The International Iguana Foundation (IIF) is working closely with the Haitian community in the village of Anse-à-Pitres near the Dominican border South [located within the binational corridor of Massif de La Selle-Jaragua-Bahoruco-Enriquillo], to create a municipal wildlife reserve to save Ricord iguana, a species critically endangered [of extinction], essential for reforestation in the region.

Ricord's iguana (Cyclura ricordii) has an area of ​​extremely limited distribution in isolated subpopulations. Known to exist only in the south-central part of the island of Hispaniola, the species is restricted to the arid Vallée of Neiba and the more xeric portion of coastal lands of the Barahona Peninsula. The total area of distribution of Ricord's iguana on Hispaniola is less than 100 km2, most of them showing varying levels of disturbance. In Haiti, the species was considered extinct until 2007, before the biologist Ernst Rupp, working with the International Iguana Foundation (IIF) and Grupo Jaragua, discovers a small stretch of beach where a gravid females of C. Ricordii was seen and that Ricord iguana nests are found in Anse-à-Pitres.

Until now, the habitat of C. Ricordii was identified in Anse-à-Pitres in several coastal sandy coastal mangroves in valleys measuring approximately three to five hectares where this species nests and limestone hills covered by dry forest where the species digs burrows. Habitat currently covers about 15 hectares and there are other areas further north being explored where the species is suspected to be present as well, which would expand the area of 25-30 hectares.

Source : Rainforest Alliance

Photo Credit International Iguana Foundation

HL/ SL/ HaitiLibre