Jamaican Iguana

This Iguana is also known as the Jamaican Rock Iguana and the Jamaican Ground Iguana.

Description

This Iizard is the largest native land animal on Jamaica. They can weigh up to 9kg.

Diet

The Jamaican Iguana's diet consists of leaves, fruits, flowers, insects and snails. 

Habitat

This lizard only lives in the Hellshire Hills which are in the southeast of Jamaica. These hills are at elevations below 200 meters. The habitat at Hellshire Hills is rocky limestone outcrops as well as tropical dry forests. 

Breeding & Early Life

A female Jamaican Iguana will burrow and lay  6 to 20 eggs in loose soil. These eggs are laid in mid-June. They will hatch 85 to 87 days later. Hatched Iguanas on average measure around 22 centimetres in length  weigh only 22 to 33 grams.

Threats

It was once thought to be extinct in the 1940s but a small population was discovered  in 1990. The Jamaican Iguana is one of the world's most endangered reptiles with only around 100 left.

Conservation

The Jamaican Iguana Recovery Group was established in 1990. This organisation does a great job at conducting habitat and population surveys as well as predator control. There are many captive breeding programs for this species. The breed and realse programs for this animal started in 1996. Juviniles will be taken from the wild and taken care of until they are big enough to fend off praetors. This is called head starting. 

Image Credit
savegoatislands.org