Er, Get Your Head Out of the Sand!"….

Ever been accused of sticking your head in the sand to avoid a problem? Well, I’d like to propose that such behavior can actually solve problems. But more about that later…

First, take a minute and think of the Caribbean. What images come to mind? Crystal blue oceans? Towering palm trees? Diving, golfing, or dancing? How about some well-deserved relaxation? Undoubtedly, the islands of the West Indies have great appeal to many of our readers who have traveled or hope to travel there. You may be surprised that these islands are also of great interest to biologists. In fact, this region has been designated as one of 25 biological “hotspots” worldwide.

Hotspots are defined as the richest and most threatened reservoirs of plant and animal life on earth. Over half of the plants and animals found in the Caribbean are found there and no where else. Many are found on only one island or a small group of islands. This is part of the adventure and fun of traveling to multiple destinations: each island has signature beauty.

Understanding the need to protect these unique and popular locations, your zoo provides important assistance in the form of species recovery planning and field studies. Much of our work has focused on the 18 varieties of West Indian iguanas. This humble group of largish lizards includes some of the most endangered animals in the world. My Caribbean experience is no vacation. This is a Caribbean of blood, sweat, and tears infused with those oh-so-gratifying glimmers of hope. To give you a feel for the field experience, here are three vignettes.

Jamaica

Jamaican iguanas remain only in the most inhospitable terrain of Jamaica – about 44sq miles of dry limestone forest known as Hellshire Hills. Here, iguanas are difficult to reach by charcoal burners, hunters and their dogs. Unfortunately, there is no respite from introduced rats, cats, and mongoose that kill younger iguanas. Since the iguana’s rediscovery in 1990 (they were thought to be extinct for 50 years) much effort has gone into trapping invasive predators. There are two routes into this small “iguana oasis”: a grueling day hike or a boat drop-off at the beach. On a 10-day field study that involved eight people (from various zoos and universities), we took the latter approach. The Coast Guard dropped us on the beach with 50 five-gallon buckets, half with food, half with water. We declared ourselves the bucket people. As we emptied buckets, we acquired furniture. Our mission on this particular trip was to search for evidence of iguanas in areas where they had yet to be located. There are only two known nest sites for these iguanas. We were hoping to find evidence of more. We searched diligently but ultimately found a few droppings. In this area where no trails had been cut, it took half a day for one individual to survey about 1/2 of a mile. It seemed important to recall the mantra that NOT finding nest sites was important data to collect. On day 10, we waited five hours in a downpour for the coast guard, hoping they’d be able to reach us because the bucket people were out of food.

Turks and Caicos

Turks and Caicos Iguanas can no longer be found on the main islands, which are now overrun with introduced cats, dogs, and rats. Instead, they are found on a handful of small nearby cays. As invasive species find their way to these cays, the iguanas lose more ground. The San Diego Zoo has implemented a translocation project, shuffling iguanas from cays that are at risk to cays on which invasive species have been removed (note: removal of invasive predators is not an option for large islands). For two weeks, I assisted in gathering health and distribution information on iguanas that had been translocated six months prior. Iguanas were captured using 15 foot telescoping golf ball retrieval poles fitted with nooses made of heavyweight fishing line. We lived on the San Diego Zoo’s research vessel, a humble but sufficient late model catamaran. I learned that even the toughest guys can be felled by motion sickness. We surveyed four cays, none of which had shade for anyone taller than an iguana. Much of the foliage consisted of fearsome cacti. Fortunately, preliminary data suggests that the translocations will help this species hang on to their now tenuous existence.

Saint Lucia

Unlike the Turks and Caicos Islands, much of Saint Lucia is lushly forested. Saint Lucian iguanas are highly arboreal. I am a considerably less arboreal Kansan (though I did once find myself far out on a limb 20+ feet up, removing a noose that had snapped off of a capture pole and was still adorning an irate iguana). High in these trees, iguanas are not only hard to capture, they are difficult to even see. To counter this problem, a lot of work on this species is done at the nesting beaches, where females come from miles around to dig elaborate chambers in the sand and bury precious cargo – their annual clutch of eggs. Here’s where the head in the sand scenario returns. To estimate population numbers we are working backwards. By determining average clutch size and then counting hatchlings as they emerge, we can deduce how many females have nested and estimate the adult female population.  On a recent trip, I spent many hours carefully excavating nests until 5 clutches of eggs were discovered. These eggs were measured, counted, and checked for fertility. A datalogger that records hourly temperature was inserted in the nest chamber. Eggs were carefully replaced and the nests reconstructed. We also captured six females and fitted them with radio transmitters. These females were followed back to their forested homes by local forestry employees and will be monitored for a year. This project is still in its early stages and this baseline data is needed to help us prioritize recovery needs.

Hopefully, these vignettes have provided some insight into yet another way that your zoo is achieving its mission of education and conservation. To ignore the problems can only result in one outcome...the Caribbean will make a transition from fascinating and diverse retreats, rich with unique creatures, to islands of introduced “weeds”, biologically impoverished save for memories found in natural history texts and museum jars. The Sedgwick County Zoo is proud to be an active conservation partner in this important biological hotspot.

Tips for the Field:

• Lots of plants can make your skin blister – you should shower as soon as practical
• Never set your hopes that the shower will work
• Road kill can be tasty
• Hypothermia can happen in the tropics
• When you are very tired, a linoleum floor can make a lovely bed
• Keep Imodium on your person at all times.
• And most importantly, when you believe in what you do, even having your head shoved in sand for hours can be very rewarding.

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