Reptiles & Amphibians
Understanding how species persist in urban landscapes can provide insights into the fate of biodiversity affected by rapid and unplanned urbanization. While the ecological and conservation implications of urbanization have been reasonably well studied for temperate species, relatively little is known for those in tropical latitudes, especially Neotropical lizards. We investigated the life history, habitat use, and reproductive seasonality of Green Iguanas (Iguana iguana) inhabiting an urban area in Colombia. Our analysis of age structure showed that the sex ratio in this population was approximately 1:1 at birth and adulthood, suggesting that both sexes are experiencing similar selective pressures over time. The presence of individuals of all size classes throughout the year is indicative of a stable population. Density estimates based on linear transect data indicated that iguanas in the studied population occur at higher densities tan those in rural areas. This increased density might be related to some benefits of urbanization, including human trophic subsidies and decreased predation and competence. The estimated growth rate was also higher than those reported for populations in natural habitats, likely reflecting increased food availability. Iguanas in the study area apparently reproduce twice per year, a pattern that might be explained by rainfall regime. Occupancy modeling revealed that contrary to rural populations, urban green iguanas successfully exploit open grassy areas for feeding and basking, with tree cover and built-up areas being key predictors of their occurrence. The ability of urban iguanas to modify some traits of their basic ecology to cope with the challenges imposed by urbanization may be crucial for this species to persist or even thrive in cityscapes.
«Artículos de Mauricio Torres con afiliación a la Fundación IGUAQUE»
Eliana Ramos / Fabio Leonardo Meza Joya / Mauricio Torres / Martha P. Ramírez Pinilla / Víctor H. Serrano Cardozo
