Preliminary report on the distribution and status of Cyclura ricordii along the southern shore of Lago Enriquillo

Abstract

Ricord’s Iguana (Cyclura ricordii) is endemic to Hispaniola, where it is one of two species of Rock Iguanas on the island. Ricord’s Iguana is critically endangered according to the current IUCN Red List. The population is divided into two isolated areas in the southwest of the Dominican Republic. One area is in the Neyba Valley: on Isla Cabritos in Lago Enriquillo and some adjacent habitats on the southern shore of the Lake. Effective management is in place for the Isla Cabritos Lago Enriquillo Ramsar site, which is also a National Park. The southern shore of the lake, however, is not legally protected at this time. In fact, law 202-04 (2004) eliminated this region from the Dominican protected areas system. The present study examines the distribution of the species along the southern shore of Lago Enriquillo and assesses the conservation status of that population.