Jamaica

Jamaica is an island nation in the Caribbean Sea, the third largest island in the Greater Antilles and in the Caribbean after Cuba and Hispaniola. The country is host to some 3,000 species of native flowering plants, of which over 1,000 are endemic and 200 orchid species, thousands of non-flowering plant species and almost 20 botanical gardens, some centuries old. The fauna of Jamaica is typical of the Caribbean, with a wide variety of endemic species. Like other oceanic islands, the majority of land mammals are several bat species, at least three of which are endemic. Around 50 species of reptiles are found in Jamaica, with the largest being the American Crocodile, however, this is only found within the Black River and a handful of other areas. In areas such as Cockpit Country, lizards like anoles, iguanas and snakes like the Jamaican Boa are abundant. None of Jamaica's eight native snake species are poisonous. Jamaica is habitat to some 289 species of birds, 27 of which are endemic, including the endangered Black-Billed Parrot and the Jamaican Blackbird, both of which are found only in Cockpit Country. It is also the native home of four species of hummingbirds, three species of which are found in no other part of the world. Of these, the Red-Billed Streamertail, known as the 'doctor bird' by locals, is the national symbol of Jamaica. Among other species worth mentioning are the Jamaican Tody and the Greater Flamingo. The Jamaican Slider is a species of freshwater turtle native to Jamaica. It occurs only in Jamaica and a handful of islands in the Bahamas.