Animals of St. Croix

First thing’s first: do not take these cute crustaceans home to keep as a pet. They live here for a reason. When the animal that lives inside the hard shell grows, he searches for and moves into a new, larger home! You can find hermit crabs on the outskirts of the beach, but also in thick vegetation areas known as The Bush. You’ll here them walking and rolling down the hills if you hike in the rainforest.

Papilio demoleus, commonly known as the Lime Butterfly or Citrus Swallowtail, is considered an invasive species outside of Asia and Australia.

Unfortunately, mosquitoes are a harsh reality of life in the tropics. Mosquitoes are usually prevalent after big rains, and feed at dawn and dusk. There is no way to eradicate them, so come prepared! Here on St. Croix mosquitoes can carry some viruses such as dengue fever and chikungunya, so do your best to avoid being bitten. Bring your favorite non-aerosol bug spray, bug repellant wipes, garlic water or what ever concoction you desire just in case you think you might be a target. Most hotels, bars and restaurants on St. Croix can provide repellent if you need it. Keep a fan running at night to circulate the air and keep the mosquitoes at bay.

This is the official, technical term for little nat-like bugs that you can’t see, but you can certainly feel! They itch like the devil and like damp, moist, low-lying outside areas. You might also encounter noseeums on the beach around dusk. Wear long pants when dining at certain outside restaurants. They are also referred to as Sandflys.

Sphinx Moth Caterpillars are large, brightly striped yellow and black caterpillars with bright red heads. A full grown larvae can grow up to 10 inches long! Amazingly, when they develop into their adult stage, they are small moth that is brownish in color. You can usually find groups of these caterpillars eating the leaves off of frangipani trees, which is how they got their nickname, "Frangipani Worms".