Iguana delicatissima

Among the factors of a decrease in the population, the importation of the immicking territory of predators like wild and domestic cats, which hunt young individuals. On the Saint Bartolome of wild predators a bit, but iguana die from guard dogs that are free to run in the field of feeding Iguan. Small mangone (Herpes Javanicus) were brought to many islands in order to destroy local rats and snakes. Everywhere, where Mongoshos appeared, Iguana either disappeared completely, or under threat of disappearance, although the effect of the presence of mangoshos compared to other factors was not fully studied.

The surrounding competitors, such as goats and sheep, who feed on the same food as Iguanas also affect the population.

Threat disappearance

The destruction of the habitat of the Caribbean Iguan led to a significant reduction in the population of this species. In some islands, such as Saint Kitts or Nevis, this led to the complete disappearance of the species, on others, like BAS-ter or Saint Evatius, their population is extremely insignificant. The development of tourism on the islands and the construction on the coast reduced the solar life space of this type and place of laying of eggs.

The reproduction is calculated so as to maximize the ability of just hatched lizards to eat rich vegetation of the wet season and have time to grow rapidly before the start of the dry season. In a arid habitat, seasonal changes are most simply noticeable, the reproduction looks more synchronous, whereas in moderate wet conditions, the synchronicity of the reproduction is not so pronounced. In Dominica, the coming season is so extended that repeated clutch per year. The females migrate to the places of egg laying, on average, 460 m, up to 900 m, the eggs are deposited in sandy, well-dried and well-lit by the soil, in a meter Nore with an extension at the end so that the female is able to turn around. The average weight of the egg is 25 g, the size varies geographically in the range from 8 to 18 mm and strictly correlates with the size of the female. According to individual observations, the incubation period lasts about three months.

Natural predators of the young Iguan are snakes (Alsofis, the bonus ordinary), birds (Kanyuki, American Kestrel), and possibly opossum (Didelphis Marsupialis). Dominic Lizards Pholidoscelis Fuscatus feed on Eggs Iguan, although it is unclear if they are actively digging them. Predators of adult features of Iguan are currently not defined.

Only appearing on the light, young individuals are dissipated in the surrounding vegetation. And just hatched, and already grown Iguanas mostly live among shrubs and low trees, where abundant vegetation and protects them, and gives a wide range of food. With age, they are moved above using large trees. Sexual maturity occurs approximately 3 years, although the males reproduction usually does not occur due to the inability to dominate and protect the appropriate territory.

Natural predators of the young Iguan are snakes (Alsofis, the bonus ordinary), birds (Kanyuki, American Kestrel), and possibly opossum (Didelphis Marsupialis). Dominic Lizards Pholidoscelis Fuscatus feed on Eggs Iguan, although it is unclear if they are actively digging them. Predators of adult features of Iguan are currently not defined.

Lifestyle

It dwells at an altitude of 0 to 300 m above sea level and the area, apparently, is limited to the thermal requirements in drought-resistant shrubs, dry area, coastal terrain and low sections of tropical forest transition areas. Habitat variation from the island to the island, Iguanas are capable of surviving both in extremely dry conditions (less than 1000 mm precipitation per year) and in forests with moderate moisture (3000-4000 mm precipitation per year), in the absence of introductive (brought) predators or Competitors.

Spreading

Iguana Delicatissima was found in a number of small Antille Islands: Anguilla, St. Martin, St. Evastius, St. Barthelemy, Antigua, Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique.

It is assumed that initially this species was spread throughout the northern part of the small Antille Islands from Anguilla to Martinique, at a height from 0 to 300 m above sea level.

Young individuals, including only those who appeared, painted in a bright green color. White sparks on pyrical and shoulders are interconnected, and together with usually three vertical white stripes on the sides form a dismembering color. The spinal chevrons of young individuals in the case of stressful situations darken, improving the camouflage color, and as a result, the color color varies from green to the green and brown. Onhegenetic changes lead to gradual loss of white flashes and to reduce the ability to change the color. At an early age, the tail begins to acquire brown on the tip and becomes progressively more dark.

This type of subspecies are not registered.

Sexual dimorphism (that is, the difference between animals of various sexes, depending on the minor sexual signs) is expressed in adult individuals a number of features. Males have a more massive spinal ridge, especially in the back of the neck; Increased spikes on support; and more developed scales in the occipital region. All dimorphic features give the males enlarged side profile, which is especially emphasized during the territorial disputes. In the dominant males of the body and the tail of the dark gray. When males become reproductively active, their pyrical peplings are pinking, and a light blue tint appears on fleshy occipital flakes. The observations of the Iguan contained in captivity show that if two males are contained in the same group, then one of them becomes dominant. If subsequently, the dominant male is removed, then the second male develops dimorphic and dichromatic (two-color) features typical of dominant.

Description

The size of Iguana Delicatissima is less than ordinary iguana, her closest relatives. The length of males reaches 430 mm, females 390 mm. Weight up to 3.5 kg in males and up to 2.6 kg in females. The body of Iguan is quite strong, and in combination with coloring and convergent (similar) behavior have surface similarity with the iguana ringing Cyclura Carinata. Iguana delicatissima at any age can be distinguished by the absence of dark stripes on the tail, which is present at the iguana ordinary; The only exceptions in this case are hybrids found on the islands Le-Saint and Bass Ter in Guadeloupe. The morphologically, the genus of real iguan differs from the ring-eyed iguan in the presence of spikes on the pyrical and continuous comb on the back, which in the ring-tightly divided into separate occipital, spine and tail areas.

Iguana Delicatissima is a view of the lizards of the iguanine family of real Iguan, living on the small Antilles of the Caribbean Sea.