Jamaican Rock Iguana (Cyclura collei)

Mohamed bin Zayed Species project number 182517807

The spatial ecology and behavior of the Jamaican Rock Iguana (Cyclura collei): implications for conservation management

In order to expand the managed area in the Hellshire Hills and create a more efficient and effective conservation program, a detailed understanding of the current measures is required. We focused on the headstart program and carried out post-release monitoring to investigate the survival, dispersal, movement, home ranges establishment, behavior and the habitat preferences of repatriated iguanas. We radio-tracked 19 iguanas of which 13 were released from captivity at the start of our study, and six additional individuals were captured in the wild and had spent at least seven years there. Radio-tracking furthermore enabled us to explore lesser-known area’s in search of unknown nest sites, to assess invasive animal species presence inside and outside the protected area, and to assess overall iguana distribution. By obtaining vital ecological knowledge and by assessing the effectiveness of measures currently taken, directions for future management such as improving the headstart program, expanding the protected area and improving the IAS control efforts, are explored. 

Fieldwork took place between February and June 2018. Analyses are currently in process.

For an impression of the work carried out: click here (video), and here.

Read the article 'Brighter future for Jamaican Iguanas' published by The Alliance for Zero Extinction here.