Black-breasted black iguana
| Black-breasted black iguana | ||||||||||||
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Black-breasted black iguana ( Ctenosaura melanosterna ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Ctenosaura melanosterna | ||||||||||||
| Buckley & Axtell , 1997 |
The black-breasted black iguana ( Ctenosaura melanosterna ) is an approx. 76 cm long, herbivorous iguana that is native to southeast Guatemala and northern Honduras .
features
Both sexes have a throat sail. The dark colored breast is typical of the species. As with other black iguanas, the male is larger. The tail makes up about half of the animal. As a tree-dwelling animal, C. melanosterna has long, curved claws for climbing.
Young animals
Compared to the adult animals, the young animals prefer to live on the ground. In the first few months, the young iguanas mostly feed on insects, while as adults they mainly eat leaves, flowers and fruits.
Threat and protection
This species is seriously endangered due to habitat destruction, introduced animals such as dogs, cats, rats, as well as the collection of eggs and individual animals in their population. To protect the species, protected areas such as the Pico Bonito National Park South and research and breeding stadium were established. Furthermore, this species is listed in CITES Appendix II (only restricted trade allowed).
Web links
- Ctenosaura melanosterna in The Reptile Database
- Ctenosaura melanosterna inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015.4. Posted by: Pasachnik, S., Montgomery, CE & Henningheim, E., 2012. Retrieved February 10, 2016.