Abstract

Iguanas are a unique group of animals inhabiting North, Central, and South America, the Galapagos islands, the Antilles, and Fiji and Tonga. There are 3,000 species in 30 genera of seven families. The West Indian Iguana Specialist Group (WIISG) of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) was formed in the mid 1990s after a population and habitat viability analysis was held for the Jamaican iguana in 1993. The WIISG broadened its scope to become the Iguana Specialist Group (ISG) in 2000. An action plan was developed for the West Indian iguanas,¹ 10 of which are considered critically endangered, five endangered and the rest protected. Threats to their existence include loss of habitat primarily due to human activities such as tourism and introduction of exotic species including domestic cattle, sheep, pigs, and goats, cats, dogs, rats, and mongoose. The introduced species have altered the vegetation by overgrazing and caused reduced recruitment of new animals into populations though direct predation on eggs and juveniles. For some species, in addition to protection of habitat, it has been determined that recruitment should be augmented by head starting juveniles to a size that they can withstand predation. Head start programs are in place for four species. Veterinary involvement in the ISG and the Cyclura SSP has been largely to document the health status of free-ranging animals² in order to provide baseline information on populations, and to perform, document, and refine procedures for pre-release health screening of head started animals³. Additionally, recommendations for health screening prior to translocations have been made. In a project funded by the Morris Animal Foundation, the following battery of tests were performed on free-ranging and captive prerelease animals:

• CBC
• Plasma biochemicals
• Minerals
• Vitamin D
• Fecal floatation and direct exam
• Bacterial culture of feces, and physical exam
• Morphometrics
• ID

Data from five species of Cyclura has been directly compared and recommendations for pre-release health assessments were formulated. They include the recommendation that if 10 percent of the existing captive head start population is fully screened on a yearly basis, the individual animal screening need only include:

• Physical exam
• Weight
• Measurement of length
• Permanent ID
• Blood work to include:
• Total solids
• Hematocrit
• White blood cell count
• Fecal exam (float and direct)

Moving from an individual animal approach to a population-based health program.

One of the strategies of the ISG is to develop action plans for species during annual meetings of the group in range countries. In addition, one of the challenges is to include and encourage participation of veterinarians in range countries as well.

Acknowledgments

Veterinarians at more than 20 zoological institutions have been involved with and have contributed to the success of the ISG.

Literature Cited

1.  Alberts AL. West Indian Iguanas: Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan. IUCN/SSC West Indian Iguana Specialist Group. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland. 1999.

2.  Alberts AC, Oliva ML, Worley MB, Telford SR, Jr., Morris PJ, Janssen DL. The need for pre-release health screening in animal translocations: A case study of the Cuban iguana (Cyclura nubila). Animal Conservation. 1988;1:165–172.

3.  Lung NP, Raphael BL, Ramer JC, Reichard T. West Indian Rock Iguana Conservation: The Importance of Veterinary Involvement. In: Proceedings of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians. Milwaukee, WI. 2002:234–238.

4.  Hudson Websites www.iucn-isg.org.