Hispaniola iguana

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hispaniola iguana
Cabritos 2011 12 13Feb 221.JPG

Hispaniola iguana ( Cyclura ricordii )

Systematics
Order : Scale reptiles (Squamata)
without rank: Toxicofera
without rank: Iguana (Iguania)
Family : Iguanas (Iguanidae)
Genre : Whorled tail iguanas ( Cyclura )
Type : Hispaniola iguana
Scientific name
Cyclura ricordii
( Duméril & Bibron , 1837)

The Hispaniola iguana ( Cyclura ricordii ) is endemic to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola . Analogous to the Spanish popular name iguana de Ricord , the English and internationally common name is Ricord's Ground Iguana . The hispanola Iguana belongs within the family of lizards (Iguanidae) for genus of cyclura ( cyclura ).

Appearance

The Hispaniola iguana can grow to be over a meter long. With a head-trunk length of 49.5 cm in males and 43 cm in females, more than half of the length of the tail is omitted . The tail is very strong, although not circular as the genus name suggests. Adult males get 2 strong forehead bulges, behind which a conspicuous spiked crest begins. This spiky comb becomes smaller and smaller towards the rear and finally ends at the base of the tail. To distinguish them from the rhinoceros iguanas ( Cyclura cornuta ), with which they share their range, the pattern on the flanks can be used. Rhinoceros iguanas have no grain on their backs; the Hispaniola iguana, on the other hand, does. The color of the eyeball is also impressive: it can turn blood-red. Its weight is also impressive. Male animals can weigh over 7 kilograms.

Occurrence and habitat

The Hispaniola iguana's habitat is found in the dry forests of the Hispaniola Island. It has an island-like distribution within this ecosystem. Four such islands or sub-populations are currently scientifically described. The most stable is on the island of Isla Cabritos in a salt water lake, Lago Enriquillo . This island is part of a national park and is well protected due to its isolated location. The other populations, however, are at risk. The Grupo Jaragua, a Dominican nature conservation organization, reports of more or less legal attempts to reclaim the last nesting sites for these reptiles. This problem is an acute threat to a population near the La Florida settlement on the southern shore of the salt lake. The population is in better shape near the village of Pedernales . There were similar problems there. However, they could be solved according to more recent knowledge. Only a few kilometers away on Haitian soil is the fourth and last known population. With only 9 known nests, however, it was significantly smaller last year than that of Pedernales, where 300 nests could be counted. Characteristic of all four areas is a deep ground that allows the animals to dig extensive caves and large nests.

Way of life

The heavy adult iguanas lie on the ground a lot. They feed on fruits, seeds and other parts of plants. Younger specimens in particular also take in small animals such as insects or spiders. They often hide in bushes where they skillfully climb around. Like most iguanas, they are excellent swimming. It is not known whether they have to fear the crocodiles that populate Lake Enriquillo. Young animals are preyed on by snakes, cats and birds of prey, adult iguanas only have to fear the dog and humans, because they are still (illegally) hunted by the local population. To hide, they can dig caves meters deep. The iguanas cover their nests with soil. A nest contains an average of 11 eggs. What is striking is their preference for specific places where they can reach high population densities. The rhinoceros iguanas, which are also found there, only reach about a tenth of the individual density. To do this, they have developed rocky habitats for themselves, which has enabled them to colonize the south of the island over a large area. This seems to be much more difficult for the Hispaniola iguanas.

Taxonomy

Duméril and Bibron described the Hispaniola iguana as Aloponotus ricordii in 1837 . The holotype from Santo Domingo is deposited under catalog number MNHN 8304 in the Muséum National d'Histoire naturelle in Paris. The Reptile Database lists five synonym descriptions : Hypsilophus (Aloponotus) ricordii Fitzinger , 1843 , Aloponotus ricordii Cope , 1885 , Cyclura ricordii Cochran , 1924 , Cyclura ricordi Schwartz & Carey , 1977 and Cyclura ricordi Schwartz & Henderson , 1991 . The spelling “ricordi”, with just an i, is incorrect because, due to a decision by the Nomenclature Commission, only the endings of dedication names with a double i, which were often used in original descriptions in the 19th century, are valid.

The appearance of the Hispaniola iguana corresponds to that of a typical land iguana. The rootless teeth on the inside of the jaws are characteristic of this family. The system of whorletail iguanas is constantly being discussed and has not yet been finalized.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Murray Wrobel: Elsevier's Dictionary of Reptiles. Elsevier, Amsterdam a. a. 2004, ISBN 0-444-51499-6 , p. 148.
  2. ↑ Jose Otten Walder: Rhinoceros iguana. Cyclura cornuta cornuta ( Memento of August 7, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) , see Description:… contrast to the diagonally ...
  3. ^ Ernst Rupp, Yolanda M. León: Proyectos agrícolas al Sur del Lago Enriquillo: Amenaza seria para nuestra iguana de Ricord . (PDF; 313 kB) 2009.
  4. ↑ Ernst Rupp: 2010 Cycura ricordi Conservation Activities for the Dominican Republic. (PDF; 891 kB) Grupo Jaragua, Santo Domingo 2010
  5. ^ Yvonne Arias, Sixto Incháustequi, Ernst Rupp: Cyclura ricordii on the Barahona peninsula: A preliminary report. In: Iguana. Vol. 11, No. 1, 2004, pp. 9-14.
  6. ^ IIF Announces Land Purchase in the Dominican Republic. ( Memento from May 22, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
  7. ↑ Masani Accimé: 2010 Cycura ricordi Conservation Activities in Haiti. (PDF; 403 kB) Report for the International Iguana Foundation. Grupo Jaragua, Santo Domingo. International Iguana Foundation Grupo Jaragua, Anse-à-Pitres Haïti, 2010
  8. ^ Cyclura ricordi. Richord's Rock Iguanas.
  9. ↑ Allison Alberts (Ed.): West Indian Iguanas. Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan. IUCN, Gland u. a. 2000, ISBN 2-8317-0456-1 , p. 51.
  10. ^ André MC Duméril , Gabriel Bibron : Erpétologie Générale ou Histoire Naturelle Complète des Reptiles. Volume 4: Contenant l'histoire de quarante-six genres et de cent quarante-six espèces de la famille des iguaniens, de l'ordre des sauriens. Librairie Encyclopédique de Roret, Paris 1837, pp. 190-192 .
  11. ^ Cyclura ricordi in The Reptile Database ; Retrieved September 6, 2011.

Web links

Commons : Hispanola iguana ( Cyclura ricordii )  - Collection of images, videos and audio files