| Cyclura ricordii | |
|---|---|
 | |
| C. ricordii atLake Enriquillo, Dominican Republic | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Iguania |
| Family: | Iguanidae |
| Genus: | Cyclura |
| Species: | C. ricordii |
| Binomial name | |
| Cyclura ricordii | |
| Synonyms[3][4] | |
Cyclura ricordii, also known asRicord's ground iguana orRicord's rock iguana, is anendangered species of medium-sizedrock iguana, a large herbivorous lizard. It isendemic to the island ofHispaniola (in bothHaiti and theDominican Republic). It is known tocoexist with thenominate subspecies of therhinoceros iguana (C. cornuta cornuta); the two species are the onlytaxa of rock iguana to do so. The naturalhabitats of its three subpopulations are hot, dry, woodedsavanna on limestone with access to soil and sandy flats in southern Hispaniola. It is threatened by predation by introduced predators andhabitat loss, due toovergrazing and charcoal manufacture.
Thespecific epithetricordii commemorates the French doctor Alexandre Ricord who sent the first specimen to Paris.[5]
In 1837Cyclura ricordii was described as a species new to science byAndré Marie Constant Duméril andGabriel Bibron, who at that time named itAloponotus ricordii.[3][5] In 1843, the species was assigned to the genusHypsilophus byLeopold Fitzinger. In 1885, the species was returned to the genusAloponotus byEdward Drinker Cope. In 1924, the species was assigned to the genusCyclura byDoris Mable Cochran.[3] Cochran used the spellingC. ricordii, but in 1975Albert Schwartz andRichard Thomas misspelled the name asC. ricordi,[4] thisorthographic error[1] was subsequently followed by most authors and databases,[3][6] until the 2010s.[1][3]
Theholotype is a stuffed animal sent by Ricord from the colony ofSaint-Domingue to Paris, which arrived at theMuséum national d'histoire naturelle in 1699, and is stored there under the collection number MNHN-RA-0.8304.[6]
Genetic (mtDNA)[7][8] andmorphological data indicate that the closest living relative ofC. ricordii isC. carinata of theTurks and Caicos Islands.[9]
InEnglish,vernacular names ofC. ricordii includeRicord's rock iguana,[1][3][10]Ricord's ground iguana,[3][10]Ricord's iguana,[11][12] andbanded rock iguana.[13]
Vernacular names inSpanish includeiguana amarilla andiguana de Ricord. In the localHaitian Creole, it is known asleza recò. InFrench, the namescyclure d'Hispaniola,cyclures de Ricord andiguane de Ricord are recorded.[1]
Cyclura ricordii is a species ofrock iguana with a maximum snout-to-vent length in males of 460 mm (18 in),[1] in females to 430 mm (17 in),[14] The tail is 540 mm (21 in) long at maximum. The average snout-to-vent length at birth is 96 mm (3.8 in) with a 147 mm (5.8 in) tail.[1]
Their body color is a grayish green flat color marked by five to six bold pale gray chevrons alternating with dark gray to black chevrons. In adults, the dark chevrons are less contrasting than in juveniles.[11] The eyes have a dark, almost blackiris and redsclera.[citation needed]
Species ofCyclura aresexually dimorphic; males are larger than females, and have largerfemoral pores on their thighs, which are used to releasepheromones.[15][16]
Eggs from the genusCyclura are some of the largest laid by any lizard.[14]
Until 2008,Cyclura ricordii was thought to be restricted to two populations in the southern Dominican Republic: one population in the aridHoya de Enriquillo surrounding thehypersalineLake Enriquillo and itslake islandIsla Cabritos, and the other in the most xeric portion of the coastal lowlands ofPedernales Province. These are separated by the moisterSierra de Bahoruco, with three peaks exceeding 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) which form an ecological barrier between two populations. Past drierPleistocene climates may have allowed genetic exchange between the two populations. It issympatric throughout its range withC. cornuta, therhinoceros iguana.[11][17] All otherCaribbean islands with rock iguanas are home to a single species.[12] In 2008, a third population was found to exist near the town ofAnse-a-Pitres in Haiti,[18] near the southernmost coast.[1]
Hispaniola was once two islands; genetic evidence indicatesC. ricordii evolved on the northern island and later dispersed southwards, whileC. cornuta evolved on the southern island.[7]
This species inhabits dryxericHispaniolan dry forests or scrublands with scattered trees,cacti and many vines, that grow on rocky limestone cliffs and terraces, with the occasional depressions filled with red soil. Another part of the population inhabits a flat habitat with a 5–6m tall dry forest, dominated by succulents growing on white sandy soil. It is found at altitudes from 43m below sea level (Cabritos Island on Lake Enriquillo) up to 439m. The Haitian population is found on a smallkarst limestone terrace near the coast.[1]
It is adiurnal animal, sleeping in "retreats" during the nights.[1] They usually excavate burrows for retreats in the sandy areas of either type of habitat which they expand over time.[17] Entrances to these retreats are generally dug under dense thorny vegetation, shrubs, stumps, or exposed rocks.[17] They may sometimes also retreat to hollow tree trunks or rock crevices.[1]
Mating occurs from May through June.[17] In the genusCyclura in general, in many speciescopulation is preceded by numerous head-bobs on the part of the male, who then circles around behind the female and grasps the nape of her neck in order to manoeuvre his tail under hers to position himself for sex.[14] Nest sites are built in clay or sand,[1] in pockets of earth exposed to the sun.[17] The Haiti population nests in a single location on a sandy beach at the coast. Anywhere from 2 to 23 eggs are usually laid in May to July,[1] depending on the size and age of the female.[17] The eggs go through a 95- to 100-day incubation period before hatching in July to September The average success rate is 95%. After two to three years both sexes have reached maturity.[1]
The adults of the species are primarilyterrestrial whereas juveniles tend to occupyarboreal retreats.[12] It has been observed swimming and floating in Lago Enriquillo.[11]
It feeds on a wide variety of plants and plant parts, depending on local availability, includingConsolea,Cordia,Croton,Guaiacum,Melocactus lemairei,Opuntia andProsopis.[11] Insects andcrustaceans are also sometimes eaten when the opportunity presents itself,[1][11] as well asvertebrates.[1]
In 1970, the estimated wild population was 5,000 lizards.[14] In 1996, the estimated wild population was 2,000-4,000 animals.[11] In 2018 theIUCN assessed wild population as 3,000-4,000 animals. The authors of that assessment found the population trend to be decreasing.[1]
The two populations are partially found within the followingprotected areas:
TheIndianapolis Zoo has been involved in the Dominican Republic since the mid-1990s.[19] As of 1995, it was successful with breeding this species, but rearing the young had not gone well. TheParque Zoológico Nacional [es] inSanto Domingo had similar success, but had "institutional problems" according to Ottenwalder.[11] In 2005 the Parque Zoológico Nacional was breeding the iguanas. As of 2009, Grupo Jaragua was the only Dominicannon-governmental organisation focussed on the conservation of amphibians and reptiles.[20] It was quite active domestically.[20][21] In 2018 Grupo Jaragua was still actively monitoring the population.[1]
In 1995, Ottenwalder mentioned that in the 1970s, Chinese restaurants in the capital citySanto Domingo sometimes sold iguana meat from this species as a special treat, although this was not going on in his time.[11] According to Grupo Jaragua, the Ricord's iguana population in Pedernales Province has been threatened by agricultural displacement through increasedcattle grazing, as well ascharcoalmining.[21] They state the iguanas are hunted and trapped as a food source by humans, and killed by goatherders under the false superstition that iguanas rip open the bellies of livestock with their pointed crests.[21][22] Competition from domestic andferal livestock is also a concern, as is predation of juveniles bycats,dogs, andmongooses.[21]
The IUCN initially assessed this species'conservation status ascritically endangered in 1996 (it had been listed as undetermined before then), but after the Haitiansubpopulation was discovered, the "area of occupancy" had increased and it was downlisted toendangered in the assessment in 2018.[1] It has been listed in Appendix I of theCITES treaty,[14] at least since the 1990s, and this appears to have been effective.[11] It is not listed under the USEndangered Species Act.[14]
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