# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
So many animal lovers are looking for active and animal oriented vacations. If this is what you're looking for then look no more and get ready for your Caribbean summer adventure.

Rare birds, giant whales, sharks and colorful reef fish are some of the beauties that you can see from Puerto Rico to the Cayman Islands. Start looking for a flight and prepare to explore the most exciting species of the Caribbean.

Reptiles, fish, and birds in Puerto Rico

About fifty miles west of Puerto Rico is an island called Mona that is home to 300 types of fish and 100 endangered species. Mona Island is uninhabited, so the wildlife is blooming freely. Here you can find red-footed booby bird, leatherback sea turtles, hawksbill turtles, and the indigenous Mona iguana. Turtles hatching season runs from May to October and thousands of baby turtles can be seen crawling to the sea, usually at night. Camping is allowed on Mona Island so you may consider spending few nights in this paradise.

Reef sharks in the Bahamas

If one of your biggest wishes is to see a shark's face close up, then Nassau is the right place for you. Here you can find diving tours with experienced guides who will take you at the bottom of the sea in a tank, from where you can see the sharks being fed by the divers. This scuba dive activity is not dangerous because Caribbean reef sharks don't see humans as food.

Humpback whales in the Silver Bank

Humpback whales mate and calve in the Silver Bank region of the Atlantic, which lies between the Dominican Republic and Turks and Caicos. Go out there in the big blue space and swim with the calves while the parents are observing from below. With the help of an experienced guide, you will know how to move and approach a baby whale without freaking out.

Birds and bats in Trinidad

The Trinidad area is one of the most famous bird watching locations in the world with more than 200 different species including toucans, manikins, tanagers and the rare oilbird.

For the bat lovers, there is another surprise. Go to the island's highest point, Mount Tamana, where you'll find a massive cave system that hosts more than 500,000 bats. At sunset, you can see rivers of bats flying out to feed.

Stingrays in the Cayman Islands

Book a tour to head out to the Stingray City sandbar is a unique experience. Your guide will teach you how to safely interact with these gentle creatures on this series of shallow sandbars, as well as having the opportunity snorkel and have a look at the coral reefs. Don't panic if they touch you with their wings, a stingray won't sting unless it feels threatened.

Whale sharks in Utila

Whale shark are the biggest fish in the world and the best time to see them is from April to August. This solitary creature dominates the waters around Utila, the smallest of the Bay Islands of Honduras.

These amazing Caribbean animals are something you should see this summer if you are a fan of active vacations. The majestic beauty of the whales and the rare birds will make you feel as a part of some wildlife documentary that you have always admired as a kid. Now, go out there and live your dream!

If you have any comments then please drop us a message on our Outdoor Revival Facebook page

If you have a good story to tell or blog let us know about it on our FB page, we're also happy for article or review submissions, we'd love to hear from you.

We live in a beautiful world, get out there and enjoy it. Outdoor Revival - Reconnecting us all with the Outdoors.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Caribbean's most interesting animals for adventure seekers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
So many animal lovers are looking for active and animal oriented vacations. If this is what you're looking for then look no more and get ready for your Caribbean summer adventure. Rare birds, giant whales, sharks and colorful reef fish are some of the beauties that you can see from Puerto Rico to the Cayman Islands.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Note: We are currently updating the ecosystem profile for the Caribbean Islands Biodiversity Hotspot. Information below is based on the 2010 ecosystem profile.

The Caribbean's biodiversity is at serious risk of species extinctions. More than 700 species are globally threatened, making the Caribbean one of the top hotspots assessed by CEPF for globally threatened species. The hotspot is considered to be of very high importance for global amphibian conservation due to the high rates of speciation and endemism, and exceptionally high levels of threat.

Amphibians

All of the 189 native species of amphibian in the Caribbean Islands Biodiversity Hotspot are endemic, many to single islands. The Caribbean stands out globally, with by far the highest percentage (75 percent) of threatened or extinct amphibian species of any region.

In a list of countries with the highest percentage of threatened and extinct amphibians, the top five countries are all in the 8 Caribbean. One place in particular, the Massif de la Hotte in southwest Haiti is regarded as one of the most important sites in the world for amphibian conservation as it hosts about 28 globally threatened species, many of which are restricted to this single mountain range.

Mammals

Historically, the Caribbean Islands supported 92 terrestrial mammal species, of which 23 are now considered extinct. Of the 69 extant species, 51 are endemic to the hotspot and 27 species are globally threatened, which amounts to 39 percent of known mammal species.

Bats are very important components of ecosystems within the Caribbean, and are represented by 51 species, of which 35 are endemic. However, the bats are in urgent need of research focused on their distribution, ecology and current status.

Birds

More than 560 species of bird have been recorded in the Caribbean Islands Hotspot. Of these, 148 species are endemic to the hotspot with 105 of them confined to single islands. Although endemism is most notable at the species level, a remarkable 36 genera of birds are endemic to the hotspot, as well as two endemic families.

More than 120 bird species migrate from their breeding grounds in North America to winter in the Caribbean, and thus constitute a high proportion of the birds present in many habitats, especially in the Bahamas and the Greater Antilles.

At least 10 species of Caribbean birds have gone extinct during the last 500 years, including six species of Ara macaws. The Cuban macaw ( Ara tricolor), the last of the six to disappear, was hunted to extinction for food and the pet trade during the second half of the 18th century.

Reptiles

With more than 520 native species the Caribbean islands are very rich in reptiles, the vast majority of which (95 percent) are endemic to the region. Two of the smallest lizards in the world can be found in the Caribbean: Sphaerodactylus ariasae from the Dominican Republic and S. parthenopion from the U.S. Virgin Islands. The world's smallest snake- Leptotyphlops carlae -was recently discovered in Barbados. Four sea turtle species nest in the Caribbean, too.

A very large number of highly restricted-range reptiles occur in the Caribbean, many of which will probably qualify as globally threatened once assessed.

Plants

The Caribbean Islands Hotspot is home to 1,447 native genera and about 11,000 native species of seed plants ( Cycadopsida, Coniferopsida, Magnoliopsida and Liliopsida). Generic endemism is especially noteworthy, with about 13.2 percent comprising 191 genera that are endemic or nearly so, to the region. There are 7,868 native species of seed plants endemic to the Caribbean Hotspot, amounting to about 72 percent species' endemism for region overall. These figures make the Caribbean very important for plant conservation, particularly in view of the hotspot's relatively small size in comparison to other hotspots.

Freshwater fishes

The hotspot supports 167 species of freshwater fish, about 65 of which are endemic to one or a few islands, and many of these to just a single lake or springhead. As in other island hotspots, there are two distinct groups of freshwater fishes in the Caribbean. On smaller and younger islands, most fish are species that are widespread in marine waters but also enter freshwater to some degree. On the larger and older islands of the Greater Antilles, there are several groups that occupy inland waters, including gars, killifishes, silversides and cichlids.

Read more about the hotspot's species in our ecosystem profile (PDF - 1.63 MB), also available in (PDF - 2.6 MB) and (PDF - 2.6 MB). An updated version of the ecosystem profile will be published in 2018.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Note: We are currently updating the ecosystem profile for the Caribbean Islands Biodiversity Hotspot. Information below is based on the 2010 ecosystem profile. The Caribbean's biodiversity is at serious risk of species extinctions. More than 700 species are globally threatened, making the Caribbean one of the top hotspots assessed by CEPF for globally threatened species.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Caribbean is known for its vibrant music, food, beaches and warm weather. The Caribbean is also home to some of the world's most interesting animals. Let's take a close-up look at some of these creatures you might spot on your next tropical trip!

1. Scarlet Ibis (Trinidad and Tobago)

Like the Flamingo, the colour of the Scarlet Ibis comes from eating beta-carotene rich foods, like shrimps and crabs. Photo by Valerie licensed CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Visitors to Trinidad and Tobago will enjoy delicious food like potato roti, as well as the rhythmic sounds of steel pan and calypso music! But nothing can compare to watching thousands of brilliant streaks of red shooting across a clear blue sky as the Scarlet Ibis make their way to Caroni Swamp to settle in before nightfall. The Scarlet Ibis is the national bird of the twin islands. It feasts on red crustaceans, which are crabs, and this bird can grow from around 55 to 76 centimetres in length!

2. Hispaniolan solenodon (Dominican Republic)

The snout of the Hispaniolan Solenodon operates like a "ball in socket" joint, similar to the human shoulder. Photo by Seb az86556 - Own work cropped from Hispaniolan Solenodon.jpg, CC BY-SA 3.0

Haiti and the Dominican Republic are home to one of the most rare and odd creatures in the world - the Hispaniolan solenodon. This animal is a member of the shrew family, and are one of the only venomous mammals in the world. It's actually able to inject poison using its teeth like a snake! But don't let that worry you - the Hispaniolan Solenodon is unable to jump, and runs so awkwardly that it often trips over its own toes when trying to escape its enemies!

3. Jamaican iguana (Jamaica)

The Jamaican iguana was once thought to be extinct in the 1990s, but conservationists are committed to helping the population make a comeback. Photo by Rob Bulmahn licensed CC BY 2.0

Jamaica, known as 'the land of wood and water', is one of the most popular islands in the Caribbean. Reggae music and world-famous athletes help to make it one of a kind. The large lizard known as the Jamaican iguana is also one of a kind - this rare reptile can only be found in the southeastern part of the island and fewer than 200 still exist! The iguana is mostly green and grey in colour with large olive and brown spots. It eats leaves, fruits and flowers, and can lay between 6-20 eggs at a time that hatch 85-87 days after they are laid.

4. Green monkey (Barbados)

Visitors are bound to see the cheeky green monkey during their stay in Barbados. Photo by Joe Ross licensed CC BY-SA 2.0

Beaches with white sand, and water the most beautiful shade of blue can be found all over the island of Barbados. Small, furry monkeys - known as green monkeys - can also be found in the island's shady gullies, or stealing fruits and vegetables from local gardens! They are known for taking a bite of a fruit and then throwing it away in search of a different taste.

When the monkey is first born it appears blue in colour, but as it grows, its fur starts to become a mix of brown and grey with yellow and green highlights. It was given the name "green monkey" because its fur can appear to be totally green in the sunlight.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
4 fascinating critters of the Caribbean | CBC Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Caribbean is known for its vibrant music, food, beaches and warm weather. The Caribbean is also home to some of the world's most interesting animals. Let's take a close-up look at some of these creatures you might spot on your next tropical trip!

# data[].attributes.body
http://wiwords.com/tag/animal

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Local names, pictures, and descriptions of Caribbean Animals