Hidden Trail Cameras Watching Pink Iguana Hatchlings in Galapagos Reveal Threats to Species

Hidden trail cameras help researchers studying pink iguana hatchlings in the Galapagos Islands learn about the threats to the species.

Researchers at the Galápagos National Park have discovered young pink iguanas, an endangered species, after searching for more than ten months.

Only adult or subadult pink iguanas were previously discovered in the area.

That changed recently when the first-ever hatchlings and juvenile iguanas were discovered at Wolf Volcano on Isabela Island by wildlife specialists from the Galápagos National Park Directorate and Galápagos Conservancy.

Finding Pink Iguana Hatchlings

The Galápagos Conservancy's Barbara Arizaga said the first pink land iguana hatchlings were discovered in February 2022.

Since February, about 10 hatchling iguanas that were only a few weeks old have been discovered.

The discovery was a result of an expedition as part of the Iniciativa Galápagos program, a string of investigations into the species.

The nesting activity of the iguanas was also documented by covert trail cameras.

The giant Galápagos tortoise, marine iguana, and Galápagos penguin are just a few of the unique species that call the Galápagos Islands home.

Regarding the pink iguana, the lizard was discovered for the first time in the Galápagos Islands in the 1980s, and in 2009 it was designated as a new species of iguana.

According to the conservancy, there are 200 to 300 adults living there.

No juveniles or neonates have ever been discovered, and nobody previously knew what pink iguana babies looked like.

In addition, despite their name, pink iguanas are not pink at birth. They are born green, and as they get older, they turn pink.

Due to a lack of skin pigmentation, their pink color makes it simpler to see the blood beneath their skin.

Pinpointing the Threats

The team studying the endangered species used covert trail cameras to identify current threats to the pink iguana, such as feral cats that are not native to the area.

The young pink iguanas must dig their way out of their underground nests for days.

The feral cats that have surrounded the nesting grounds attack them once they get to the surface, according to the conservancy.

Non-Native Feral Cats. For more than 10 years, the Galapagos Conservacy suspected that cat predation had prevented the recruitment of young pink iguanas into the adult population.

These descriptions represent an advance in our understanding of the species and point the way for future conservation efforts to keep the Pink Iguana from going extinct.

According to Rachel Aucott from Cambridge University, the Galápagos is thought to have a serious problem with feral cats, which were introduced to the island decades ago and have been known to prey on a variety of indigenous and endemic species, including Galápagos iguanas.

Rats. Rats may also be a threat because they have been observed close to pink iguana nesting sites, according to a conservancy spokesperson.

Poaching and Trafficking. Researchers are now in charge of keeping an eye on and safeguarding the iguanas' nesting locations.

A field station with a 360-degree view of the volcano and funding from the Galápagos Conservancy is included in this plan as a means of preventing wildlife trafficking and illegal poaching.

The remote base will facilitate monitoring and conservation efforts on the volcano, according to Danny Rueda, the director of the Galápagos National Park, helping to ensure the restoration and conservation of the pink iguana population, USA TODAY reported.