Category Archives: Abaco Animals / Insects
POTCAKES – THE CANINE FACTS
POTCAKES – THE FACTS
-
- Potcakes are a mixed-breed dog of the Bahamas & TCI, named after the layer of dried rice and peas in the bottom of cooking pots, traditionally fed to stray dogs
- Appearance and colouring varies considerably from island to island. Mostly commonly they are (mainly) brown, have smooth coats, cocked ears, and long faces. Adults typically weigh from 45 to 50 pounds (20 to 23 kg)
- Potcakes have a wandering tendency. There are many strays on every island – often considered a nuisance. Volunteer organizations re-home strays, and offer free spaying and neutering
- Potcakes are often used for hunting hogs. Some are even trained to locate fish through scent on the water and the cries of feeding sea birds
- Potcakes may originate from 3 canine types: (1) dogs brought by the Arawak to the Bahamas; (2) terriers protecting supplies from rodents on ships to the Bahamas; (3) Dogs that arrived with Loyalists during the Revolutionary War
- In the 1970s the potcake dog was officially recognized in The Bahamas as the “Royal Bahamian Potcake”. In February 2011, they were accepted by the Bahamas Kennel Club in the category ‘Group 9 Non-Registered’
- A potcake dog named Amigo has been the mascot of the Humane Society of Grand Bahama. He ‘served as an Ambassador of Hope for homeless animals’ until his death in 2007, and appeared on TV
- Potcakes have featured in a set of special-issue Bahamas stamps
Factoids above distilled from a variety of sources (mostly overlapping) – danke – in particular good old wiki. I’ve done the leg-work for you, but there is other material out there. In particular, put ‘Potcake’ into YouTube & there are plenty of videos of Potcakes. Below are 4 web-links that might interest or amuse
SOME POTCAKE-CENTRIC LINKS
POTCAKE PLACE functions to rescue, foster and assist adoption of potcakes of the Turks and Caicos Islands
ROYAL POTCAKE RESCUE site Video of spay/neuter clinic in Abaco, August 2010
POTCAKE FOUNDATION TCI-based site, with numberless souvenirs available – get your loved one a potcake apron or nightshirt…
AMIGO THE POTCAKE 5***** cartoon ‘book’ named for the most famous potcake of all. Engagingly barking
ARTICLE IN ABACO LIFE: COMMEMORATIVE STAMPS & FAMOUS DOGS CLICK LINK===>>> Abaco Life Potcake Article
POTCAKE VIDEO: CRAB-HUNTING ON THE BEACH
ABACO ISLAND BOA: THE ONLY ABACO SNAKE
THE ABACO ISLAND BOA (or NORTHERN BAHAMAS BOA)
[Epicrates exsul] RENAMED 2013 Chilabothrus exsul
Kingdom: Animalia * Phylum: Chordata * Subphylum: Vertebrata * Class: Reptilia * Order: Squamata * Suborder: Serpentes * Family: Boidae * Subfamily: Boinae * Genus: Epicrates * Species: Epicrates exsul
COMMON NAMES: Abaco Island boa, Northern Bahamas boa 
EPICRATES CHILABOTHRUS EXSUL is a non-venomous species of boa, the only one of its species and genus. These snakes are grey with a reddish sheen. They grow to a maximum of 80 cm / 2ft 6″ in length [now see end of post] and feed on small mammals, birds and lizards. They are found throughout the Abacos, including Elbow Cay; and on Grand Bahama; but not elsewhere in the Bahamas (wiki-aided inc. image)
And if you can’t get to Abaco, there’s one in Oklahoma City Zoo: OKCZ ABACO ISLAND BOA
LATEST NEWS DEC 2011 a surprising visitor to the Friends of the Environment offices on 7 Dec 2011, posted on their Facebook page
|
A visitor at the FRIENDS office this afternoon, a Bahama Boa! This snake flattened itself pretty thin to try sneak out under the door frame! The door is open now so it can leave easily
  |
STOP PRESS: a convincing refutation of the general consensus that the maximum length of these snakes is around 2′ 6″, with thanks to Brigitte Bowyer Carey. This specimen was photographed on Tilloo Cay in 2008, held at arms length by Don Allen
ABACO ISLAND BOA, TILLOO CAY 2008
SANDY VERNON’S DELPHI CLUB GALLERY
SANDY & BILL VERNON have provided a number of wonderful photos from their stay at Delphi earlier this year. The images conveniently coincide with various categories already posted, to which the headings below link (supposedly – I will sort out any problems in due course, the general rh policy being to upload pictures first then worry about details later…)
ABACO PARROTS (including some extraordinary acrobatics)
Angel’s Trumpet (Datura Candida)
Bougainvillea
OLEANDER (Nerium Oleander)
POLYDAMUS SWALLOWTAIL
FOREST FIRE DAMAGE AT DELPHI (Ricky Johnson gets involved)
THOSE WEST INDIAN WOODPECKERS AGAIN
SANDY, unable to contain himself at one of his own jokes, being comforted by a guest, while PM and other guests tactfully look away 
THE BAHAMIAN HUTIA: ABACO’S EXTINCT RODENT
THE BAHAMIAN HUTIA (Geocapromys ingrahami)
HUTIAS are cavy-like rodents of the Caribbean Islands. They range in size from 20 to 60 cm (8 to 24 in), and can weigh up to 7 kg (15 lb). Twenty species of hutia have been identified, of which half may now be extinct. Their tails vary from vestigial to prehensile. They have stout bodies and large heads. Most species are herbivorous, though some eat small animals. Instead of burrowing underground, they nest in trees or rock crevices. Of extant species, only a few are common; most have become vulnerable or endangered. In Cuba they are hunted for food, and are often cooked in a large pot with wild nuts and honey. One of the recipes is hutia stew: sauté with green peppers, onions, tomato sauce and lots of garlic. (Source: Wiki)
Photo WWF/ G. Clough
The Bahamian species of Hutia is endemic to the Bahamas. It is listed as a vulnerable species. Its natural habitats are moist forests, dry shrubland and rocky areas. Hutias are a nocturnal species, remaining underground during the day. Two subspecies became extinct in modern times. The Crooked Island Hutia (G. i. irrectus) and the Great Abaco Hutia (G. i. abaconis) were mentioned by early European voyagers, and are believed to have become extinct by 1600. This is thought to be due to land clearance rather than direct hunting. However, they are found elsewhere in the Bahamas – the Exumas, for example.
————————————————————–
IT’S OFFICIAL: the extinct species listing
| Great Abaco Hutia Geocapromys ingrahami abaconis | West Indies, Bahamas, Great Abaco | Extinct in 1600 |
For more details, check out Rod Attrill’s excellent website, for which this is the relevant link: http://www.motygido.co.uk/bahamas_hutia.html
Tail of a Hutia (nb quite different from a rat)
STOP PRESS: THIS SMALL POST HAS RECEIVED A SURPRISINGLY LARGE NUMBER OF HITS – CAN ANYONE EXPLAIN WHY?
NEW: HUTIA VIDEO (added Dec 2011)
Image added April 2012 (credit as annotated)
HOT SHOTS: WOODPECKER & BUTTERFLY UPDATE FROM DELPHI, ABACO
I have returned from “The Other Delphi” to find that Peter Wesley Brown has provided 3 excellent images, now uploaded to the CONTRIBUTIONS / PHOTOGRAPHS page. Two are excellent pictures of a Gold Rim / Polydamas Swallowtail, dramatically… no, badly photographed by me for the BUTTERFLIES post and later identified by PM; the third shows that THE RELUCTANT WOODPECKER has finally made herself / himself at home in the nesting box…
PERPETUAL MOTION BUTTERFLY IDENTIFIED AT DELPHI, ABACO
The (badly-photographed) dark butterfly in the earlier post has been identified as a GOLD RIM SWALLOWTAIL / POLYDAMAS SWALLOWTAIL (Battus Polydamas Lucaeus) Continue reading
ABACO BUTTERFLIES AT DELPHI / CONTRIBUTIONS / BLOG FORMAT CHANGES
As a change from birds, here are some other flying items, mostly from around Delphi itself, with a redesigned logo in their honour.
JULIA LONGWING Dryas Julia (Delphi Beach – plant now ID’d as a Bay Cedar Suriana maritima, much enjoyed by butterflies and bees)
HAMMOCK SKIPPER Polygonus Leo (Delphi Service Drive)
GULF FRITILLARY Agraulis vanillae (Delphi Guest Drive)
I haven’t nailed the ID of this one yet. Any ideas appreciated. [See later post for ID as GOLD RIM SWALLOWTAIL / POLYDAMUS SWALLOWTAIL (Battus Polydamus Lucaeus) ]
Seen all round Delphi this March. These are on the move the whole time, and are surprisingly hard to pin down (not a very sensitive way to put it for a butterfly…) The bottom photo looks like a rubbish picture, I know, but in fact the butterfly is at rest (the body / legs / feelers aren’t blurred) while the wings beat fast and constantly while it feeds
AND FINALLY… Pride of place goes to this Atala Hairstreak, photographed during a Delphi outing with Ricky Johnson to one of the Blue Holes in the pine forest. It’s the only place I have seen these small butterflies, and there were only four or five. This one stayed still for just long enough
ATALA HAIRSTREAK Eumaeus Atala
===========================================
BLOG NEWS UPDATE
23.04.11
- Email Share added to the main pages
- Pages Menu added to sidebar
- Contributions received now posted on the appropriate page…
Note I am trying to reorganise this blog to increase accessibility of categories and sub-categories. Struggling a bit… one major accidental deletion so far… proposed pages under construction or at least under contemplation… please bear with me!
============================================
ROLLING HARBOUR ABACO 
You must be logged in to post a comment.