In the Caribbean, on the island of Cuba, there's a very special place, the Sierra del Rosario,
so special that it was recognized as the first biosphere reserve in Cuba.
It was not always like this, for this little spider would not have been able to build its
web here in the past.
In the 18th century, the Haitian War of Independence led to the migration of thousands of people
to the island, and a great part of Cuba was transformed.
In the region of Dina del Rio, large areas were cleared for coffee plantations.
Then in 1844, a big cyclone devastated the region, triggering the start of the decline
of the coffee economy. After the War of Independence of Cuba, in the late 19th century, the region
was plunged into deep depression. The old coffee plantations were abandoned, giving
way to subsistence agriculture. Just as this spider struggles to rebuild its web, so in
the years following the revolution of 1959, the first efforts were made to reforest the
region. In little more than 20 years, the Sierra del Rosario was recognized as a biosphere
reserve.
Planting is essential for the resurgence of biodiversity, just as the spider is for the
remaking of the web. And plants quickly reclaimed the ancient ruins, bringing back life to the
silent stones. Following the trees and shrubs came an explosion of wildlife, invertebrates
and then invertebrates such as frogs, lizards and birds.
In 40 years, this place has grown into a semi-dissiduous forest, where trees change half their leaves
throughout the year. It's here where the animals show off their art of hiding.
Even in the most unpromising situations, nature will fight back. Life quickly colonized the
small forest pools, where tadpoles grow to become fascinating amphibians.
The Sierra del Rosario has 16 species of these beautiful animals, with five species being
locally endemic. Cuba is home to one third of the amphibian species of the Caribbean
Islands.
A part of this bewildering variety is this little frog, which measures a maximum of 13
millimetres. It's one of the smallest in the whole world. Its small size is a result of
the evolutionary processes that created the West Indian Swarming. They hide in minute holes
in tree trunks, leaves and rocks. They are so small that normally females can only lay
a single egg. Active during the day, they walk slowly on the leaves, rather than jumping
like most frogs. Many lizards in the bushes use camouflage like the frogs, only revealing
themselves by waving their tulip.
Commonly known as throat flaps, they serve as a means of identification to individuals
of the same or other species, and also as an important part of courtship.
In the Sierra, there are 33 species of reptiles. Almost all of them are unique to Cuba.
In this quiet stream, it's possible to find the water in all, also known as the alligator
lizard. This species always lives near rivers, and it dives underwater in dangerous situations,
where they can remain for several minutes, thanks to its extremely large lungs. Males
usually look out from the top of trunks and branches as a sign of dominance. They need
a large territory to feed, find shelter and to caught females, which are always found
at the bottom of the trees. It's in the leaves where spiders show their true mastery of the
art of building, showcasing beautiful webs of all kinds of shapes and sizes. The island
of Cuba has 50% of all the known families of spiders worldwide. These animals are the
most abundant land predators on earth.
The genus Argeobi certainly is special. Its web has the power to issue ultraviolet light
to attract insects in a perfect imitation of attractive flowers.
Today the reserve of the Sierra del Rosario is a haven for wildlife, a cradle of Cuban
biodiversity. Humans too have returned, but now to live in harmony with nature. The sustainable
community of Lasterases promotes tourism and social participation in the reserve. The Sierra
del Rosario is a living example of the power of nature to rebuild itself, just as the spider
restores its web every day.
For some indigenous species, the Sierra del Rosario is the largest place in Africa,
