Monitoring a population of translocated Grand Cayman blue iguanas: Assessing the accuracy and precision of distance sampling and repeated counts
-
Published source details
Burton F.J. & Rivera-Milán F.F. (2014) Monitoring a population of translocated Grand Cayman blue iguanas: Assessing the accuracy and precision of distance sampling and repeated counts. Animal Conservation, 17, 40-47.
Published source details Burton F.J. & Rivera-Milán F.F. (2014) Monitoring a population of translocated Grand Cayman blue iguanas: Assessing the accuracy and precision of distance sampling and repeated counts. Animal Conservation, 17, 40-47.
Actions
This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
| Action | Category | |
|---|---|---|
|
Head-start wild-caught reptiles for release: Snakes & lizards Action Link |
 |
-
Head-start wild-caught reptiles for release: Snakes & lizards
A replicated study in 2004–2013 in a dry shrubland site in a reserve on Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands (Burton & Rivera‐Milán 2014) found that releasing head-started blue iguanas Cyclura lewisi resulted in a stable population over four years, but that the population size remained lower than the number of iguanas released. Six years after the first head-started iguanas were released, but while releases were ongoing, 46 and 42 iguanas were re-sighted in 2010 and 2013 respectively, and densities were estimated at 5–6 iguanas/ha. Authors reported that released iguanas were also sighted outside of the study area. In 2004–2009, a total of 307 head-started iguanas were released, and in 2010–2012, a further 98 iguanas were released. All iguanas were tagged at time of release with unique coloured glass bead combinations (as piercing on the neck crest) and PIT tags. In the first three weeks of March 2010 and 2013, iguana surveys were conducted twice a day by teams of two observers on 12 transects of unequal length (range 323–432 m). All offspring that were captured were also tagged.
(Summarised by: Maggie Watson, William Morgan)
)_2023 - Compressed.JPG)
