Vivariums;reptiles;Cyclura pinguis

Mating and habitat

This forced diet has affected the iguanas' ability to reproduce.[2] As reproductive females are not being provided with enough nutrition to produce eggs and support their own metabolism; many do not survive after laying eggs, resulting in the present skewed sex ratio of 2 males to every female.[2] Females usually lay one clutch of about 12-16 eggs per year in late spring or early summer.[2][3]

Anegada Island is rare in that it is not a volcanic island, but formed from coral and limestone providing many caves and natural burrows for the iguanas to live.[2] Animals typically inhabit a single burrow and it was once observed that they appeared to bond for life, dwelling in burrows in close proximity to their mate.[2] As the drive to find more females and compete for food has increased their range, this does not appear to be occurring any longer.[2]

Cyclura pinguis :

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Anegada ground iguana[1] or stout iguana (Cyclura pinguis) is a critically endangered species of lizard of the genus Cyclura belonging to the family Iguanidae. The species can be found exclusively in the islands of Anegada and Guana. Historically, it inhabited the islands of Puerto Rico and Saint Thomas, however, the animal's original range has been greatly diminished.[2]

Anegada ground iguana

In the wild on Anegada

Conservation status :

Critically Endangered (IUCN 2.3)

Scientific classification :

Kingdom:Animalia

Phylum:Chordata

Class:Sauropsida

Order:Squamata

Family:Iguanidae

Genus:Cyclura

Species:C. pinguis

Binomial name:

Cyclura pinguis
Barbour, 1917

Natural history :

The Anegada ground iguana is noted as the oldest species of Cyclura and the most genetically divergent of the West Indies' rock iguanas.[3][4] An ancestor to this iguana first dispersed to Hispaniola, then onwards to the north and western islands, which has since diversified on different islands into the 9 species and several additional subspecies of the genus Cyclura as we know it today.[5]

Taxonomy :

The Anegada ground iguana was first described by American Herpetologist Thomas Barbour 1917.[6][7] Its generic name (Cyclura) is derived from the Ancient Greek cyclos (κύκλος) meaning "circular" and ourá (οὐρά) meaning "tail", after the thick-ringed tail characteristic of all Cyclura iguanas, with the exception of the Anegada ground iguana.[8] Its specific name pinguis means "fat" and refers to the animal's stocky appearance and the common name "Stout iguana".[7]

Anatomy and morphology :

The Anegada ground iguana is a large heavy-bodied rock iguana which attains a total body length of close to 22 inches(560 mm).[2] As juveniles they are faintly or boldly patterned with wide gray to moss green bands interspersed with wide gray to black anteriorly directed chevrons. These bands fade and are generally lost as the animals mature, turning a uniform grayish or brownish-black with varying amounts of turquoise on the dorsal spines, tail base, fore and hind legs. Occasionally this bluish coloration extends up onto the sides of the individual, particularly in males. Females tend to be relatively dull in color, exhibiting less brilliant blue if any.

This species, like other species of Cyclura, is sexually dimorphic; males are larger than females, and have more prominent dorsal crests, "horns" and femoral pores on their thighs, which are used to release pheromones.[9][10]

Diet :

Like all Cyclura species the Anegada ground iguana is primarily herbivorous, consuming leaves, flowers and fruits from different plant species.[2] However, due to direct competition with grazing livestock in its native habitat such as sheep, goats, burros, and cattle they have been reduced to eating vegetation rejected by these domestic and feral animals.[2][3] This has also caused them to become opportunistic carnivores preying upon centipedes, millipedes, roaches, insects, and other invertebrates as opposed to being strict herbivores.[2]

At the Houston Zoo

Conservation :

Endangered status :

It is estimated that the current global population is less than 300 and is rapidly declining: the population has decreased by at least 80% over the last 40 years.[2][3][11][12]

Causes of decline :

The primary reason for the Anegeda ground iguana's decline is competitive grazing with domestic and feral livestock.[2][3] The secondary reason is that they are preyed upon by feral dogs and cats.[2][3][11] As with other Rock Iguanas, their habitat is also in rapid decline due to development and logging.[2]

Live Anegada iguanas used to regularly be sold to tourists as pets, as their rarity made them more appealing to exotic animal collectors, despite this being illegal under the CITES treaty.[13] In 1999 a World Wildlife Fund international conservation officer, Stuart Chapman, said: "The British government has turned a blind eye for over 20 years to these overseas territories which are home to many rare and endangered species. Many of these face extinction if Britain fails to honour its treaty obligations. The British Caribbean islands are extremely rich in biodiversity with many critically endangered species that are unique to the islands - yet there is virtually zero enforcement or implementation of CITES." [13]

In the brush

Recovery efforts

Intense conservation efforts are underway to protect this species.[4] In the 1980s, eight iguanas were moved from Anegada to Guana Island, British Virgin Islands, to start a second population in part of the species' former range.[2][14] Guana Island is not a limestone island, and does not provide as many natural retreats as Anegada does. The iguanas appear to be doing well and reproducing in areas free of feral sheep, which is its only competitor for vegetation. Approximately 20 adult iguanas are estimated to inhabit Guana and offspring have been seen each year since 1987.[2] Guana Island Wildlife Sanctuary continues to try to rid the island of sheep, which may improve the habitat for iguanas.[2]

The Anegada ground iguana has also been successfully bred in captivity at the San Diego Zoo and the Fort Worth Zoo.[11] Both zoos have actively been working with the British Virgin Islands on a joint-recovery program started in 1997 on Anegeda Island.[11] 120 iguanas have been raised at the facility for release into the wild.[11] Hatchlings are fed and protected so they can be "headstarted" for the wild and not fall prey to feral dogs and cats.[11] This offsets the juvenile mortality rate and is accompanied by field research, nestsite protection, and monitoring of released animals.[11][15]

For the external links , refrences click here to read the full wikipedia article

Video :

Cyclura pinguis - Video Learning - WizScience.com

Other Websites :

- www.iucnredlist.org/details/6031/0

- reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Cyclura&species=pinguis

- iguanafoundation.org/information-by-species/anegada-rock-iguana/

Cyclura Species Rundown

courtesy to : www.reptilesmagazine.com/Cyclura/em-Species-Rundown/

BY TOM CRUTCHFIELD

The fiji crested iguana is very rare in pet trade and Critically Endangered , Therfore no care articles available about it ..

This iguana is very rare in pet trade and Critically Endangered , Therfore no care articles available about it ..

In herpetoculture today, only the rhino iguana and the Cuban rock iguana are bred with any regularity. I produce between 50 to 75 rhino iguanas annually. Over the years, I have bred four Cyclura species, including Cuban rock iguanas, rhino iguanas, Grand Cayman iguanas, and Ricord’s iguanas. I have personally maintained every species except for the Jamaican iguana (Cyclura collei).

PHOTO BY TOM CRUTCHFIELD.

The Cuban rock iguana is one of the more popular Cyclura species bred in captivity.

In zoos, there are a small number of Cyclura c. figginsi and Cyclura ricordi that just sit and wait to die. I have been told that there is no room to breed these two species because of other, more-critically endangered animals, such as Cyclura lewisi, Cyclura pinguis, and Cyclura collei. I’ve also been told that these Cyclura cannot be released into the private sector to breed. I believe that this is a big mistake, and not breeding them negatively affects the species as a whole. Many of these rare Cyclura should be bred and held in captivity in small numbers to offset any disasters in the wild. Most are relatively easy to keep and breed. Private herpetoculturists that can provide an appropriate environment for these lizards can partner with zoos to breed them.

All ground iguanas found in the West Indies are of the Cyclura genus, and all are classified as endangered. Currently there are nine species with seven subspecies recognized, making a grand total of 16 locale-specific lizards. Some of these species are down to less than 100 lizards living in the wild. I believe that all of these species would benefit from captive-breeding programs to act as reservoir for stock to prevent extinction in the wild.

Here is a species account along with a bit of information about each form in the wild:

Cuban Rock Iguana (Cyclura nubila nubila)
Range: Cuba and surrounding cays
Status: Endangered
Wild Population: 40,000 plus

Lesser Cayman Isle Iguanas (Cyclura nubila caymanensis)
Range: Cayman Brac and Little Cayman islands
Status: Endangered
Wild Population: 15,000

Grand Cayman Isle Iguanas (Cyclura lewisi)
Range: Only a very small area on Grand Cayman Island has suitable habitat
Status: Critically endangered
Wild Population: 30

Jamaican Iguana (Cyclura collei)
Range: Hellshire Hills, a tiny area west of Kingston, Jamaica
Status: Critically endangered
Wild Population: 150

Turks and Caicos Rock Iguana (Cyclura carinata carinata)
Range: Many cays located around the Turks and Caicos Islands. There are no populations left on the mainland. This may be the most numerous of the nine species
Status: Endangered
Wild Population: May exceed 50,000 lizards

Booby Cay Iguana (Cyclura carinata bartschi)
Range: Booby Cay in the southern Bahamas (the Exuma Islands)
Status: Endangered
Wild Population: 1,000

Andros Isle Iguana (Cyclura cyclura cyclura)
Range: Andros Island
Status: Endangered
Wild Population: 3,500

Exuma Island Iguana (Cyclura cyclura figginsi)
Range: Seven different populations located off the north end of the Exuma Islands in the Bahamas
Status: Endangered
Wild Population: 1,500

Allen’s Cay Iguana (Cyclura cyclura inornata)
Range: Two populations in the Exuma Islands in the Bahamas
Status: Endangered
Wild Population: about 1,000

Anegada Iguana (Cyclura pinguis)
Range: Anegada, Guana and Necker located in the British Virgin Islands
Status: Endangered
Wild Population: About 400

Ricord’s Iguana (Cyclura ricordi)
Range: Disjunct, small populations in the Dominican Republic and possibly in small areas of the Artibonite River in Haiti
Status: Endangered
Wild Population: 1,300

San Salvador Iguana (Cyclura rileyi rileyi)
Range: Seven cays off the island of San Salvador, with a possible handful on the mainland
Status: Endangered
Wild Population: 500

Acklins Isle Iguana (Cyclura rileyi nuchalis)
Range: A few cays off Acklins Isle
Status: Endangered
Wild Population: 1,300

White Cay Iguana (Cyclura rileyi cristata)
Range: South Exuma Islands in the Bahamas
Status: Endangered
Wild Population: 200

Rhinoceros Iguana (Cyclura cornuta)
Range: Island of Hispanola
Status: Endangered
Wild Population: 17,000

Mona Island Iguana (Cyclura cornuta stegnegeri)
Range: Mona Island
Status: Endangered
Wild Population: 1,500

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Videos Cyclura Species :