CONSERVATION ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR IGUANIDAE AND VARANIDAE WORKING DOCUMENT December 1994 Report from the workshop held 1-3 September 1992 Edited by Rick Hudson, Allison Alberts, Susie Ellis, Onnie Byers Compiled by the Workshop Participants A Collaborative Workshop AZA Lizard Taxon Advisory Group IUCN/SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist Group SPECIES SURVIVAL COMMISSION A Publication of the IUCN/SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist Group 12101 Johnny Cake Ridge Road, Apple Valley, MN 55124 USA A contribution of the IUCN/SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist Group, and the AZA Lizard Taxon Advisory Group. Cover Photo: Provided by Steve Reichling Hudson, R. A. Alberts, S. Ellis, 0. Byers. 1994. Conservation Assessment and Management Plan for lguanidae and Varanidae. IUCN/SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist Group: Apple Valley, MN. Additional copies of this publication can be ordered through the IUCN/SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist Group, 12101 Johnny Cake Ridge Road, Apple Valley, MN 55124. Send checks for US $35.00 (for printing and shipping costs) payable to CBSG; checks must be drawn on a US Banlc Funds may be wired to First Bank NA ABA No. 091000022, for credit to CBSG Account No. 1100 1210 1736. The work of the Conservation Breeding Specialist Group is made possible by generous contributions from the following members of the CBSG Institutional Conservation Council Conservators ($10,000 and above) Australasian Species Management Program Gladys Porter Zoo Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Sponsors ($50-$249) Chicago Zoological Society Indianapolis Zoological Society Banham Zoo African Safari Columbus Zoological Gardens International Aviculturists Society Copenhagen Zoo Apenheul Zoo Denver Zoological Gardens Japanese Association of Zoological Parks Cotswold Wildlife Park Belize Zoo Fossil Rim Wildlife Center and Aquariums Dutch Federation of Zoological Gardens Claws 'n Paws Friends of Zoo Atlanta Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust Erie Zoological Park Darmstadt Zoo Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association Lincoln Park Zoo Fota Wildlife Park Dreher Park Zoo International Union of Directors of The Living Desert Givskud Zoo Fota Wildlife Park Zoological Gardens Marwell Zoological Park Granby Zoological Society Great Plains Zoo Metropolitan Toronto Zoo Milwaukee County Zoo International Zoo Veterinary Group Hancock House Publisher Minnesota Zoological Garden NOAHS Center Knoxville Zoo Kew Royal Botanic Gardens New York Zoological Society North of England Zoological Society, National Geographic Magazine Lisbon Zoo Omaha's Henry Doody Zoo Chester Zoo National Zoological Gardens Miller Park Zoo Saint Louis Zoo Oklahoma City Zoo of South Africa Nagoya Aquarium Sea World, Inc. Paignton Zoological and Odense Zoo National Audubon Society-Research White Oak Plantation Botanical Gardens Orana Park Wildlife Trust Ranch Sanctuary Zoological Society of Cincinnati Penscynor Wildlife Park Paradise Park National Aviary in Pittsburgh Zoological Society of San Diego Philadelphia Zoological Garden Perth Zoological Gardens PAAZAB Phoenix Zoo Porter Charitable Trust Parco Faunistico "La Torbiera" Guardians ($5,000-$9,999) Pittsburgh Zoo Rolling Hills Ranch (5 year commitment) Potter Park Zoo Cleveland Zoological Society Riverbanks Zoological Park Rostock Zoo Racine Zoological Society John G. Shedd Aquarium Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp Royal Zoological Society Tenerife Zoo Loro Parque Royal Zoological Society of Scotland of Southern Australia Tokyo Zoological Park Lubee Foundation San Francisco Zoo Rotterdam Zoo Touro Pare-France North Carolina Zoological Park Schoenbrunn Zoo Tierpark Rheine Toledo Zoological Society Sedgwick County Zoo Twycross Zoo Supporters ($25-$49) Sunset Zoo (10 year commitment) Union of German Zoo Directors Wild Animal Habitat Alameda Park Zoo Taipei Zoo Wellington Zoo Zoological Parks Board of American Loriinae Conservancy The WILDS World Parrot Trust New South Wales Brandywine Zoo The Zoo, Gulf Breeze, FL Zoo de la Casa de Campo-Madrid DGHT Arbeitsgruppe Anuren Urban Council of Hong Kong Welsh Mt. Zoo/Zoological Society of Protectors ($1,000-$4,999) Folsom Children's Zoo & Botanical Washington Park Zoo Wales Audubon Institute Garden Wassenaar Wildlife Breeding Centre Bristol Zoo International Crane Foundation Wilhelma Zoological Garden Caldwell Zoo Curators ($250-$499) Jardin aux Oiseaux Woodland Park Zoo Calgary Zoo Camperdown Wildlife Center King Khalid Wildlife Research Center Y ong-In Farmland Cologne Zoo Emporia Zoo Lee Richardson Zoo Zoological Society of London Detroit Zoological Park Roger Williams Zoo Natal Parks Board Zurich Zoological Garden El Paso Zoo Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens Oglebay's Good Children's Zoo Federation of Zoological Gardens of Topeka Zoological Park Speedwell Bird Sanctuary Great Britain and Ireland Stewards ($500-$999) Tropical Bird Garden Fort Wayne Zoological Society Aalborg Zoo I December 1994 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Though the Iguanid & Varanid CAMP workshop was conducted in September 1992, the review and update process has been ongoing for two years in an effort to produce an accurate account. It is the hope of the compilers that this document reflects the current state of knowledge of the conservation status of these two important groups of lizards. For assistance with the Varanid information we thank the following: for taxonomic references, Hans-George Horn and R. G. Sprackland; for comments on Australian monitors, Chris Banks and Dennis King; for information on Asian monitors, Walt Auffenberg; for data on Indian and Sri Lankan varanids, Brij Gupta, Rom Whitaker, and Anslem de Silva; for insights on Philippine water monitors, Maren Gaulke; for perspectives on African monitors, William R. Branch, Chris Wild, Mike Griffin; for his extensive comments and dialogue on Komodo dragons, Ron Lilley; and for his invaluable assistance in obtaining obscure monitor references, Mark Bayless. For their important input and valuable review of the Iguanid information we thank the following: for Arnblyrhynchus and Conlolphus, Linda Cayot; for Brachylophus, Dick Watling; for Ctenosaura, Ralph Axtell, Lee Grismer and Larry David Wilson; for Cyclura, David Blair, Fred Burton, Sandy Echternacht, Miguel Garcia, Numi Goodyear, John Iverson, Jose Ottenwalder, Antonio Perera, Peter Vogel, and Thomas Wiewandt; for Dipsosaurus, Lee Grismer and Neil Krekorian; for Iguana, Mark Day; for Oplurus and Chalarodon, Charles Blanc and Chris Raxworthy; and for Saurornalus, Ted Case, Lee Grismer, Howard Lawler and Ken Petren. IGUANIDAE CONSERVATION ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT PLAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Iguanid taxa were reviewed taxon-by-taxon to assign a category of threat and to recommend intensive conservation action. The recommendations contained in the Iguanid Conservation Assessment and Management Plan are based only on conservation criteria; adjustments for political and other constraints will be the responsibility of regional plans. For this exercise, 67 distinct taxa (subspecies or species if no subspecies are contained therein) of iguanas were considered. Forty-eight of the 67 taxa (72%) were assigned to one of three categories of threat, based on the Mace-Lande criteria: Critical 3 taxa Endangered 12 taxa Vulnerable 21 taxa Susceptible 12 taxa Seventeen taxa were assigned to the Secure category, according to Mace-Lande criteria. An additional two taxa were not assigned to a category of threat because of insufficient information. Twenty-six of the 67 taxa (39%) were recommended for Population and Habitat Viability Assessment workshops. Research or management was recommended in the following categories: Survey 58 taxa Wild management 42 taxa Taxonomic research 40 taxa Husbandry research 28 taxa Thirty-three ofthe 67 Iguanid taxa (49%) were recommended for one of three captive program levels (based in part on Mace-Lande criteria): Level 1 14 taxa Level 2 17 taxa Level 3 2 taxa For 20 taxa, a decision on a captive program will depend upon further data either from a PHVA, a survey, or existing identified sources to be queried. CONSERVATION ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR IGUANIDAE AND V ARANIDAE WORKING DOCUMENT December 1994 TABLE OF CONTENTS IGUANIDAE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY V ARANIDAE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY CAMP WORKSHOP SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS SECTION 1 Introduction Pg. 1 Conservation Assessment and Management Plans (CAMPs) Pg. 1 Conservation Concerns Pg. 2 Habitat Fragmentation Pg. 3 Genetic Diversity Pg. 3 Research Priorities Pg. 4 CAMP Workshop Goals Pg. 6 Assignment to Mace-Lande Categories of Threat Pg. 7 Table 1. Mace-Lande Categories for Threat Pg. 8 Table 2. Threatened Iguanid Taxa Pg. 9 Table 3. Threatened Varanid Taxa Pg. 10 Recommendations for Intensive Management and Research Actions Pg. 10 Table 4. Iguanid Research and Management Recommendations Pg. 11 Table 5. Varanid Research and Management Recommendations Pg. 11 Captive Program Recommendations Pg. 12 Table 6. Captive Program Recommendations for Iguanids Pg. 13 Table 7. Captive Program Recommendations for Varanids Pg. 14 SUMMARY OF IGUANID INFORMATION SECTION 2 SPREADSHEET CATEGORY DEFINITIONS AND SPREADSHEET FOR ALL IGUANID TAXA SECTION 3 Spreadsheet category definitions Pg.20 Table 8. Critical and Endangered Iguanid taxa Pg. 24 Table 9. Vulnerable Varanid taxa Pg.25 Table 10. Susceptible and Unknown Iguanid taxa Pg.27 Table 11. Secure Iguanid taxa Pg. 28 Table 12. All Iguanid taxa Pg. 29 TAXON DATA SHEETS FOR IGUANIDAE SECTION 4 SUMMARY OF VARANID INFORMATION SECTION 5 Checklist of the Lizard Family Varanidae Pg. 96 SPREADSHEET CATEGORY DEFINITIONS