March of the Green Iguana

Non-native Distribution and Predicted Geographic Range of Iguana iguana in the Greater Caribbean Region

Authors

  • Wilfredo Falcón 1Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, P.O. Box 70377, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936-8377, USA
  • James D. Ackerman 1Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, P.O. Box 70377, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936-8377, USA
  • Curtis C. Daehler Department of Botany, University of Hawai’i, 3190 Maile Way, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822-2279, USA.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17161/randa.v19i3.14532

Keywords:

Iguana iguana, exotic species, risk assessment, niche modeling, Caribbean Basin

Abstract

Green Iguanas (Iguana iguana L. 1758) have been introduced outside their native range largely through the pet trade. In many places, exotic populations have invaded and many have become established. Of special concern is the Greater Caribbean Basin, where several exotic populations of Green Iguanas have had a negative impact, and may threaten the conservation of several native species, including possible native and distinct forms of I. iguana in the Lesser Antilles, and the endangered Lesser Antilles Iguana (I. delicatissima Laurenti 1768). We assessed the risk of spread and invasion by Green Iguanas in the Greater Caribbean Basin using the maximum entropy niche-modeling algorithm (MaxEnt) to predict the potential distribution of this reptile. We used a total of 187 location points that represented occurrences from both the native and the invasive range, coupled with environmental data as predictor variables. Our model had average training and test AUC values of 0.90 and 0.87 respectively, indicating a high predictive ability. The model predicts suitable conditions for I. iguana in south and central Florida (mainly along the coast), and in regions of all the islands in the Caribbean. Given the known negative impact of Green Iguanas and their dispersal capabilities, governments in the Greater Caribbean Basin should manage non-native populations to prevent further spread, and revise and enact laws that allow management agencies to respond quickly in the case of new Green Iguana incursions.

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Published

2012-09-01

How to Cite

Falcón, W., Ackerman, J. D., & Daehler, C. C. (2012). March of the Green Iguana : Non-native Distribution and Predicted Geographic Range of Iguana iguana in the Greater Caribbean Region. Reptiles & Amphibians, 19(3), 150-160. https://doi.org/10.17161/randa.v19i3.14532