Zoo Adoption
Programs: Adopt A Project:
Caribbean Rock Iguana Project
Ancient and imperiled, Caribbean rock iguanas are the most endangered
lizards in the world. Much of their fragile island habitat has been lost
to human development or severely damaged by invasive species. Feral cats
introduced to islands of the Caribbean by humans have been particularly
destructive as they eat iguana eggs and young hatchlings, causing dramatic
population declines. More than half of all species of rock iguanas are
critically endangered, with a 50 percent chance of extinction over the next decade
in the absence of immediate and intensive conservation intervention. One
species, the Grand Cayman blue iguana, is considered to be the most imperiled
of all, with an estimated remaining wild population of 25 adults.
Researchers at the San Diego Zoo's Institute for Conservation Research have long been committed to Caribbean iguana conservation
and restoration through an integrated and comprehensive program of captive
breeding of a colony of 23 individuals representing four species, exhibition,
education, and genetic and ecological research focused on the recovery
of wild populations. Working to increase population size in the fight against
extinction, our scientists in the Caribbean have helped protect wild iguanas
by pioneering a technique called "headstarting.” When hatchlings
emerge from their nests each fall, they are raised in a safe managed care environment
for a few years until they are large enough to ward off feral mammals.
Returning these animals to their native habitats not only restores a unique
component of Caribbean biodiversity, but also contributes to the long-term
health of the highly threatened tropical dry forests of the Caribbean.
But there is so much more to do!
To further their success on behalf of these remarkable animals and to produce additional offspring for headstarting and reintroduction to the wild, our researchers have drawn up plans for a dedicated off-exhibit Caribbean rock iguana propagation facility at the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park. This unique facility will house up to 20 breeding pairs of iguanas in spacious naturalistic indoor/outdoor enclosures outfitted with sandy substrate conducive to natural nesting behavior. This facility will allow our scientists to initiate an innovative new research program on iguana mate compatibility, incubation parameters, and factors affecting fertility and nesting success.
