Little Scrub Island facts for kids
 Little Scrub Island
Location in Anguilla
Little Scrub Island
Location in Caribbean
The location of Little Scrub Island within Anguilla
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| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Atlantic Ocean |
| Coordinates | 18°17′48″N 62°57′19″W / 18.2968°N 62.9554°W |
| Archipelago | Antilles |
| Area | 1.2 ha (3.0 acres) |
| Highest elevation | 16 m (52 ft) |
| Administration | |
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United Kingdom
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| British Overseas Territory | Anguilla |
| Additional information | |
| Time zone | |
| ISO code | AI |
Little Scrub Island is a small island located in the Atlantic Ocean. It is part of Anguilla, which is a special territory of the United Kingdom in the Caribbean Sea. Think of it like a tiny piece of the UK far away!
This island is quite small, about 1.2 hectares (that's like 3 football fields). It sits about 1.3 kilometers (less than a mile) northeast of the main island of Anguilla. It's also only 500 meters (about half a mile) away from its bigger neighbor, Scrub Island. The highest point on Little Scrub Island is about 16 meters (around 52 feet) above sea level.
Contents
Plants and Animals of Little Scrub Island
Little Scrub Island is a home for many interesting plants and animals, especially birds and a unique lizard.
How Plants Recovered
In the past, strong storms called hurricanes caused a lot of damage to the island. Hurricane Luis in 1995 and Hurricane Lenny in 1999 completely stripped the island of its plants. But nature is amazing! Since then, the plants have grown back.
Today, you can find plants like morning glory (Ipomea violaceae) and prickly pear cactus (Opuntia dillenii). These plants are very important for the animals living there.
The Unique Little Scrub Ground Lizard
One special animal on the island is the Little Scrub ground lizard (Ameiva corax). This lizard is found only on Little Scrub Island, making it very unique! It relies on the morning glory and prickly pear cactus for food and shelter.
Birds That Nest Here
Little Scrub Island is a safe place for many different kinds of birds to build their nests and raise their young.
- The brown noddy
- The bridled tern
- The sooty tern
- The roseate tern
- The brown booby
In a survey done in 2010, scientists also found nests of doves (Zenaida aurita) and a single nest of an Audubon's shearwater. Brown pelicans were also seen using the island, though they weren't nesting there at that time.
