Public domain, Wikimedia CommonsWildlife· Great Bird Island· Leeward Islands
Great Bird Island Trail & Antiguan Racer
17° 8.7′ N · 61° 43.5′ W
A rocky path climbs about 150 ft to the top of tiny Great Bird Island for a panorama of North Sound's reefs and the coast to Indian Town Point. The scrub is home to the Antiguan racer, once the world's rarest snake, which survived only here when about 50 were left in 1995.
Practical
Position is Great Bird Island (Wikipedia). The racer is harmless, gentle and active by day, ambushing lizards from under the leaf litter; after rats were eradicated it recovered to over 1,000 and has been reintroduced to Rabbit (1999), Green (2001) and York (2008) Islands (Wikipedia). The island is about 8 ha and part of an Important Bird Area (red-billed tropicbirds, brown pelicans, terns, West Indian whistling-ducks). Stay on the path, never handle or chase snakes, and bring no animals ashore. ABYMA notes an unusual hole through the middle of the island; two blowholes are active in rough weather (Mel On The Go). Very hot at midday.
Best for
Walking a conservation success story