The
Valle de Aguán spiny-tailed iguana is a critically endangered species found in
Honduras. A recent survey of people living in the region shows that, although
residents are aware of the endangered status of the species, the iguana
continues to be hunted for food. Of particular concern is the preference for
the consumption of female iguanas that are gravid (carrying eggs in their
body).
"In
this study we worked to gain a better understanding of how humans are
harvesting the species for food," said Stesha Pasachnik, Ph.D., a lead
researcher on the study and a postdoctoral research associate for the San Diego
Zoo Institute for Conservation Research. "The information we gained
indicates a use that is not only not sustainable but is likely to accelerate
this species' extinction due to the loss of gravid females."
Published
in the December issue of Herpetological Conservation and Biology, the
study gained firsthand information regarding the hunting, harvesting and
consumption of the species. Although the study, supported by the Bay Islands
Foundation and San Diego Zoo Global, highlights an area of serious concern, it
also recommends work to educate residents about the species and ways that
harvesting can be made more sustainable.
Bringing
species back from the brink of extinction is the mission of San Diego Zoo
Global. As a leader in conservation, the work of San Diego Zoo Global includes
onsite wildlife conservation efforts (representing both plants and animals) at
the San Diego Zoo, San Diego Zoo Safari Park, and San Diego Zoo Institute for
Conservation Research, as well as international field programs on six
continents. The important conservation and science work of these entities is
made possible by the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Conservancy and is supported in
part by the Foundation of the Zoological Society of San Diego.
Citation
Stesha
A. Pasachnik, James A. Danoff-Burg, Edoardo E. Antúnez, and Jeffrey P. Corneil. Local
Knowledge and Use of the Valle Deaguán Spiny-Tailed Iguana, Ctenosaura melanosterna,
in Honduras. Herpetological Conservation and Biology, 2014