512912015 Federal Register Ubrary - HeinOnline.org 28460 Federnl Regi.ter I Vol. 48. No. 121 I Wednesday. June 22. 1983 I Rules and Regulation. 14. It is further ordered. That this Interior, Washington. D.C. 20240 (703/ Auffenberg (19791. Iverson (1978). proceeding (S TERMlNA TED. 235-277t). Auffcnbcrg (1975. 1976•• 1982). and 15. For further information concerning SUPPlEMENTARY INFOAM~TlON: Giee. (1960). While leg81 protection i. this proceeding conlnet Montrose H. afforded these iguanas in the Bahamas, Tyree. Mas. Media Bure.u (2Il2) 634- Background the law is not enforced (Honegger. 1979J. 6530. On August 15. 1980. the Service The Service bas funded research on C. r. (Secs. 4. 303. 4B Stat.. all amended. 1000. 1082; published a notice of review in the rilcyi to study a potentially serious 47 U.S-C. '54. 3D3) - Feder.1 Register (45 FR 541l115-54660J to fungal disease. Federal Communicotiona CommiaJJion. the effect that a review oC the slatus of Cuban and Cayman Islonds iguanas­ Roderick K. Porter, 18 species of foreign reptiles- would be There are three tubspeciea of CycJuro Chiu/. Policy and Rules Division. Moss Media '* conducted to determine whether enough nubila inhabiling Cuba (mainland aod DU1't111U. Information existed to liet them ae Isla de Pinos] and the Cayman Islands. Endangered or Threatened species (fR Dol!. 83-161($ flkld f..2.1~ 5.:4S 11'1'11 These ore: C. n. caymanenais (one 84UlHQ tOO£ f111-(1H1 under provisions of the Endangered colony on Cayman Brae). C. n. lewisi (no Specie. Act 011973. a. amended (the leu than so individual. remaining on Act), Comments from the public Grund Cayman island). and C. n. nllbiJa DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR concerning this notice were Bummarized (Cuba Bnd adjacent islands and cays: in the ServIce's proposal to Jist 17 introduced population on Puerto Rico). Fish and Wildlife ServIce foreign reptiles published in the Federal The threats to these iguanas are similar Register of Janua'Y 2Il.1983 (48 FR 2582- to those Df the Bahamas eye/UfO 50 CFR Part 17 2566). This document also 8ummarized (Honegger. 1979) snd Townson (1981) biological information on the atatu8 of has noted additional potentia) threats Endangered and Threatened Wlldtll. the proposed .pecie•. The public and Plants; UaUng 0117 Specie. 01 from habitat destruction. C. n. nubiJa ia comment period ended March 21.1983; protected in Cubs.. Foreign Reptile. a. Endangered or no public hearing requests were Turks and Caicos Jguana-Thc,same Threatenod SpecJel received. A brief description of the species in Ihreat. which apply to Ih. Bahama AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service. Cyc/uro to this final rule Bnd applicable threats to also apparently apply thIs Interior: specie. (Honegger. 1979). It i. round on them is a8 foHows: ACTION: Final rule. Serpent Island gecko-This lizard is most of the islands in the Turks and Caicos group. No specific protection SUMMARY; Tn. Fi.h and Wildlire Service restricted to Round Islond (151 hectares) and Gunner'a Quoin where it is rare and lo.ws have been enacted and altbough determines that 17 species of foreign .,several cays where this species occurs reptiles .are Endangered or Thteatened Serpenl I.land (20 hecta,e.) where it I. are supposed to be reserves, protection species 4S prOvided for by the considered very rare~ both islands are Endangered Species Act 0(1973. as near Mauritius. Predation from feral is nil (Honegger. 1979). amended. The threotsihat are believed animals and habitat destruclion are the j(ln1(Jicon iguana-The follOWing is to be causing the decline .. of these chief causc .. of its decline (Honegger, laken from Woodley (1960) who has species are habitat destruction. the 1979). There are estimated to be reviewed the history and slatus of this introduction of non-native predatof&. between 3,600 and 4.500 lizards species: exploitation as a source ofhurnan food remaining. The overall problems of the For II hundr1ld yeara, they were only known mainly by local people, vandalism. and Round Island ecosystem and its resident 10 survive on the Goatl8lands but after the ovcrcoHection; these threats ate briefly herpetofauno have been presented in introduclion of the monsoo.e Bnd the discussed in the text (or each species. delail (Bullock. 1m). Round Island is interference consequent on the Second World ,(bis finol rule implements the presently B nature reserve end endemic War, thut popu-lation became extinct in about protections afforded these species under Ji2:ards cannot. by law, be captured or 1948. BullBuanDI had, after all. survived on exporled hom Mauritius. The lizards thl:\' mainland; in the Hellahire Hilla. Hog­ the Endangered Specle.s Act oC 1973, lIS hunlers have been catching occasional amended. It provides nddilional have 0190 been dJacussed by Vinson and specimens up to 197a flnd one of these. killed protection to wild populations or these Vinson (1909) and Temple (1977). in 1969. wu: obtained by the author and species and allows cooperative reseorch Bahama specie. of eye/ura-AII the.e positively idelltlfilEld.l1 is ulllikely that the programs to be underlnken on their specie.. are listed in the International lama icon Iguana. already vcry rllJ"f. wlU behnlf. Union for the Conservation ot Nature lurvlva the: proposed development or the DATE: This rule becomes effective on and Natural Resources (lUCN) Red Dala Hellshire mIl •. July 22. 1983. Book llS being of concern {Honesser. 1979}. The main threats 10 their Round Island skink-This specie! is ADDRESSES! Questions concerning this continucd survival include habitat presently confined to Round bland off action should be addressed to Director/ destruction for resort development and the coast of Mauritius. It was once OES. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. the introduction of feral animals. found on Flat Island and Gunner's Department of the Interior. Washington. particularly mongooscD. cats. Bnd dogs QUian until 'exterminated by rats. In D.C. 20240. Comments and materials which prey upon the iguanas; especiall)' 1974. Ihe populaUon wa. thought to be relaling to this rule llre available for .the young and juvenile9, and destroy between 4.(100-5.000 but declining . public inspection. by appointment. ncsls {Iverson. 1978}. Introduced goats Those factors contributing to the decline during normal business hours 8t the may compete for food (thesc specie9 8tC of other species of Round Island Service's Otrice of Endang€red Species. vegetarian) and humans kill them for (Bullock. 1977) are ah:lO thought to be tOoo North Glebe Road. Arlington, food or malicious sport. Nearly ailihese contributing to the decline of this Virginia. iguanas have very small ranges: many species (Honegger, 1919; also see FOR FURnfER INFOAMATtON CONTACT: ore limited to 0 $ingle island. Temple. 1977. and Vinson and Vins.on. Mr. John L. Spinks. Jr .• Chief. Office of Discussions of the Uueata to these 1969). Endangered Species, U.S, Fish and species are contained in Honegger ArIlba Island rottJesnake-Accorillng Wildlife Service. Depnrtmenl of the (1979). Carey (1966. 19751. (verson Bnd to Honegger (1979), the habitat of tMs htlp:/lheinonline.orgIHOUPage?public=false&handle=hein.fedregl048121&page=28460&collection=fedreg#48 1/2 512912015 Federal Register Ubrary ~ HeinOnline.org Federal Register I Vol. 48, No. 121 I Wednesday, June 22, 1983 I Rule. and Regulation. 28461 rattlesnake is shrinking Bs-a result of skink, and Lar Valley viper solely on the purposes of listing is to encourage increasing human activity_ Colleclion basis of the lack of habitat protection . captive propaga.tion if for conservation may also be contributing to its decline. afforded by • U.S. lioling aclion; he did purposes. and many such programs are Lar Valley viper-Andren and Nilson not question the biological basis of the undenvay for a wide variety of species (1979) have reviewed the biology of this proposed status. Mr. Schmitt also on the list of Endangered and species and state: questioned whether the Cuban iguana Threatened wildlife. While pennils for Vipero lotifil Mertens. Darcvsky and would benefit from listing and slated those subject to U.S. jurisdiction would klemmer. 11 recently described viper from that the species is doing well in Cuban be required. (or commercialln:uisactions northern iran. is In S8\'ere need or zoos. He mentioned unspecified reports if for conservation purposes nnd for conservation. its 18n88 is restricted to unique. about the species "doing well" in Cuba non-commercial activities involving alpine tar Valley. which in 11 few years wm and noted that the iguana had been scientific research or the enhancement be used as a huge water reservoir. released in Puerto Rico. of propagation or survival of the species, Observations on the biology of Vlpera lolifii The Service notes that whether a nre given. Symp"tri~ IImphlbhms and reptiles U.S. permits would not be required for show ccolypic adaptations. species will immediately benefit from those not subject to u.s. jurisdiction Federal listing in not a criterion of Centro/llmericon river lurtle-This who are engaging in Ihese activities. listing. To be listed under provisions of Rather than inhibiting conservation. large river turtle is found only in the the Act, only lhe biological ba.i. for coastal lowlands or southehl Mexico. listing should encourage the status determinations may be development of a species survival plan northern Guatemala. and Belize. It is considered, as specified in Section hunted extensively [or its meat and bas and studbobk, both of which shoultl.id 4(0)(1). Mr. Schmill doe. nol que, lion in lhe s.pecies· conservation. been seriously depleted throughout the biological basiB for listing nor offer much of ils range. According to Alvarez. dala contrary to that in the proposal. Seclion 8 (a). (b), and (e] of the Act del Toro ct al (1979), this exploitation Hence.