






































Iguana 12.4 b&w text


If you want to see two species of West Indian Rock Iguanas
(Cyclura spp.) in natural habitat at the same time, your only

choice of destinations is the Dominican Republic (DR). The
DR shares the island of Hispaniola with the Republic of Haiti;
however, the biogeographic boundaries of the island differ sub-
stantially from the current political configuration. Two major
islands, referred to as the North and South paleoislands, were
joined when the South Island “caught” the North Island after
the latter collided with the Bahama Platform. This event prob-
ably occurred during the middle of the Tertiary Period. Reef
limestones were deposited in the former marine channel that
separated the two islands. This area is now a barren valley known

as the Plaine de Cul-de-Sac in Haiti and the Valle de Neiba in
the DR. Much of this valley lies below sea level in the rain-
shadow of the Sierra de Neiba. Two of the four large lakes that

256 IGUANA  •  VOLUME 12, NUMBER 4  •  DECEMBER 2005 BANBURY AND RAMOS

T R A V E L O G U E

The Rock Iguanas of 
Parque Nacional Isla Cabritos1

Barb L. Banbury2 and Yanerys M. Ramos3

1 Updated from an article first published in the Iguana Times
8(2):3–7 (summer 2000).

2 Natural History Museum, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas
(current address: Department of Biological Sciences, University of
Missouri-Rolla; Rolla, Missouri).

3 Section of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca,
New York (current address: Venus Gardens, San Juan, Puerto Rico).

Parque Nacional Isla Cabritos lies in Lago Enriquillo, in the heart of the Valle de Neiba, Dominican Republic.

JO
H

N
 S

. P
A

R
M

ER
LE

E,
 J

R
.



IGUANA  •  VOLUME 12, NUMBER 4  •  DECEMBER 2005 257

characterize this valley lack outlets to the sea and are saline.
Powell et al. (1999) provided a summary of the geological his-
tory of Hispaniola, listing pertinent references and document-
ing the herpetofauna of biogeographic regions, including the
Valle de Neiba.

Lago Enriquillo is a hypersaline lake situated 40 m below
sea level. It is named after a native-American Taino chieftain
who successfully resisted Spanish efforts to enslave the indige-
nous population during the early colonial period. Annual tem-
peratures in the area average 28 °C (Hoppe 1989), although
daily temperatures often exceed 40 °C during the summer
months. Average annual rainfall is only 642 mm, most of which
falls during two “rainy seasons,” one in late spring and the other
in late summer and early fall (the latter associated with the hur-
ricane season).

A small island (12 x 2.0–2.5 km), Isla Cabritos, lies in Lago
Enriquillo. It was incorporated into the Dominican system of
national parks in 1974, and serves as a sanctuary for a flora and
fauna that include a number of species endemic to Hispaniola.
The plant community on the island is characterized as dry thorn
forest — and just about every plant is equipped to stick, stab, or
scratch the unwary hiker. Cacti, including the tree cactuses,
Caguey (Neoabottia paniculata) and Alpargata (Opuntia monil-
iformis), Cholla (Opuntia caribaea), and a tall cactus locally
known as Cayuco (Cereus hexagonus), fill gaps between scrubby

trees. The most common trees are Mesquite (Prosopis juliflora),
Ziziphus (Ziziphus rignoni), and Catalpa (Catalpa longissima)
(Hoppe 1989).

Birds and reptiles are the most conspicuous components
of the island fauna. Sixty-two species of birds have been
recorded (Hoppe 1989). Hispaniola’s largest flock of Greater
Flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber) feed on arthropods and mol-
lusks, and Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias) and Little Blue
Herons (Egretta caerulea) fish the shallows. Glossy Ibis (Plegadis
falcinellus) and Roseate Spoonbills (Ajaia ajaja) frequent the
shores, and Hispaniolan Palm Crows (Corvus palmarum) call
raucously while carefully surveying visiting humans in hopes of
soliciting (or stealing) a handout. The most famous inhabitants
of the island, however, are the large, endangered reptiles,
American Crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus), Rhinoceros Iguanas
(Cyclura cornuta), and Ricord’s Iguanas (Cyclura ricordii).

In the summer of 1999, we were part of a National Science
Foundation-funded undergraduate research program working in
the Dominican Republic. In the course of our three-week-long
studies of lizard communities, we made arrangements with the
National Park Service (Dirección Nacional de Parques) to take
a day off and visit Isla Cabritos to see crocodiles and iguanas in
their natural habitat.

On 12 June 1999, we left our base in Barahona well before
dawn in order to catch an early boat to the island. The boat driv-
ers generally prefer to return by early afternoon before the off-
shore winds, funneled through the valley from the east, kick up
high waves. The morning was cloudy and surprisingly cool,
exceedingly pleasant for humans, but less than ideal if you are
searching for basking reptiles. Nonetheless, we had high hopes
for success — and were almost immediately rewarded. While we
were still waiting on the dock as the drivers were preparing the
boat for our trip, we saw a small crocodile swimming nearby.
Although not visibly disturbed by our presence, it swam away
slowly, submerged, and we didn’t see it again.

After an uneventful crossing, we docked on the north side
of Isla Cabritos and took a trail that led us to the park station.
Cicadas and the ubiquitous crows serenaded us as we wound our
way along the path through the prickly vegetation. The ground
underfoot was sandy, but often gave way to large areas of darker
consolidated rock. Upon close examination, we observed that
both rock and sand were composed of coral and shell fragments,
relics of the ancient sea life inhabiting the former marine chan-
nel. After a short stop at the park station, our driver, now in the
role of guide, led us toward the south side of the island to a
beach where crocodiles frequently bask.

Along the way, our guide took us on a short detour to look
for iguanas. Almost instantly, we spotted a large male Cyclura
ricordii. Although we had been alerted to watch for iguanas, we
were unabashedly amazed by his size and demeanor. We took
some pictures, but the ruckus raised by our excited group scared
the iguana back into its burrow. A short walk later, we arrived at
the beach. Cautioned to remain quiet, as the crocodiles are very
sensitive to human disturbance, we approached from behind
some vegetation along a shoreline dune. Unfortunately, no croc-
odiles were basking, but a large individual was swimming just
off the beach. Although it continued to swim away, we got a
good look through binoculars and snapped some pictures.

TRAVELOGUE

An adult male Ricord’s Iguana (Cyclura ricordii) outside its burrow on
Isla Cabritos. Notice the characteristic vegetation.

K
IM

 S
C

H
N

EI
D

ER



The range of the American Crocodile includes coastal
regions of southeastern North America, Central America, north-
western South America, Cuba, Jamaica, and Hispaniola. The
species was once very abundant in Hispaniola, but is now found
only at Lago Enriquillo and in the nearby Haitian lake, Etang
Saumatre. The depletion of populations has mainly been the
result of habitat destruction, hunting, and nest poaching
(Schubert and Santana 1996). At Lago Enriquillo, nesting sites
are scattered along the main shoreline and along the shores of
Isla Cabritos. After hatching, the baby crocodiles, which cannot
tolerate the high salinity of the lake, must move from the nest-
ing beaches to fresh water habitat. Crocodile mothers nesting on
Isla Cabritos have to carry their babies from the nesting beaches
to areas where freshwater springs, called borbollones, empty into
the lake. We visited Isla Cabritos at the end of the nesting sea-
son and saw an empty nest, littered with egg fragments.

On the way back from the beach, we stopped again at the
iguana burrow and found that the iguana had re-emerged and
was sitting in a small patch of sunlight. This time we were qui-
eter and everyone had a chance to take pictures and admire this
beautiful animal for a few minutes.

Cyclura ricordii is endemic to Hispaniola, where it can be
found in the Valle de Neiba and on the lower Península de
Barahona, where apparently separate populations occur near
Pedernales and along the southern shore of Lago Enriquillo.
Although the species is common on Isla Cabritos, thanks to the
legal protection provided by the island’s status as a national park,
other populations in Hispaniola are of uncertain size and may

258 IGUANA  •  VOLUME 12, NUMBER 4  •  DECEMBER 2005 BANBURY AND RAMOS

An adult male Ricord’s Iguana (Cyclura ricordii) outside its burrow on
Isla Cabritos.

B
A

R
B

 B
A

N
B

U
R

Y

An adult American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) in Lago Enriquillo off the southern shore of Isla Cabritos.

JO
H

N
 B

IN
N

S



IGUANA  •  VOLUME 12, NUMBER 4  •  DECEMBER 2005 259TRAVELOGUE

be declining. The separate populations probably are genetically
as well as geographically isolated from each other, rendering the
threat of extirpation more serious, since unique gene pools could
be lost forever. Because it is more of a habitat specialist than C.
cornuta, C. ricordii is more susceptible to alterations in its habi-
tat. Other threats include predation by and competition with
exotic species, and hunting (J.A. Ottenwalder, pers. comm.).
Captive breeding programs were established in the early 1990’s
at the Indianapolis Zoo and Parque Zoológico Nacional
(ZooDom) in Santo Domingo (Christie 1996), but became

inactive within a few years due to a lack of animals (W. Christie,
pers. comm.). Since the level of success in these programs was
low (J.A. Ottenwalder and W. Christie, unpubl. data), better
captive husbandry techniques needed to be developed. In 1999,
a successful breeding program was reestablished at ZooDom to
help ensure a future for this species.4 Major threats to C. ricordii
on Isla Cabritos are nest predation by feral cats, and competi-
tion for forage with mammalian herbivores that cross the land
bridge connecting the island to the shore during dry periods.

In the meantime, the weather had cleared and the day was
heating up, so we went looking for C. cornuta. Our guide led us
to a regularly visited burrow. Almost immediately, we saw a
female, but she quickly retreated. This burrow was situated
under a limestone ledge, like most of the others we were to see.
Ledges or the root systems of trees or bushes provide necessary
support for large burrows in sandy soil, which would collapse if
not reinforced. While continuing our search, one member of the
group spotted a big male. Unlike the other individuals we had
seen previously, he was not at all shy. Instead, he walked directly
toward us before apparently losing interest and wandering away.
The guide told us that this male, named “Pancho” by the guides,
and a few other individuals had grown accustomed to human
visitors and their handouts. This might not have been the most
natural behavior, but it was an excellent opportunity to get a
close look. On the way back to the dock, we saw several more

An adult male Rhinoceros Iguana (Cyclura cornuta) named “Pancho” by local guides.

R
O

B
ER

T 
PO

W
EL

L

4 See article on p. 222.



Rhinoceros Iguanas and a female C. ricordii, most basking just
outside their burrows. As they were less accustomed to visitors
than Pancho, we were careful to maintain our distance.

Prior to the early 1950s, C. cornuta was very common in
the arid areas of Hispaniola, but populations have declined sub-
stantially (Ottenwalder and Powell 2002). Even though the pre-
ferred habitat of C. cornuta is not favorable to human settle-
ments, the introduction of exotic animals has increased the

competition with and predation on the iguanas. They have also
been illegally hunted for food and the pet trade. Because Isla
Cabritos is protected, it is one of the few areas where population
densities appear to be near what are assumed to be pre-
Columbian numbers.

On the boat ride back to the mainland, we stopped by the
borbollones to look for more crocodiles. Instead, we got a close
look at flamingoes. One of them took off and flew over our

260 IGUANA  •  VOLUME 12, NUMBER 4  •  DECEMBER 2005 BANBURY AND RAMOS

Birds are conspicuous residents of Lago Enriquillo. Most birds in this view are either Great (Ardea alba) or Snowy Egrets (Egretta thula). A few
Greater Flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber) and Black-necked Stilts (Himantopus mexicanus) are evident, and a single Little Blue Heron (Egretta
caerulea) can be seen in flight (upper left). Notice also the American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) in the foreground.

JO
H

N
 B

IN
N

S

Male Rhinoceros Iguana (Cyclura cornuta) courting a prospective mate.

R
O

B
ER

T 
PO

W
EL

L



IGUANA  •  VOLUME 12, NUMBER 4  •  DECEMBER 2005 261TRAVELOGUE

heads (Fig. 10). When we returned to the mainland, several peo-
ple were waiting to visit the island. Most were Dominicans, tes-
tament to the growing awareness of the unique ecological value
of the Lago Enriquillo area. Educational programs presented
locally through slide shows and nationally on television illustrate
natural communities and feature endangered species. Posters and
brochures about the lake and its species are to be distributed
throughout the country (Schubert and Santana 1996). This
heightened awareness among Dominicans is critical to the suc-
cess of any conservation efforts.

Literature Cited
Christie, B. 1996. Taxon management account: Ricord’s Iguana, Cyclura

ricordi. In: S.H. Hammack (ed.), American Zoo and Aquarium Association
Lizard Advisory Group, Taxon Management Accounts, 7 pp. American Zoo
and Aquarium Assoc., Fort Worth, Texas.

Hoppe, J. 1989. Los Parques Nacionales de la República Dominicana. The
National Parks of the Dominican Republic. Editoria Corripio, Santo
Domingo.

Ottenwalder, J.A. and R. Powell. 2002. Brief notes on the status of
Hispaniolan Rhinoceros Iguanas, Cyclura cornuta. Iguana Times 9:78.

Powell, R., J.A. Ottenwalder, and S.J. Incháustegui. 1999. The Hispaniolan
Herpetofauna: Diversity, endemism, and historical perspectives, with com-
ments on Navassa Island, pp. 93–168. In: B. I. Crother (ed.), Caribbean
Amphibians and Reptiles. Academic Press, San Diego, California.

Schubert, A. and G. Santana. 1996. Conservation of the American Crocodile
(Crocodylus acutus) in the Dominican Republic, pp. 425–433. In: R.
Powell and R. W. Henderson (eds.), Contributions to West Indian
Herpetology: A Tribute to Albert Schwartz. Contributions to Herpetology,
vol. 12. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Ithaca, New
York.

Additional References
Alberts, A.C. (ed.). 2000. West Indian Iguanas. Status Survey and Conservation

Action Plan. IUCN/SSC West Indian Iguana Specialist Group. IUCN,
Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Alberts, A.C. 2004. Conservation strategies for West Indian Rock Iguanas
(Genus Cyclura): Current efforts and future directions. Iguana
11:212–223.

Alberts, A.C., R.L. Carter, W.K. Hayes, and E.P. Martins (eds.). 2004.
Iguanas: Biology and Conservation. University of California Press,
Berkeley.

Ramer, J. 2004. A survey of Ricord’s Iguana (Cyclura ricordii) and Rhinoceros
Iguanas (Cyclura cornuta cornuta) in Isla Cabritos National Park,
Dominican Republic, 2003. Iguana 11:88–95.

Ramer, J. and R. Hudson. 2005. Taxon updates: Ricord’s Iguana (Cyclura
ricordii): Species recovery plan update. Iguana 12:27.

Adult female Ricord’s Iguana (Cyclura ricordii) on Isla Cabritos.

JO
H

N
 B

IN
N

S

Getting to Lago Enriquillo from Santo Domingo
requires a 21⁄2–3 hour drive, taking the road toward
Barahona, turning right on the road to Neiba and con-
tinuing to La Azufrada. At La Azufrada, you can hire for
a modest fee one of the commercial boats or one of the
Parques boats to take you to the island. Inexpensive park
permits can be acquired at the main office of Dirección
Nacional de Parques in Santo Domingo or at La
Azufrada. The closest tourist accommodations are about
one hour away in the town of Barahona. However, pen-
sions and a few very modest hotels can be found in the
nearby town of La Descubierta, along with some small
restaurants, the best of which is at the “Hotel Iguana,”
where the more intrepid traveler may want to stay.

Female Rhinoceros Iguana (Cyclura cornuta) outside her burrow on
Isla Cabritos.

JO
H

N
 B

IN
N

S

JA
N

 R
A

M
ER

Although not normally considered to be human commensals,
some Dwarf Geckos, such as this Sphaerodactylus altavelensis
enriquilloensis, seem to seek out human companionship. This
photograph was taken at the Hotel Iguana in La Descubierta,
near Lago Enriquillo.




