About

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Antigua and Barbuda is a twin island state in the Caribbean with several tiny uninhabited islands surrounding Antigua; Redonda (0.6 sq. miles or 1.6 sq km) is the largest of these. The Department of Environment is a government agency within the Ministry of Health and the Environment in the Government of Antigua and Barbuda. The overall mission of the Department of Environment (DOE) is to provide technical advice on the environment and to design and implement projects on behalf of the Government and the people of Antigua and Barbuda.

The Shekerley Mountain region in southwestern Antigua extends from Boggy Peak to Midway Peak and Christian Valley. This extensive area covered by forest is in the southwest part of Antigua. This is the last remaining area of tropical forest and receives the most rainfall. The proposed Shekerley Mountain Management Area (SMMA) will protect an estimated 33% of the country’s total forest cover (estimated at 9,000 ha), and nearly 100% of the area zoned for Forest Conservation. The southwest area of Antigua (including the Shekerley Mountains) contains most of the areas on the island designated for use as Forest and Environmental Protection.

 

As part of the “Path to 2020 Project”, the DOE is conducting baseline bat acoustic surveys within the proposed SMMA protected area. This data will guide future long-term acoustic monitoring of bats on Antigua and Barbuda.

 

Acoustic surveys frequently record species not readily sampled with traditional mist nets. Therefore, several species now considered extirpated from Antigua & Barbuda and those possible which occur on neighboring islands have been included in these Fact Sheets.

Additional sharing/contributing of acoustic data will further enhance the robustness of call parameters for all species especially those with a paucity of data. Those willing to contribute call data or have updated distribution information please contact [email protected].

 These fact sheets and ID keys were created by Bruce W. Miller