Conservation of Cyclura ricordii in the southwestern Dominican Republic and a brief history of the Grupo Jaragua

Abstract

After the IUCN SSC Iguana Specialist Group drafted a species recovery plan for Ricord’s Iguana (Cyclura ricordii) during a workshop in Santo Domingo on 17–18 November 2002, Grupo Jaragua began systematically searching for populations on the Barahona Peninsula. Work was initiated in December 2002 by looking for informants who would share their knowledge of the species. Subsequently, the researchers scheduled field trips to verify the information. This article documents this work and other initiatives for the conservation of this species in the Dominican Republic.