Here is good news for biodiversity: the reintroduction of iguanas carried out in 2019 is a success since Conolophus subcristatus who had disappeared for a century, is now reproducing naturally in its native environment.
A land iguana disappeared more than a century ago from one of the Galapagos Islands is reproducing naturally after its reintroduction, the Ecuadorian Ministry of the Environment announced on Monday. The disappearance at the beginning of the XXe century on the island of Santiago reptile of the’species Conolophus subcristatusone of three land iguanas living on thearchipelagowas found by an expedition of the California Academy of Sciences in 1903-06, the ministry said.
In 2019, the Galapagos National Park (PNG) authority reintroduced over 3,000 iguanas from a nearby island to restore theecosystem natural park of Santiago, which is located in the center of the Pacific archipelago.
Good news for the biodiversity and conservation of this island
This chain of isolated islands was made famous by the sightings of the geologist and British naturalist Charles Darwin who, in 1835, had counted a considerable number of iguanas of all ages on Santiago.
species Conolophus subcristatus will make it possible to restore the unique and fragile ecosystems of this island. © TRS News
For PNG director Danny Rueda, “ 187 years later, we see a healthy population of land iguanas again with adults, juveniles and hatchlings. It is a great success in matter of conservation and this reinforces our hopes of reintroduction “.
Located nearly 1,000 kilometers off the coast of Ecuador, the galapagos islands are home to unique flora and fauna and are listed as World Natural Heritage sites.
Bartolome Island Bartolomé Island is an uninhabited island in the Galapagos archipelago. There is the Pinnacle Rock, a rock of volcanic origin that attracts tourists every year. Like other volcanic islands, Bartolomé Island was formed by successive explosions and eruptions of a volcano. Although this one is hidden under water, the ashes, then the expelled lava accumulate layer after layer, which ends up creating an island. In the case of the Galapagos Archipelago, the island formation originates from the Galapagos hotspot, located beneath the Nazca Plate. This plate drifts eastwards at a rate of a few centimeters per year, which causes volcanic activity and thus the birth of islands and islets.© Grispb, Adobe Stock
The vicuña, an animal of the heights Ecuador is crossed by the Andes, a mountain range that emerges in Venezuela and extends over a length of 7,100 kilometers to the southern tip of Argentina. On its high plateaus, between 3,500 and 5,800 meters above sea level, vicunas frolic, a species close to the alpaca within the genus Vicugna. More broadly, the vicuna belongs to the camelid family which includes camels and dromedaries, among others. It is also the smallest of the camelids, with its 1.30 m to 1.50 m high. Herbivorous, the vicuña lives in groups.© Dabit100, CC by-sa 3.0
The blue-footed booby The blue-footed booby, Sula nebouxii, is a seabird with 50% of the population living on the Galapagos Islands. From the top of its 81 cm on average, this species would take its name from its clumsiness once on earth. A piscivore, its nostrils are permanently closed because its specialization in diving has led it to breathe through the corners of its beak. If he could live entirely in the water and in the air, he still needs dry land to reproduce. It then uses its legs to hatch the two to three eggs that a female can lay per year.© Jonas Witt, CC by-nc 2.0
Quilotoa, one of many Ecuadorian volcanoes Quilotoa is a volcano culminating at 3,914 meters in Ecuador. It sports a lake in the hollow of its crater. Despite its height, it is far from equaling the largest volcanoes in the country. The Chimborazo, for example, reaches 6,310 meters! Ecuador is blessed with as many volcanoes as it is on the Pacific Ring of Fire. An expression designating a large part of the circumference of the Pacific Ocean, where 75% of the emerged volcanoes of the planet are found. A phenomenon which is explained by the presence of several oceanic plates whose subduction zones are around the Pacific Ocean. Thus, Ecuador is positioned next to the Nazca plate.© Annom, Public domain
The Galapagos marine iguana The Galapagos marine iguana, Amblyrhynchus cristatus, is endemic to the archipelago. The only representative of the genus Amblyrhynchus! His scaly skin doesn’t always sport the same color. Some tend towards brown, ochre, blue-green, pink or even red. Its color varies according to the island it inhabits, its age, but also the season. The males, usually rather dark, take on brighter colors when the breeding season approaches. Far from being a small lizard, the Galapagos marine iguana can measure up to 1.70 m and weigh 15 kg! © John Solaro, CC by-nc 2.0
Cotopaxi, an explosive volcano The Cotopaxi, culminating at 5,897 meters above sea level, is one of the highest volcanoes in Ecuador. Located south of the country’s capital, Quito, Cotopaxi is more precisely an explosive-type stratovolcano. It is covered in eternal snow and ice which makes it all the more dangerous. These mingle with the lava during eruptions, and the whole is transformed into mudslides called “lahars”. They acquire great speed on the slopes of the volcano, thus amplifying their deadly potential.© Simon Matzinger, CC by-sa 3.0
The Sally-lightfoot crab Nicknamed Sally-lightfoot, the Grapsus grapsus crab roams the American coasts, including the Galapagos Islands. With five pairs of legs and a carapace of about eight centimeters, it feeds mainly on algae but can be tempted by a dead animal. In adulthood, its color can contrast with the dark volcanic rocks of the archipelago: sometimes brown, sometimes reddish, spotted with pink, yellow or brown. While young individuals blend into the background with duller colors, usually black or brown.© Lieutenant Elizabeth Crapo, NOAA Photo Library
Sleeping lion rock Its name is misleading. León Dormido Rock, literally “sleeping lion”, is actually an uninhabited island in the Galapagos archipelago. Located off San Cristobal Island, there is a fault in which many marine animals take refuge. And in particular, sharks, which delight tourists, snorkeling or diving. © Xxchangwoo0120xx, CC by-sa 3.0
Swallow-tailed Gull The swallow-tailed gull, or Creagrus furcatus, is the only seabird known to be entirely nocturnal. The only representative of the genus Creagrus, this bird has another peculiarity. During the mating season, which this species primarily experiences in the Galapagos Islands, males sport black plumage on their heads and a bright red ring around each eye. But, when it has passed, their head becomes white again and the circle around their eyes also becomes black again. At the bottom of his eyes is also a tapetum lucidum, a reflective layer which increases the amount of light perceived and which is particularly useful for night vision! This is why the eyes of cats and dogs glow in the dark.© Suecan1, Wikimedia commons, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
The rivers of Ecuador The Napo and Anzu rivers run through Ecuador. The Napo River takes its source in particular on the flanks of the Cotopaxi volcano before becoming a tributary of the Amazon, the river with the highest flow rate on the planet (209,000 m3/s). The Equator is crossed by many rivers, the area of which combined with that of the lakes reaches 6,720 km². This country also has a very high water balance, surpassed only by a few countries in Southeast Asia! Each year, it receives an average of 2,087 meters of precipitation.© Alexander Schimmeck, CC by-nc 2.0
La Nariz del Diablo The Nariz del Diablo is a section of the railway linking Guayaquil, one of the most important cities in Ecuador, to Quito, the capital. The line was started in 1899. Today, a train still uses it, in a tourist circuit, but no longer runs the entire railway. The portion of the Nariz del Diablo has been designed in a zigzag pattern on the side of the mountain, that is to say that the train moves forward, stops, goes in reverse, stops, goes forward again… Until the arrival at the top! © Roy & Danielle, CC by 2.0
Lava cacti Ecuador features part of the Amazon rainforest. But there are also cacti! Within the Galapagos archipelago, Bartolomé Island is colonized by Brachycereus nesioticus. Sometimes called “lava cactus” because of its preference for lava fields, this endemic cactus of the island can measure up to 60 cm in height. Yellow at the start of its life, it becomes darker and grayer as it ages. © Haplochromis, GFDL
Interested in what you just read?