Cayman island blue iguana

[stinax182]

Is there a breeding program or sanctuary for these endangered species that I can visit while in Georgetown, Grand Cayman? I would love to see them.

[Capt_BJ]

try Google?

 

http://www.blueiguana.ky/help/blue-iguana-tours/safari/

[buffy24]

I believe the Queen Elizabeth Botanical Park has a breeding program. There are quite a few of the Blue Iguanas there.

[Capt_BJ]

btw

 

Brevard Zoo, near Port Canaveral, recently got a pair which are on exhibit weather permitting ... (taken inside if cold is forecast)

 

tour I linked begins at the QE Botanical Park . . .

Edited February 4, 2015 by Capt_BJ

[cb at sea]

Do we really want more of these? Sorry..just kidding! I know some love them! I think they are creepy.

[drew sailbum]

Blue Iguanas are endemic to the Cayman Islands - they are not found in nature anywhere else in the world. At one point their population dropped to less than 100 animals making them critically endangered.

 

The Blue Iguana Recovery Program based at the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park has been highly successful at breeding the blues and saving the species from extinction.

 

You may see many iguanas all around the west side of Grand Cayman but those are green iguanas which are not native to Cayman and are considered an invasive pest that compete with our native blue iguanas for resources.

 

The easiest way to distinguish the common green iguana from the blue iguana is by looking at the tail. The common green iguana has large vertical dark bands along the tail. The blues don't.

 

To visit the Botanic Park and the Blue Iguanas it is easiest to rent a car. They are quite far from the port area and well away from the usual tourist stops. A few specialty tour providers do offer tours with a stop at the Botanic Park.

[stinax182]

Thank you!

[DareTooDream]

 

I was googling for land tours going to the east side and wasn't having much luck. Do you have any names/contact info you can share?

Thanks