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ECOLOGY and CONSERVATION of the ANDROS IGUANA (Cyclura Cychlura Cychlura)

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ECOLOGY and CONSERVATION of the ANDROS IGUANA (Cyclura Cychlura Cychlura) ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION OF THE ANDROS IGUANA (Cyclura cychlura cychlura) By CHARLES R. KNAPP A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2005 Copyright 2005 by Charles R. Knapp This work is dedicated to my father and in loving memory of my mother. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Research on Andros would never have been possible without the contributions of many individuals, organizations, and philanthropic businesses. I wish to thank my committee (C. Kenneth Dodd, Jr.; Michael Moulton; Melvin Sunquist; Richard Franz; and Marianne Schmink) for their guidance and constructive comments. I also thank John Iverson, an ad hoc committee member, who provided valuable comments to the dissertation. The John G. Shedd Aquarium has been the largest benefactor of Andros Iguana research and their support is greatly appreciated. Financial assistance was made possible through the Shedd Aquarium and grants from the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums Conservation Endowment Fund, a Disney Research Fellowship, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service International Conservation Fund, International Iguana Foundation, Chicago Zoological Society Board of Trade Endangered Species Fund, and the Chicago Herpetological Society. I thank the Bahamas Department of Agriculture for granting permission and research permits to conduct this study. Among many contributions, Mike and Petagay Hartman of Tiamo Resorts of South Andros have provided crucial logistical support and partial monetary prizes for the student contests. This research would never have succeeded without Tiamo Resorts and their staff. I especially thank my field assistant, Audrey Owens, for her devotion to the project and making life in the bush bearable. Coleman Sheehy III stepped up and filled the role of field assistant in times of need. Maria Morera assisted greatly with designing the local interview questions and performing the ethnographic interviews. I also thank Heather iv Tiszai and Joe Hoats for assisting in the field and providing logistical assistance on North Andros. John Bendon designed tee shirts, study area maps, and possessed passion for the project that rivaled my own. Sandra Buckner provided logistical and bureaucratic assistance throughout the entire study. I also thank the office staff in the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation for all of their assistance throughout my graduate career. I thank the crew of the Shedd Aquarium’s research vessel (Lou Roth, John Rothchild, and Charles Julian), who have been assisting beyond the call of duty for years. In addition, the volunteers participating in the John G. Shedd Aquarium research expeditions were responsible for discovering study sites and garnering large amounts of data in short time periods. Marinela Capanu provided statistical guidance and Kathleen Sullivan-Sealy, with the Coastal Ecology Project, provided satellite images. Rudi Scheffrahn identified the termites from South Andros Island. I also thank John Binns and Joel Friesch of the International Reptile Conservation Foundation for producing an invaluable conservation poster for the Andros iguana and tee shirts for the new Central Iguanas Football Club. This dissertation would never have been completed without the caffeinated mocha and work environment provided by Starbucks Coffee in downtown Gainesville. I thank my family and friends for their steadfast support. Silvia Alvarez assisted with analyses and provided valuable comments on the dissertation. Most importantly, her love and encouragement in the difficult times kept me buoyant. Lastly, I thank my parents for giving me the tools to succeed and for their unconditional love and support. v TABLE OF CONTENTS page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................. iv LIST OF TABLES............................................................................................................. ix LIST OF FIGURES .............................................................................................................x ABSTRACT...................................................................................................................... xii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................1 2 HOME RANGE AND HABITAT ASSOCIATIONS OF A BAHAMIAN IGUANA: IMPLICATIONS FOR CONSERVATION ...............................................7 Introduction...................................................................................................................7 Methods ........................................................................................................................8 Study Area and Habitat Delineations ....................................................................8 Telemetry.............................................................................................................10 Home Range Calculations ...................................................................................11 Habitat Association Analyses..............................................................................12 Results.........................................................................................................................16 Home Range ........................................................................................................16 Habitat Association .............................................................................................17 Discussion...................................................................................................................18 Home Range ........................................................................................................18 Habitat Association .............................................................................................20 3 OVIPOSITION OF THE ANDROS IGUANA (Cyclura cychlura cychlura) IN TERMITARIA ......................................................................................................30 Introduction.................................................................................................................30 Methods ......................................................................................................................32 Study Site.............................................................................................................32 Field Data Collection...........................................................................................32 Statistical Analysis ..............................................................................................35 Results.........................................................................................................................35 Pre-nesting Behavior ...........................................................................................35 vi Nesting Behavior.................................................................................................37 Termitaria Excavation .........................................................................................38 Oviposition and Back-Filling ..............................................................................39 Defense................................................................................................................40 Timing of Oviposition and Nest Location...........................................................41 Termitarium and Internal Nest Characteristics....................................................42 Termitarium Fidelity ...........................................................................................44 Hatching Success.................................................................................................45 Discussion...................................................................................................................46 4 GEOGRAPHIC VARIATION IN NESTING BEHAVIOR AND REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY OF AN INSULAR IGUANA (Cyclura cychlura) ...55 Introduction.................................................................................................................55 Methods ......................................................................................................................58 Study Species.......................................................................................................58 Study Sites...........................................................................................................58 Field Data Collection...........................................................................................59 Statistical Analysis ..............................................................................................60 Results.........................................................................................................................61 Variation in Reproductive Behavior....................................................................61 Variation in Reproductive Traits.........................................................................62 Discussion...................................................................................................................64 Behavioral Variation ...........................................................................................64 Body-Size Variation ............................................................................................66
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