These reptiles, which can measure up to one meter, will be monitored in the release area and their adaptation to their new habitat can be assessed.
Technicians from the Galápagos National Park in Ecuador reinsert 461 terrestrial iguanas on the island of Santiago, from another in the Ecuadorian archipelago, with the aim of returning these reptiles to a habitat from which they had become extinct. .
The project of ecological restoration of the galapagueñas iguanas, pertaining to the species Conolophus subcristatus, began approximately 20 years ago in the island Santiago.
It developed in parallel with the eradication of predatory species such as pigs, donkeys and wild goats, which feed on all types of vegetation, and according to specialists, altering the habitat of endemic animals in the Galapagos Islands.
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A first group of specimens was inserted in January 2019 on the island and its adaptation has benefited the ecosystem where Darwin’s finches also live, a colony of seals, sea wolves and flamingos, among other native species.
The terrestrial iguanas that on this occasion were released in Santiago were captured on North Seymour Island.
Galápagos National Park director Danny Rueda explained that as herbivores, as they eat cactus leaves, fruits, thorns and flowers, they have the function of dispersing the seeds within the ecosystem and manage to restore ecological integrity. of the island.
“The goal of the reintroduction of iguanas to Santiago Island is to return this reptile that was extinct more than 200 years ago to its natural ecosystems,” the Galápagos National Park director added. Photo: EDH / EFE
The Ecuadorian Ministry of the Environment and Water stated that the operation involved ecological park rangers, in charge of trapping reptiles, which are characteristic because they are yellowish on their backs. The goal is to maintain their mood in order to prevent the species from becoming stressed.
One of the specialists, Jean Pierre Cadena, said that it is a delicate species and difficult to manipulate.
“We try not to make the species feel threatened, with biosecurity measures, so that the animal does not have so much stress at the time of capture,” he said.
Prior to their release on Santiago Island, the 461 terrestrial iguanas underwent a process of quarantine and registration of morphometric data that included a physical check, deworming, and tagging with an identification chip.
In this way, these reptiles, which can measure up to one meter, will be monitored by park rangers in the release area and their adaptation to their new habitat will be assessed.
National Park technicians hope that its establishment will be fruitful, after finding in late 2020 during monitoring of the first specimens released, juveniles, nests and possible nesting areas – they lay between one and twenty eggs – in addition of having verified the availability of your food.
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The management measures implemented on these islands, especially related to the control and elimination of species introduced as rodents in Seymour North (2019) and pigs, donkeys and goats in Santiago (2002 and 2006), have allowed the population of iguanas terrestrial to these unique island ecosystems remain healthy.
The Galapagos Islands, listed in 1978 as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO to form a unique terrestrial and marine ecosystem in the world, are located about 1000 kilometers from the Ecuadorian continental coast.