See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342339312 Predation of a Utila Spiny-tailed Iguana, Ctenosaura bakeri (Iguanidae), by a Central American Boa, Boa imperator (Boidae), on Utila, Isla de la Bahia, Honduras Article · August 2020 CITATIONS READS 0 34 3 authors: Daisy Maryon Tom Brown University of South Wales Kanahau Utila Research & Conservation Facility 15 PUBLICATIONS 8 CITATIONS 58 PUBLICATIONS 33 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE David C. Lee University of South Wales 17 PUBLICATIONS 211 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects: Ecological studies on the Critically Endangered Utila Spiny-tailed Iguana in Honduras View project Herpetofauna of Cusuco National Park, Honduras View project All content following this page was uploaded by Tom Brown on 02 August 2020. The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. WWW.IRCF.ORG TABLE OF CONTENTS IRCF REPTILES &IRCF AMPHIBIANS REPTILES • VOL &15, AMPHIBIANS NO 4 • DEC 2008 • 189 27(2):265–266 • AUG 2020 IRCF REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS CONSERVATION AND NATURAL HISTORY TABLE OF CONTENTS FEATURE ARTICLES Predation. Chasing Bullsnakes (Pituophis of catenifer a sayi ) inUtila Wisconsin: Spiny-tailed Iguana, On the Road to Understanding the Ecology and Conservation of the Midwest’s Giant Serpent ...................... Joshua M. Kapfer 190 Ctenosaura. The Shared History of Treeboas bakeri (Corallus grenadensis ) (Iguanidae),and Humans on Grenada: by a Central A Hypothetical Excursion ............................................................................................................................Robert W. Henderson 198 AmericanRESEARCH ARTICLES Boa, Boa imperator (Boidae), . The Texas Horned Lizard in Central and Western Texas ....................... Emily Henry, Jason Brewer, Krista Mougey, and Gad Perry 204 . The Knight Anole (Anolis equestris) in Florida on ............................................. Utila, BrianIsla J. Camposano, de Kenneth laL. Krysko, Bahia, Kevin M. Enge, Ellen M. Donlan, Honduras and Michael Granatosky 212 CONSERVATION ALERTDaisy Maryon1,2, Tom W. Brown2, and David C. Lee1 . World’s Mammals in Crisis ............................................................................................................................................................. 220 1 . More Than Mammals ...............................................................................................................................University of South Wales, Pontypridd, UK ([email protected])....................................... 223 . The “Dow Jones Index”2Kanahau of Biodiversity Utila ...............................................................................................................................Research and Conservation Facility, Isla de Utila, Honduras ............ 225 HUSBANDRY . Captive Care of the Central Netted Dragon ....................................................................................................... Shannon Plummer 226 he Utila Spiny-tailedPROFILE Iguana (Ctenosaura bakeri) is a ing on the report of Gutsche (2005), we herein document Tcritically endangered. Kraig Adler: species A Lifetime endemic Promoting Herpetology to the island................................................................................................ of two further instances of Michaelboas L.preying Treglia 234 on C. bakeri. Utila in the Bay Islands Archipelago off the northern coast The first observation in April 2016 took place in coastal COMMENTARY of Honduras (Maryon et al. 2018). Despite being the focus beachfront vegetation on the northern side of the island at . The Turtles Have Been Watching Me ........................................................................................................................ Eric Gangloff 238 of a long-term conservation program, in-situ interactions of a known nesting beach for C. bakeri. An adult B. imperator C. bakeri with naturalBOOK predators REVIEW are rarely observed or docu- (approx. 1.2 m total length) was observed constricting an . Threatened Amphibians of the World edited by S.N. Stuart, M. Hoffmann, J.S. Chanson, N.A. Cox, mented. Only Gutsche (2005)R. Berridge, documented P. Ramani, and B.E. predationYoung .............................................................................................................. events adult female C. bakeri (Fig. Robert 1). PowellThe lack243 of an ongoing strug- involving a bird (Great-tailed Grackle, Quiscalus mexicanus) gle between predator and prey suggested that the iguana had and the Central American CONSERVATION Boa (Boa RESEARCH imperator REPORTS:). During Summaries field- of Publishedalready Conservation died Research through Reports constriction. ................................. The 245 iguana was a known NATURAL HISTORY RESEARCH REPORTS: Summaries of Published Reports on Natural History ................................. 247 work from 2012 to 2019,NEWBRIEFS we recorded ............................................................................................................................... evidence of C. bakeri female that had....................................................... been captured and marked248 in the course of as prey of at least twoEDITORIAL snake species, INFORMATION expanding ............................................................................................................................... on current our long-term radio-telemetry...................... project. 251 Using data collected FOCUS ON CONSERVATION: A Project You Can Support ............................................................................................... 252 understanding of predation of this species. Primarily, expand- two days prior, we were able to confirm that the female was Front Cover. Shannon Plummer. Back Cover. Michael Kern Totat et velleseque audant mo Totat et velleseque audant mo estibus inveliquo velique rerchil estibus inveliquo velique rerchil erspienimus, quos accullabo. Ilibus erspienimus, quos accullabo. Ilibus aut dolor apicto invere pe dolum aut dolor apicto invere pe dolum fugiatis maionsequat eumque fugiatis maionsequat eumque moditia erere nonsedis ma sectiatur moditia erere nonsedis ma sectia- ma derrovitae voluptam, as quos tur ma derrovitae voluptam, as accullabo. Fig. 1. A Central American Boa (Boa imperator) constricting a female Utila Spiny-tailed Iguana (Ctenosaura bakeri) in beachfront vegetation on Utila. Photograph by Tom Brown. Copyright © 2020. Daisy Maryon. All rights reserved. 265 IRCF Reptiles & Amphibians ISSN 1098-6324 MARYON ET AL. IRCF REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS • 27(2):265–266 • AUG 2020 gravid and had a snout-vent length (SVL) of 192 mm, a tail Vine Snake (O. fulgidus) also will prey on juvenile or hatch- length of 276 mm, and body mass of 282 g. As the observa- ling iguanas (e.g., C. similis; Brown et al. 2019). We fre- tion occurred on the vegetated outskirts of a beach during the quently found Mexican Parrot Snakes (Leptophis mexicanus) nesting season for C. bakeri, we assume that the female was and Salmon-bellied Racers (Mastigodryas melanonotus) active searching for a suitable nesting site. Although we did not wit- near hatchlings that were basking in mangrove and coastal ness the initial capture, the snake was constricting the iguana vegetation. Since the diets of all of these snakes includes small on the ground, and no suitable perches for either animal were lizards (Köhler 2003), we infer that all of these species con- in the immediate vicinity. These conditions suggest that the tribute to natural predation pressure on juvenile C. bakeri. boa opportunistically preyed on the iguana from its diurnal retreat alongside a large piece of driftwood beneath the shade Acknowledgments of beachfront palm and almond trees. To minimize further We thank Kanahau Research and Conservation Facility for disturbance to the snake, we did not stay to observe the pro- the resources to conduct population monitoring of Ctenosaura cess of complete ingestion. populations on Utila. A special thanks to Stesha Pasachnik A second observation of B. imperator preying on C. bakeri and Thijs van Den Burg for their assistance during fieldwork, occurred around 1000 h on 15 February 2017. While sur- to the International Iguana Foundation and Mohammed bin veying Red Mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) habitat on the Zayed Species Conservation Fund for funding our research, western side of Utila, we observed a large adult boa (ca. 2 and to all volunteers who participated in field surveys. m in length) constricting a large adult male C. bakeri (total Herpetological observations and data collection were per- length approx. 55 cm) about 11 m high in the canopy of a formed under valid permits Resolution-De-MP-016-2016 Red Mangrove. We did not witness capture and, at the time and Resolution-De-MP-54-2017 issued by Instituto Nacional of our observation, the boa was maneuvering its prey prior to de Conservación y Desarrollo Forestal, Áreas Protegidas y ingestion and the weight of the iguana caused it to swing from Vida Silvestre (ICF), Tegucicalpa, Honduras. a branch during the process. We observed and photographed the event for about 15 min before continuing surveys. Literature Cited These observations indicate that predation of C. bakeri Bakkegard, K.A. and R.M. Tim 2001. Boa constrictor (Boa Constrictor). Diet. Herpetological Review 32: 261–262. by B. imperator can occur on the ground or in the canopy