Conserving the Endangered Blue Iguana: A Case Study, Breeding Dragons
It’s not often that any animal can be said to have been brought back from extinction, but in the case of the Antiguan racer (Alsophis antiguae), it is quite literally true. Once widespread across Antigua in the Caribbean’s Leeward Isles, the population of these harmless, metre-long snakes was decimated by …
The gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) has to be the most instantly recognisable crocodilian in the world – and also the most endangered, being the first one to be re-categorised as “Critical” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature in 2007. With its characteristic long, thin snout, adorned in adult …
The story of Project Heloderma sounds like the plot of a Hollywood blockbuster; a young, idealistic scientist who teams up with a grizzled and cynical animal smuggler to bring a virtually unknown creature back from the edge of extinction. The difference is, this time it’s all true – and, incredibly, …
After an absence of more than half a century, Britain’s rarest reptile, the Smooth Snake ( Coronella austriaca) is set to return to Devon as part of a project undertaken by the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, the RSPB and the local conservation trust. These rare and secretive snakes were last …
The work of the Cayman Islands’ Blue Iguana Recovery Programme (BIRP) in rescuing one of the world’s rarest and most threatened reptiles from the edge of extinction, ranks high amongst the greatest conservation success stories of modern years. Long thought to be simply a subspecies of the Cuban Iguana ( …
About 25 miles south of the city of Chennai, nestling beside the Bay of Bengal, there lies a small patch of ground where you’ll find the highest number of crocodiles per square yard in India – and probably anywhere on the planet. You’d be forgiven for thinking that most of …
Reaching a length of up to 10 feet (3m) and an average weight of 10 stones (64kg) or more, the world’s largest living lizard, the Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis) bears more than a passing similarity to the fire-breathing reptile of legend. Native to the island of Komodo and the neighbouring …
Of all of the unique species to be found on the Galapagos islands, the giant (Geochelone nigra) – the world’s largest tortoise – is probably the best known and certainly the most instantly recognised. Believed to have evolved from a single ancestral type of tortoise, before the arrival of humans …
The Corn Snake (Elaphe guttata) has long been a popular pet with reptile keepers. Its characteristically docile nature, uncomplicated demands and relatively modest size make this native of the southern states of the USA an ideal candidate – and it seems to respond well to captivity, with a life expectancy …
For the most part, animals that are new to science tend to be fairly small; it’s being little and relatively inconspicuous amongst the undergrowth that allows them to avoid detection for so long, despite the relentless incursions of humans into their natural habitats. The novel discovery of large species, particularly …
