![]() ![]() DietĪdults are largely herbivorous, consuming plants, berries, seeds and the pads, flowers and fruits of cacti. Their 5-30 eggs are deposited at the end of the burrow and are guarded for at least part of the 4-5 month incubation period. In August, females excavate nesting burrows that may reach 5 or more feet in length. Male Rhinoceros Iguanas fight for breeding opportunities. A disease that causes blindness often affects the Mona Island’s iguanas research is in progress. cornuta stejnegeri, the subspecies on Mona Island, is protected under the US Endangered Species Act. They are listed on CITES Appendix I and classified as “Vulnerable” by the IUCN.Ī number of zoos and hobbyists are breeding this animal, and predator-removal and reintroduction programs are in place in the Dominican Republic.Ĭ. The Dominican Republic has protected Rhinoceros Iguanas for over 20 years, but hunting for the table continues in Haiti. Over half of their habitat in the Dominican Republic is gone, and the remainder is severely degraded the situation appears far worse in Haiti. ![]() Populations have plummeted due to development, logging, over-grazing, limestone mining and predation by introduced rats, cats, pigs, mongooses and dogs. Rhinoceros Iguanas are diurnal and shelter in long, self-dug burrows. In earlier times, populations were concentrated along the coastline, but development has now pushed most into the island’s interior. Habitatĭry, rocky cactus and thorn bush scrub forms the primary habitat. All are island endemics (Cuba, Jamaica, Caymans, Bahamas) and critically endangered. Navassa and Mona Islands are home to 2 additional subspecies, but the Navassa Island animal may be extinct. The Rhinoceros Iguana is limited to Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic) and several small nearby islands. Both sexes have large throat pouches and crests of pointed scales along the spine and tail. The head and horns of females are smaller. The massive head of the male is topped by 3 horn-like tubercles and a thick adipose (fat) pad. Rhinoceros Iguanas reach 4 feet in length, but appear larger due to their bulk. ![]() The “bulldog-like” body is stoutly-built and colored uniform gray, brown, olive-brown or nearly-black. However, due to their size, unique needs and powerful jaws (please see below), the decision to keep these magnificent animals must not be made lightly. Rhinoceros Iguanas ( Cyclura cornuta cornuta) rank among the most “personable” of the lizards I’ve worked with. ![]()
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