Isla de Ratones (Ponce, Puerto Rico) explained

Ratones
Native Name:Isla de Ratones
Location:Ponce, Puerto Rico
Pushpin Map:Puerto Rico#Lesser Antilles#Caribbean
Pushpin Label Position:bottom
Pushpin Relief:1
Area Km2:0.03
Country Admin Divisions Title:Commonwealth
Country Admin Divisions:Puerto Rico
Country Admin Divisions Title 1:Municipality
Country Admin Divisions 1:Ponce
Country Admin Divisions Title 2:Barrio
Country Admin Divisions 2:Playa
Population:0

Isla de Ratones (Spanish for mice island) is a small uninhabited island off the southern coast of Puerto Rico, off the coast of Ponce. The island is part of barrio Canas in the municipality of Ponce.[1] [2] The island gained attention in 2010 when the Puerto Rican Bird Society made it a target for the eradication of the black rat. While named as one single island, it is actually composed of two islands separated by a few feet of shallow water during high tide, which become a single island at low tide.

Location

The island, sometimes erroneously considered a key (or cay),[3] is located 0.62 mi (1.0 km) south of the mainland Puerto Rican shore across from Punta Cucharas in barrio Canas.[4] [5] The island has an area of 6.94 cuerdas[6] (one cuerda equals 0.97 acres[7]) It is located at latitude 17.95500° and longitude -66.68139°.[8] The short distance from the mainland shore makes Ratones a popular landing point for aquatic events such as kayaking.[9] Together with Caja de Muertos, Gatas, Morrillito, Cardona, Isla del Frio, and Isla de Jueyes, Ratones is one of seven islands in the municipality of Ponce.[10] [11]

Geography and climate

The island is a small low island covered mostly by brushwood.[12] The climate is dry and the island supports dry forest. While named as one single island, it is actually composed of two islands separated by a few feet of shallow water during high tide, which become a single island at low time.[13] [14] At low tide the size of the island increases from 6.94 cuerdas[15] (one cuerda equals 0.97 acres[16]) to 12.35 acres.[17] This low-tide size makes Isla de Ratones about 50% larger than the more prominent Cardona which, at 8.71acres, is home to the Cardona Island Light and is located 2.96 miles (4.77 kilometers) to the east.[18]

Origin of the name

The name Ratones, which translates into "mice", comes from the large number of rodents found in the island. In 2010, the Sociedad Ornitológica Puertorriqueña (Puerto Rican Bird Society) and the Ponce Yacht and Fishing Club launched a campaign to eradicate the black rat from the Island.[19]

Nature reserve

Though not officially a nature reserve, the island is administered by the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources.

Notes and References

  1. https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/phc-3-53-eng.pdf Municipios, Municipio Subdivisions, Subbarrios, and Places - Section 14.
  2. https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/phc-3-53-eng.pdf Puerto Rico 2000: Population and Housing Unit Counts.
  3. http://www.elboricua.com/PuertoRican101.html El Boricua
  4. https://books.google.com/books?id=z4eRIu1FB5sC&pg=PA393 Panorama histórico forestal de Puerto Rico
  5. https://books.google.com/books?id=n10vAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA594 West Indies Pilot, Volume 1
  6. Neysa Rodriguez Deynes. Brevario Sobre la Historia de Ponce. Second Edition. Government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce. 2002. Page 9. Printed by Impress Quality Printing, Bayamon, Puerto Rico.
  7. http://www.unitconversion.org/area/acres-us-survey-to-cuerdas-conversion.html UnitConversion.org
  8. http://travelingluck.com/North+America/Puerto+Rico/general/_4567591_Ratones,+Isla+de.html#local_map Isla de Ratones
  9. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cUi8US46Hs Kayaking to Cayo Ratones in Ponce, Puerto Rico
  10. Neysa Rodriguez Deynes. Brevario Sobre la Historia de Ponce, Second Edition, Government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce, 2002, p.9. Printed by Impress Quality Printing, Bayamon, Puerto Rico.
  11. http://www.citymelt.com/county/Puerto-Rico/Ponce+Municipio-PR.html CityMelt
  12. https://books.google.com/books?id=n10vAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA592 West Indies Pilot, Volume 1
  13. http://www.nrlmry.navy.mil/~cannon/tr8203nc/ponce/text/fig37-2.htm Hurricane Havens Handbook for the North Atlantic Ocean
  14. http://ocsdata.ncd.noaa.gov/BookletChart/25683_BookletChart_HomeEd.pdf Bookletchart: Bahia de Ponce and Approaches
  15. Neysa Rodriguez Deynes. Brevario Sobre la Historia de Ponce, Second Edition, Government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce, 2002, p.9. Printed by Impress Quality Printing, Bayamon, Puerto Rico.
  16. http://www.unitconversion.org/area/acres-us-survey-to-cuerdas-conversion.html UnitConversion.org
  17. http://www.birdlife.org/community/2010/08/restauran-habitat-del-lagartijo-del-seco-anolis-cooki-en-la-isla-de-cardona-y-cayo-ratones/ Restauran hábitat del lagartijo del seco Anolis cooki en la Isla de Cardona y Cayo Ratones
  18. http://www.birdlife.org/community/2010/08/restauran-habitat-del-lagartijo-del-seco-anolis-cooki-en-la-isla-de-cardona-y-cayo-ratones/ Restauran hábitat del lagartijo del seco Anolis cooki en la Isla de Cardona y Cayo Ratones
  19. http://www.birdlife.org/community/2010/08/restauran-habitat-del-lagartijo-del-seco-anolis-cooki-en-la-isla-de-cardona-y-cayo-ratones/ Restauran hábitat del lagartijo del seco Anolis cooki en la Isla de Cardona y Cayo Ratones

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