(ORDO NEWS) — Conservationists managed to save the Union gecko from extinction. This small brightly colored lizard, which lives only on Union Island in the Caribbean, was described in 2005 and soon gained immense popularity among terrariumists.
As a result of mass capture, the species almost disappeared. However, timely conservation measures helped to increase its population by eighty percent in just four years, according to a press release from the conservation organization Fauna & Flora International.
The islands of the West Indies are home to many endemic species of animals that have arisen due to isolation that has lasted for millions of years. Their share is especially high among local lizards and snakes. The range of some of them is limited to a single small island.
Unfortunately, now many species and subspecies of reptiles from the islands of the Caribbean and neighboring parts of the Atlantic are endangered or completely extinct due to the fault of man and alien species introduced by him.
The problems faced by the herpetofauna of the region are best illustrated by the example of the Guadeloupe archipelago.
According to a recent study, of the 62-76 snake and lizard populations that lived here in the pre-Columbian era, 50-59 percent died out after the arrival of Europeans. Some local endemics have completely disappeared.
One of the rarest reptiles in the West Indies is the Union gecko (Gonatodes daudini) from Union Island in the state of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It lives in a single patch of old-growth dry forest of about 50 hectares.
This tiny lizard, which does not grow larger than a paper clip and is distinguished by its bright colors, was discovered less than twenty years ago, in 2005.
Due to its unusual appearance and rarity, the Union gecko quickly became extremely popular with terrarium keepers. It is not surprising that poachers began to massively capture these lizards on their home island and smuggle them to other countries for sale.
Zoologists estimate that in 2017 Union geckos were illegally transported more often than any other reptile from the West Indies.
The mass removal of geckos from nature led to the fact that by 2018 the population of the species was reduced to twenty percent of the original. Moreover, in search of rare lizards, poachers destroyed their habitat.
When the Union Island gecko was on the verge of extinction, the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Department of Forestry and the Union Island Environmental Alliance and Fauna and Flora International developed and implemented a series of measures to save the species.
In particular, they have established a stricter protection of the preserved areas of dry forests, installed camera traps in it and began to patrol the territory to combat poachers.
In addition, in 2019, the project participants ensured that the Union gecko was included in CITES Appendix I, which restricts international trade in endangered species of animals.
Measures to protect the Junian geckos have been successful. According to zoologists, this year the number of this species has reached eighteen thousand individuals. For comparison, four years ago it was only ten thousand individuals. Thus, the population growth amounted to an impressive eighty percent.
Experts note that endemic geckos are not the only inhabitants of Union Island that require increased attention.
Other rare species of animals also live here, and sea turtles lay their eggs on local beaches – leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) and hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata). In addition, there is a well-preserved coral reef in the sea near the island.
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