions or corrections to send them 

 to us. If there is sufficient response, a second edition will be published. 

 New records could be incorporated in subsequent editions, avoiding the diffuse, 

 one county at a time pattern typical of North American herpetology. We will be 

 glad to list collaborators as co-authors of the edition to which they contribute, 



PLEASE COLLABORATE: SEND US RECORDS TilAT CAN BE ADDED TO THESE LISTS. 



