One of the 9 iguanas on WAnimals
Reptiles · Squamata · Iguanidae
Ricord's Rock Iguana
Cyclura ricordii
It faces an extremely high risk of imminent extinction in the wild. See full glossary
Ricord's rock iguana is one of the most threatened iguanas in the world, restricted to a few areas of dry scrub in the south-west of Hispaniola. It shares its habitat with the rhinoceros iguana, an uncommon case of two large iguanas living side by side, and they divide up the resources by occupying different soil types and eating different plants.
Weight
3 kg – 7 kg
Size
50 cm – 1 m
Lifespan
30 years
Diet
Herbivore
Feeds mainly on plants.
Activity
Diurnal
Active mainly during the day.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sighting difficulty
Very hard
Estimated population
Fewer than 4,000 mature individuals
Fun facts
- It is the only place in the world where two iguana species of the genus Cyclura live side by side: it shares its habitat with the rhinoceros iguana and they divide up the ground according to soil type, something that happens on no other Caribbean island.
- Its total range is tiny and fragmented into three or four pockets, one of them directly threatened by the spread of farm plantations in the Neiba valley.
- Feral dogs and pigs and the burning of thorn scrub for charcoal are its main threats, and on the Haitian side its position is especially critical.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (reptile)
- Habitat & environment
- Dry thorn scrub on marl soils of the south-west of the Dominican Republic and Haiti
- Sexual maturity
- 4 years
- Gestation / incubation
- 85 days of incubation
- Litter / clutch size
- 12 eggs
Sources consulted: https://www.iucnredlist.org/ | https://animaldiversity.org/ | https://es.wikipedia.org/
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Ricord's Rock Iguana — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Hispaniolan Rhinoceros Iguana
Cyclura cornuta
Critically EndangeredHawksbill Turtle
Eretmochelys imbricata
Cuban Brown Anole
Anolis sagrei
Hispaniola Boa
Chilabothrus striatus
Hispaniolan Amazon
Amazona ventralis
Common Spiny-tailed Iguana
Ctenosaura similis
How to help
The ricord's rock iguana is classified as critically endangered. Organizations such as UICN, WWF y Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programs is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 1 real protected area — part of why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about ricord's rock iguana.
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