View source for Isla de Ratones (Ponce, Puerto Rico)

{{short description|Uninhabited island of Puerto Rico}}
{{use dmy dates|date=May 2018}}
{{Infobox islands
| name             = Ratones
| image_name       = Isla Ratones (vista desde el Hotel Ponce Holiday Inn), Ponce, PR (DSC05629).jpg
| image_caption    = Isla Ratones, as seen from Barrio [[Canas (Ponce)|Canas]], Ponce, PR
| image_size       = 
| map = 
| map_caption = 
| native_name      = Isla de Ratones
| native_name_link = 
| nickname         = 
| location         = [[Ponce, Puerto Rico|Ponce]], [[Puerto Rico]]
| pushpin_map             = Puerto Rico#Lesser Antilles#Caribbean
| pushpin_label           = 
| pushpin_label_position  = bottom
| pushpin_map_alt         = 
| pushpin_relief          = 1
| pushpin_map_caption     = 
| coordinates      = {{Coord|17|57|18|N|66|40|53|W|display=it}}
| archipelago      = 
| total_islands    = 
| major_islands    = 
| area_km2         = 0.03
| length_km        = 
| width_km         = 
| coastline_km     =
| highest_mount    = 
| elevation_m      =
| country                           = {{PRI}}
| country_admin_divisions_title     = Commonwealth
| country_admin_divisions           = [[Puerto Rico]]
| country_admin_divisions_title_1   = Municipality
| country_admin_divisions_1         = [[Ponce, Puerto Rico|Ponce]]
| country_admin_divisions_title_2   = Barrio
| country_admin_divisions_2         = [[Playa (Ponce)|Playa]]
| country_capital                   = 
| country_largest_city              = 
| country_largest_city_population   = 
| country_leader_title              = 
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| country_1                         = 
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| population       = 0
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}}
{{sidebar Tourism in Puerto Rico}}
'''Isla de Ratones''' ([[Spanish language|Spanish]] for ''[[mice]] island'') is a small uninhabited [[island]] off the southern coast of [[Puerto Rico]], off the coast of [[Ponce, Puerto Rico|Ponce]].  The island is part of barrio [[Canas (Ponce)|Canas]] in the municipality of Ponce.<ref>[https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/phc-3-53-eng.pdf ''Municipios, Municipio Subdivisions, Subbarrios, and Places - Section 14.''] U. S. Census Bureau. Census 2000. "Puerto Rico 2000: Population and Housing Unit Counts." Retrieved 11 October 2011.</ref><ref>[https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/phc-3-53-eng.pdf ''Puerto Rico 2000: Population and Housing Unit Counts.''] U.S. Census Bureau.Publication Number PHC-3-53. Published November 2003. Page F-17. Retrieved 22 September 2011.</ref>  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 [[Tide|high tide]], which become a single island at low tide.

==Location==
The island, sometimes erroneously considered a key (or [[cay]]),<ref>[http://www.elboricua.com/PuertoRican101.html ''El Boricua''], Puerto Rican 101, retrieved 30 April 2011.</ref> is located 0.62&nbsp;mi (1.0&nbsp;km) south of the mainland Puerto Rican shore across from Punta Cucharas in barrio [[Canas (Ponce)|Canas]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=z4eRIu1FB5sC&pg=PA393 ''Panorama histórico forestal de Puerto Rico''], Carlos Domínguez Cristóbal, p.393, retrieved 30 April 2011.</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=n10vAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA594 ''West Indies Pilot, Volume 1''], United States Hydrographic Office, p.599, Fourth Edition: 1922, retrieved 29 April 2011.</ref>  The island has an area of 6.94 ''cuerdas''<ref>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.</ref> (one ''cuerda'' equals 0.97 acres<ref>[http://www.unitconversion.org/area/acres-us-survey-to-cuerdas-conversion.html UnitConversion.org], retrieved 29 April 2011.</ref>) It is located at latitude 17.95500° and longitude -66.68139°.<ref>[http://travelingluck.com/North+America/Puerto+Rico/general/_4567591_Ratones,+Isla+de.html#local_map ''Isla de Ratones''], Traveling Luck, retrieved 30 April 2011.</ref> The short distance from the mainland shore makes Ratones a popular landing point for aquatic events such as [[kayaking]].<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cUi8US46Hs ''Kayaking to Cayo Ratones in Ponce, Puerto Rico''], Eduardohv, retrieved 30 April 2011.</ref>  Together with [[Caja de Muertos]], [[Gatas (Ponce)|Gatas]], [[Morrillito]], [[Isla de Cardona|Cardona]], [[Isla del Frio]], and [[Isla de Jueyes]], Ratones is one of seven islands in the municipality of [[Ponce, Puerto Rico|Ponce]].<ref>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.</ref><ref>[http://www.citymelt.com/county/Puerto-Rico/Ponce+Municipio-PR.html CityMelt], retrieved 30 April 2011.</ref>

==Geography and climate==
The island is a small low island covered mostly by brushwood.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=n10vAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA592 ''West Indies Pilot, Volume 1''], United States Hydrographic Office, p.599, Fourth Edition: 1922, retrieved 30 April 2011.</ref> The climate is dry and the island supports [[Puerto Rican dry forests|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.<ref>[http://www.nrlmry.navy.mil/~cannon/tr8203nc/ponce/text/fig37-2.htm ''Hurricane Havens Handbook for the North Atlantic Ocean''], United States Navy, retrieved 30 April 2011.</ref><ref>[http://ocsdata.ncd.noaa.gov/BookletChart/25683_BookletChart_HomeEd.pdf ''Bookletchart: Bahia de Ponce and Approaches''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110428085812/http://ocsdata.ncd.noaa.gov/BookletChart/25683_BookletChart_HomeEd.pdf |date=2011-04-28 }}, U.S. Navy, Chart number 8, retrieved 30 April 2011.</ref> At low tide the size of the island increases from 6.94 ''[[cuerda]]s''<ref>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.</ref> (one ''cuerda'' equals 0.97 acres<ref>[http://www.unitconversion.org/area/acres-us-survey-to-cuerdas-conversion.html UnitConversion.org] retrieved 29 April 2011.</ref>) to 12.35 [[acre]]s.<ref>[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''], BirdLife International, 4 August 2010, retrieved 3 May 2011.</ref> This low-tide size makes Isla de Ratones about 50% larger than the more prominent [[Cardona Island Light|Cardona]] which, at {{convert|8.71|acre|ha}}, is home to the [[Cardona Island Light]] and is located 2.96 miles (4.77 kilometers) to the east.<ref>[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''], BirdLife International, 4 August 2010, retrieved 3 May 2011.</ref>

==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 [[Club Náutico de Ponce|Ponce Yacht and Fishing Club]] launched a campaign to eradicate the [[black rat]] from the Island.<ref>[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''], 4 August 2010, retrieved 26 April 2011.</ref>

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

==References==
{{Portal|Puerto Rico}}
{{Reflist}}

{{Ponce, Puerto Rico}}
{{Cays and islets of Puerto Rico}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ratones}}
[[Category:Uninhabited islands of Puerto Rico]]
[[Category:Cays and islets of Puerto Rico]]
[[Category:Islands of Ponce, Puerto Rico]]