Reptiles of Ngulu Atoll, Yap State, Federated States of Micronesia.

Abstract

Fourteen species of reptiles (two sea turtles, six geckos, six skinks) are recorded from Ngulu Atoll, Yap, Micronesia, all but the turtles for the first time. None is endemic and most occur widely in Oceania; the phylogenetic status of an undescribed species of Lepidodactylus is undetermined, and a phenotypically male Nactus cf. pelagicus is recorded from Micronesia for the first time. Lepidodactylus moestus is the most common gecko on Ngulu Island, and Emoia caeruleocauda, E. impar, and E. jakati are the most abundant skinks. The islands are an important nesting site for green turtles, Chelonia mydas. Isolation, a small resident human population, and traditional conservation practices contribute to sustaining turtle populations, although occasional poaching by outside visitors persists. The report of a small snake on Ylangchel Island, possibly a species of Ramphotyphlops, requires confirmation.