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Home , Ctenosaura bakeri, Green iguana, Jamaican iguana, Lesser Antillean iguana

IUCN SSC Specialist Group

2019 Report

Chuck Knapp Stesha Pasachnik

Co-Chairs Mission statement Targets for the 2017-2020 quadrennium

Chuck Knapp (1) The mission of the IUCN SSC Iguana Specialist Assess (2) Stesha Pasachnik Group (ISG) is to prioritise and facilitate conser- Red List: complete Red List assessments for 40 vation, science, and awareness programmes of . Red List Authority Coordinator that help ensure the survival of wild iguanas Plan Tandora Grant (3) and their habitats. To achieve this, we imple- Planning: (1) complete action plans for 22 ment, advise and fundraise for programmes species of iguana; (2) compile and curate Location/Affiliation that include population surveys, protected public outreach assets that can be modified (1) areas management, control, Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, Illinois, US and used by group members; (3) develop a (2) field research, genetic studies, education and Fort Worth Zoo, Fort Worth, , US rapid response protocol for assisting partners (3) captive breeding/headstarting initiatives. Head- Institute for Conservation impacted by hurricanes. Research, San Diego, California, US starting, in which hatchling iguanas are raised in a safe, captive environment until they reach Act Number of members a larger, less vulnerable size, is proving invalu- Conservation actions: advance the conserva- able in rescuing several tion and management of at least 50% of threat- 94 iguanid taxa from the brink of extinction. ened iguana taxa.

Social networks Network Projected impact for the 2017-2020 Website: www.iucn-isg.org Membership: maintain and increase the use quadrennium of the membership listserv by 50%. By the end of 2020, we envision improved Communicate status for many of our threatened species in Communication: (1) publish four annual issues Central America, the , , and the of Iguana Specialist Group Newsletter; Galapagos. Most of our programmes focus on (2) increase publications in the virtual library species that are Critically Endangered (CR) or by 50 articles; (3) update the Invasive Iguana Endangered (EN) due to habitat alteration and Position Statement. invasive alien species (IAS). The Jamaican Rock Scientific meetings: convene four annual Iguana ( collei) is a flagship species meetings. for our group and one of the most threat- ened species of iguana in the world. Efforts Activities and results 2019 are underway to expand its area of occupancy through intensive IAS control efforts. Due to Assess recent devastating events, intensive efforts are Red List underway to prevent the extinction of Lesser i. We intend to complete Red List assess- Antillean Iguana (Iguana delicatissima) by hybri- ments for 40 species of iguanas by the end of disation with Common (Iguana the quadrennium. We adjusted our completion iguana). Capacity building is ongoing for several year to meet the 20 March 2020 Global species in , listed in a threatened cate- Assessment deadline. We originally miscalcu- gory. Taxonomic work is underway to better lated the number of assessments needed for understand the diversity within Iguaninae and this goal. Thirty-six Red List assessments will be thus guide our management and conservation completed by March 2020. (KSR #1) actions. (Iguana delicatissima) on Petite Terre, 27-year old male headstarted . The recent Red List assessment for this species showed (Cyclura collei) ready for release and radiotracking study a significant increase in threat level and was elevated to CR Photo: Stesha Pasachnik Photo: Mathijs van den Burg

Act Acknowledgements Conservation actions We thank the International Iguana Founda- i. We have advanced conservation and manage- tion (IIF), and their donors, for the financial ment through research, outreach, and capacity support of seven projects conducted in 2019, building. Examples include: record number of totalling $60,623, focused on iguana conser- hatchling Jamaican Rock Iguanas brought into vation in Central America, the Caribbean, Fiji, the headstart facility, rapid response to the and the Galápagos. Further, we are grateful to threat of an invasive species on , a the IIF for the End of Year campaign focusing reduction in endemic iguana consumption in on the restoration of the Goat Islands, , Guatemala, public outreach concerning tourism which raised over $40,000 for these efforts. and iguana feeding in the Bahamas, and an We also acknowledge the efforts of Ty Park updated population estimate for the Utila Spiny- for organising the Iguanafest – a fundraiser to tailed Iguana ( bakeri). (KSR #12, 13, support iguana conservation in 2019. We thank

Fijian Crested Iguana ( vitiensis), 24, 30, 31, 32, 34, 37) those members who made donations in 2019 subject of a revision to the Species Recovery Plan Network to our annual meeting travel fund, contributed Photo: Peter Harlow to Red List assessments, and participated in Membership other ISG activities. Lastly, we thank all those i. We saw a significant increase in usage of the who attended our annual meeting on Roatan, Plan membership listserv from both our general Honduras, for their contribution in realising two Planning membership and our Steering Committee. conservation action plans for iguanas endemic i. Due to ambitious intentions of assessing the Communicate to the Bay Islands of Honduras. entire Cyclura , we will not meet our goal Communication of completing action plans for 22 species of i. Our 2016 newsletter was released in 2017. Our Summary of activities 2019 iguana. However, single species action plan- 2017 newsletter was released in 2018. Our 2018 Components of Species Conservation Cycle: 5/5 ning continues and we have four action plans newsletter will be circulated in 2020. We are in progress. We are considering one additional hoping to release our 2019 newsletter shortly Assess 1 | action plan in 2020. (KSR #15) thereafter. (KSR #28) Plan 3 ||| ii. We have compiled and curated public ii. Six hundred and eighty-seven new articles Act 1 | outreach assets that can be modified and used have been added to our virtual library since the Network 1 | by group members; however, due to capacity beginning of 2017. (KSR #28) Communicate 4 |||| issues we have been unable to upload these iii. Update of the Invasive Iguana Position State- resources to a central location. (KSR #18) Main KSRs addressed: 1, 12, 13, 15, 18, 24, 28, ment was completed in 2018. An amended 30, 31, 32, 34, 37 iii. Individual countries have developed version of our position statement has been KSR: Key Species Result response protocols for assisting partners approved and endorsed by The Bahamas impacted by hurricanes, but we have yet to National Trust. (KSR #28) develop a standard protocol due to differences Scientific meetings in conservation needs and mitigation strategies. i. An annual meeting was held on Roatan, (KSR #18) Honduras, in 2019. We will hold our 2020 annual meeting in Dominica. (KSR #28)