Iguana 10.1


22 Iguana Volume 10, Number 1

L E T T E R  F R O M  T H E  P R E S I D E N T

The 16th annual meeting of the IUCN/SSC
Iguana Specialist Group (ISG) was held in Santo
Domingo, Dominican Republic (see the article on p.
3 of this issue). During the two-day meeting, presen-
tations were made on the status of the 16 taxa in the
genus Cyclura found throughout the Caribbean.
Many of the species are declining due to multiple
factors. On the positive side, many species have people
and institutions who have developed specific programs
aimed at reversing those trends.

Immediately following the meeting, a two-day
workshop was held to develop a species recovery plan
for one of the two species endemic to Hispaniola,
Ricord’s Iguana (Cyclura ricordii). Combining the
broad range of expertise from participating ISG
members with local knowledge of the species’ distribu-
tion and natural history, a recovery plan was formulated
and will soon be published (see p. 9 for a draft of the
recovery plan). Implementation hopefully will lead to a
resurgence in Ricord’s Iguana population numbers.

The trip to the Dominican Republic wasn’t all
work. Prior to the meeting, some of us arranged to
take a field trip to Lago Enriquillo. From the ranger
station, a boat took the participants to Isla Cabritos,
an island where Ricord’s Iguanas and Rhinoceros
Iguanas (Cyclura cornuta) live sympatrically.
Rhinoceros Iguanas are quite common and habituated
to people. Several dozen individuals hang out at the
ranger station and at the boat dock, where they
patiently pose for photos. In contrast, Cyclura ricordii
is very flighty, rare, and rarely seen. One can only
imagine the excitement and anticipation of encounter-
ing these animals in the wild.

Much of my work and lecturing activity centers
around conservation techniques and, upon arrival on

the island, we observed a very successful conservation
technique — an armed guard patrolling the area. The
Dominican Republic takes the concept of wildlife
conservation very seriously.

Even though I was representing the IIS and the
organization is dedicated to iguana conservation, I
must admit to feeling a little more anticipation at the
thought of viewing American Crocodiles (Crocodylus
acutus), a population of which survives in Lago
Enriquillo. As a wildlife biologist working with
endangered crocodiles in Florida, seeing the species in
a different country would be a special treat. I must
admit that I asked the ranger to show us where the
crocodiles were (even before the iguanas), and we
soon were observing approximately 20 individuals.

The group (people, not crocodiles) then split up
to search for the elusive Ricord’s Iguana. After seeing
many fresh drags and burrows, I came upon a huge
male and snapped a few photos, but as I attempted to
maneuver for a better shot, he retreated into his
burrow. We saw two other Ricord’s Iguanas and heard
several more crashing through the brush, apparently
impervious to the cacti. In fact, the cacti on the island
were so abundant that we renamed it the “Isla de
Needles.”

The subsequent conference was successful and
memorable for all the participants. The hospitality and
food were excellent — and I, for one, had to diet after
returning home.

Rhinoceros Iguanas are quite common and habituated to
people. Photograph by Joe Wasilewski

Ricord’s Iguana on Isla Cabritos.  Photograph by Joe
Wasilewski

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