Priority Projects
Based on the degree of endangerment, immediacy of need, taxonomic uniqueness, feasibility, and applicability of results to other taxa, the following list of projects requiring immediate action has been developed. In the absence of these activities, extinction may be imminent. Additional high priority projects essential to long-term population viability or the assessment of such are listed within individual taxon accounts. Each of these projects is critical to the survival of the taxon in question and should be initiated as soon as possible.
Each of the projects below is coded to indicate the groups which would probably take primary responsibility for the recommended actions (1 = Government Agencies, 2 = Non-Governmental Organizations, 3 = Protected Area Managers, 4 = Professional Researchers, 5 = Local Communities). However, for any given project, ideally all of the above groups would be active participants. Cost estimates are available on request. Projects that are currently underway are denoted by *.
- Management of the wild population of the Anegada iguana, including feral animal control, headstarting, and public education (2,4,5) *
- Protection of the Hellshire Hills and extended management of the wild population of the Jamaican iguana, including release of headstarted individuals and control of invasive predators (1,2,4,5) *
- Protected area planning and habitat acquisition adjacent to present protected areas for the Grand Cayman iguana (1,2,5)
- Maintenance of the Hope Zoo headstart and captive breeding program for the Jamaican iguana (1,2,4) *
- Initiation of control programs for cats and rats on Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, and Cayman Brac (1,2,4)
- Rat eradication on islands supporting San Salvador iguanas and continued monitoring of the White Cay population (1,2,4) *
- Replacement and extension of pig and goat exclosure fences at nest sites of the Mona Island iguana (1,2,3) *
- Mitigation of the Big Ambergris Cay development, including the establishment of a reintroduction program for the Turks and Caicos iguana (1,2,4)
- Implementation of a long-term field monitoring program for wild and released Grand Cayman iguanas (2,4,5) *
- Field surveys and ecological studies of Ricord's iguana in the wild, including cat control on Isla Cabritos in Lago Enriquillo (1,2,3,4)
- Genetic and taxonomic studies of West Indian iguanas, especially populations in immediate danger of extinction (4) *
- Feasibility studies for establishing satellite populations of the Jamaican iguana (1,2,4,5)
- Enhancement of captive facilities and population surveys for the St. Lucia iguana (1,2,4)
- Development of a feral animal control program for the Turks and Caicos iguana (2,4)
- Establishment of protected areas to conserve the Lesser Antillean iguana in Anguilla, including feral predator and livestock control programs (1,2,4,5)
- Establishment of satellite populations of the White Cay iguana on suitable restored cays (1,2,4,5)
- Goat removal, rat eradication, and monitoring of the population of Bartsch's iguana on Booby Cay (1,2,4,5) *
- Field surveys to determine population status, range, and extent of poaching of the Andros Island iguana (1,2,4) *
- Implementation of a model public awareness and environmental education program using the Lesser Antillean iguana as a flagship species for dry forest conservation (1,2,4,5)
- Initiation of a cat control program for Mona Island (1,2,3)
Table 5. Summary of Recommended Conservation Action for Cyclura and Iguana.
