Recent News

Oceans Day hailed a success
Tuesday, June 10, 2014

More than one thousand people helped celebrate Saturday’s World Oceans Day the Bermuda Aquarium Museum and Zoo (BAMZ) — many of them schoolchildren.


Over 1,100 Attend BAMZ Ocean Open House
Tuesday, June 10, 2014

The Bermuda Zoological Society and the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo said they would like to express their gratitude to the many different organisations that participated in the World Oceans Day Open House held on Saturday [June 7] at BAMZ.


BAMZ highlights our connections to the sea on World Oceans Day
Monday, June 09, 2014

The Bermuda Aquarium Museum and Zoo celebrated World Oceans Day on Saturday, by putting on a host of activities highlighting Bermuda’s connection to the sea.


Citizen scientists needed for Reef Watch 2014
Thursday, June 05, 2014

Doing your part to help protect Bermuda’s coral reefs has never been easier and on Saturday, June 28, the Bermuda Zoological Society, with the support of lead sponsor Hiscox, will host Reef Watch 2014, a community environmental monitoring project that examines the health of Bermuda’s coral reef systems.


Celebrate World Oceans Day!
Thursday, June 05, 2014

From the tiniest of tots to seniors, and everyone in between — all are invited to come and celebrate World Oceans Day at the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum, and Zoo on Saturday.



About

Governance
About Us
Newsletter
Latest News
Gift & Bookstore

Contact

General Inquiries

(441) 293-2727

info@bzs.bm


Latest News

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)

RG_171102_1a.jpeg
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.

RG_171102_1c.jpeg
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.