Iguana Delicatissima Research Articles

The terrestrial herpetofauna of Martinique: Past, present, future

I present an up-to-date annotated list of the herpetofauna of Martinique, and try to explain the causes responsible for the eradication of species such as Leptodactylus fallax , Boa sp. and Leiocephalus herminieri . Mabuya mabouya and Liophis cursor have not been seen for decades and may have been extirpated. It cannot be established that the mongoose was responsible; Didelphis marsupialis , of recent introduction, may have played an important role. Introduced and invasive species are numerous in Martinique: Chaunus marinus , Scinax ruber , Eleutherodactylus johnstonei , Gymnophthalmus underwoodi , Iguana iguana , Gekko gecko , Hemidactylus mabouia , without considering escaped pets and the dubious case of Allobates chalcopis as an endemic species. I also present the restoration plan for Iguana delicatissima in the French West Indies and the conservation work for this species in Martinique; increase of nesting areas, translocation, creation of numerous protected areas, and control of I. iguana . Of a total of 13 endemic and indigenous species from Martinique, three are definitely and a further two are probably eradicated. Including Guadeloupe, the French West Indies have the highest loss of herpetological biodiversity among all the islands in the West Indies.

An introduction to the herpetofauna of Antigua, Barbuda and Redonda, with some conservation recommendations

At least 29 reptiles and amphibians have been documented on Antigua, Barbuda and Redonda, of which 21 are probably native. These include four species of marine turtles, two of which (Eretmochelys imbricata and Chelonia mydas) are known to nest on the nation's numerous sandy beaches and forage in nearshore waters. The low-lying and largely sedimentary islands of Antigua (280 km2) and Barbuda (161 km2) formed a single island as recently as 12,000 years ago and exhibit a similar herpetofauna with high endemicity. At least four terrestrial species are endemic to the Antigua and Barbuda bank: Alsophis antiguae, Ameiva griswoldi, Anolis wattsi, Sphaerodactylus elegantulus (a possible fifth being Barbuda's Anolis forresti, if not synonymous with A wattsi), and a further five are Lesser Antillean endemics. Only six species have been documented on the small, rugged volcanic island of Redonda (1 km2), but as many as half of them occur nowhere else (Ameiva atrata, Anolis nubilus, and a potentially new Sphaerodactylus sp.). Centuries of forest clearance, overgrazing and development, coupled with the introduction of small Asian mongooses (Herpestes javanicus), black rats (Rattus rattus) and other alien invasive species, has endangered many of the nation's wildlife, and at least four indigenous reptiles have been extirpated (Boa constrictor, Clelia clelia, Iguana delicatissima, and Leiocephalus cuneus). Recent moves to enlarge the nation's protected area network are encouraging, but need to be supported with stronger legislation and proper investment in management staff and resources. This paper presents conservation recommendations and describes two projects that have adopted innovative approaches to save the most critically endangered reptiles — the Jumby Bay Hawksbill Project and the Antiguan Racer Conservation Project.

Amphibians and reptiles of the French West Indies: Inventory, threats and conservation

At least five marine turtles and 49 terrestrial or freshwater amphibians and reptiles have been listed from the French West Indies since the beginning of human settlement. Among terrestrial or freshwater species, two groups may be distinguished. The first group comprises 35 native species, of which seven are currently extinct or vanished. These species are often endemic to a bank and make up the initial herpetofauna of the French West Indies. Disregarding two species impossible to rule on due to lack of data, the second group includes twelve species that were introduced. Except for marine turtles and some terrestrial species for which the decline was due to human predation, the extinctions primarily involved ground living reptiles of average size and round section body shape. Habitat degradation and mammalian predator introductions have probably contributed to the extinction of these species, in addition to a possible direct impact of man. To better understand the threats to species, we suggest studying the interactions between native herpetofauna and introduced competitors or predators, taking into account the habitat structure. This would help to give the necessary information for successful management measures for conservation or restoration. As an example, the conservation of the Petite Terre (Guadeloupe) Iguana delicatissima population requires identifying both the mechanisms that regulate its population and their relationships to catastrophic climatic events.

Évolution de la densité de population de l’iguane des petites Antilles (iguana delicatissima) dans la réserve naturelle des îles de la petite terre (Guadeloupe) entre 1995 et 2002

The ecosystem of the two Petite Terre Islands (a natural reserve of 148,6 ha since 1998, Guadeloupe, French West Indies) is original because it is dominated by a large size vegetarian reptile, the Lesser Antillean Iguana (Iguana delicatissima), a IUCN vulnerable species. A survey of the Lesser Antillean Iguana population was carried on by the AEVA Natural History Society at the request of the authority in charge of the management of this protected area. The main goals of this study were to gather data on the interannual evolution of the population density and to identify possible threats. A line-transect census, based on a method accounting for the perpendicular distance between the animal and the line transect, was conducted annually from 1995 to 2002 (except in 1997). Correlations were established between large declines of the population and two major climatic events, i.e. two hurricanes in 1995 and a long drought in 2001. With an estimated size of 10,000 adults outside the breakdown periods, the Lesser Antillean Iguana population of the Petite Terre Islands appears as one of three largest ones in the world, with those in Dominica and Désirade Islands. These protected islands are thus a quite important place for this threatened species. The size of the population and its location on two protected islands should favour studies on the biology and the ecology of the species. Hypotheses about the origin of the present population and on the factors that might limit its perpetuity are discussed.

Disconnection syndromes

Abstract The Lesser Antilles, in the Eastern Caribbean, were long considered to have only two species in the genus IguanaLaurenti 1768: the Lesser Antillean iguana Iguana delicatissima, which is endemic to parts of the Lesser Antilles, and the common green iguana Iguana iguana, which also occurs throughout Central and South America. However, herpetologists and reptile collectors have pointed out strong physical differences between some of the island populations of Iguana iguana and those from the continent. Drawing on both morphological and genetic data, this paper describes a third species Iguana insularis sp. nov. from the southern Lesser Antilles, specifically the countries of Saint Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines, and Grenada. The new species is described based on the following unique combination of characters: Presence of high median and medium to small lateral horns on the snout; Small subtympanic plate not exceeding 20% of the eardrum size; Two or three scales of decreasing size anterior to the subtympanic plate; Fewer than ten small to medium triangular gular spikes; Medium sized dewlap; Low number of small to medium dispersed nuchal tubercles; Dark brown iris, with the white of the eye visible; Oval, prominent nostril; Short and relatively flat head; High dorsal spines; No swelling of the jowls in reproductively active males; Colour of head, body and tail changing from green to pale grey or creamy white in old adults; Vertical black stripes on body and tail, fading with age in some populations. This paper furthermore distinguishes two subspecies: Iguana insularis insularis from the Grenada Bank (comprising Grenada and the Grenadine islands), and Iguana insularis sanctaluciae from Saint Lucia. The form on the island of Saint Vincent has not been identified. Both subspecies are globally threatened by unsustainable hunting (including the pet trade) and by invasive alien species, including hybridization from invasive iguanas from South and Central America (I. iguana and I. rhinolopha, considered here as full species) that have become established in all three countries. The authors call for stronger measures to conserve the remaining purebred Iguana insularis sp. nov. throughout its range and for further research to identify other cryptic species and subspecies of Iguana in the Lesser Antilles.

A new species of Amblyomma from iguanas in the Caribbean (Acarina: Ixodidae).

Amblyomma antillorwn n. sp. resembling A. albopictum Neumann, is described from males and females from the iguana, Cyclura pinguis Barbour, from Anegada, British Virgin Islands. Males believed to be the same species are recorded from Iguana delicatissima Laurenti from Dominica in the Lesser Antilles.