Recent News

Azu Beastro: Introducing Arugula and Chef Sam Crew
Wednesday, July 01, 2015

From the fresh local farm produce, to the fresh herbs being grown right on the café’s patio overlooking Harrington Sound, diners at the Azu Beastro are certain to be delighted with the delectable options being created by the restaurant’s new concession holder, Arugula.


The Trunk Island Campaign: Investing in the Future
Wednesday, July 01, 2015

It was once unusual for the formal education of children to occur anywhere besides within the four-walls of the classroom, but today, there is a broader view on how teaching should occur, taking into account the whole child and diverse learning needs.


Creating Innovative Classes to Enhance School Curriculum
Wednesday, July 01, 2015

There has been increasing interest in educational circles in developing interdisciplinary STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) programmes that not only teach students about scientific method in the classroom, but also how it can be applied in real life experiences.


Curator’s Corner
Wednesday, July 01, 2015

Firstly, we’d like to thank you for your patience over the last several months. The replacement of the Aquarium roof has gone very well and we’re extraordinarily happy with the end product.


Scholarship recipient tracking Longtails
Wednesday, July 01, 2015

BZS/Steinhoff Scholarship recipient Miguel Mejias, a Biology student at Memorial University in St. John’s, Newfoundland, has been undertaking some very interesting and exciting research on White-tailed Tropicbirds (Phaethon lepturus catesbyi), better known to most Bermudians as the “Longtail”.



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All the latest updates and news from the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum, and Zoo, one of Bermuda's leading visitor attractions!

Thriving brown anole threatens skink
Royal Gazette
Thursday, November 02, 2017

Jonathan Bell
Published Nov 2, 2017 at 8:00 am (Updated Nov 2, 2017 at 6:05 am)

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The brown anole lizard in Bermuda (Photograph by James Stroud)

Bermuda’s endangered skinks are soon to cross paths with a thriving invasive species that already outnumbers the entire native population.

James Stroud of Florida International University said the brown anole lizard had been recorded “living in some of the highest densities of any terrestrial vertebrate on Earth”.

Dr Stroud’s report was shared with The Royal Gazette in the wake of an article on the lizard’s spread after the reptiles were spotted around Aberfeldy nursery in Paget.

RG_171102_1b.jpeg
The brown anole lizard in Bermuda (Photograph by James Stroud)

Other clusters of the foreign lizard were found on the grounds of Belco and a lumber yard at Mill Creek, both in Pembroke.

The report, with Sean Giery from North Carolina State University and Mark Outerbridge from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, “conservatively” estimated there were 4,000 to 5,000 of the lizards on the island — dwarfing a total skink population of 3,500.

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Researchers on Nonsuch Island: from left, Mark Outerbridge of the Department
of Environment and Natural Resources, Sean Giery from the University of Connecticut,
and James Stroud of Florida International University (Photograph supplied)

The two species overlap “substantially” — both lizards prefer to stay on the ground, and eat the same ground-dwelling insects and spiders.

The scientists estimated that contact between the species might occur in less than ten years.

Brown anole numbers appear to reflect “an initial stage of invasion, and prior to exponential growth” — meaning the lizards could become a familiar sight around the island.

The brown anole, which is originally from the Caribbean, has spread around the world — partly because the lizards are popular as pets.