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neechiegeckos · 1 day ago

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"A tiny lizard found only on one tiny Caribbean island has seen a dramatic 1,500% increase in its population, after just a few years of island restoration efforts.

In 2018, researchers estimated there were fewer than 100 individuals of the critically endangered Sombrero ground lizard (Pholidoscelis corvinus) on the small hat-shaped Sombrero Island, part of Anguilla in the Caribbean. Just six years later, there are more than 1,600 of them, a recent survey has found.

“I am beyond thrilled to see the ground lizards on the road to recovery, and this is a fantastic reward for everyone who has worked hard to restore Sombrero,” Jenny Daltry, Caribbean alliance director at conservation NGOs Fauna & Flora and Re:wild, told Mongabay. “Too many island species have been lost already, and we really need to prevent extinctions whenever we can.”

Today, Sombrero Island hosts large seabird colonies and several unique and rare species. But invading mice, likely brought to the island on ships or other means by people, as well as climate change impacts, have wreaked havoc on the island’s inhabitants...

To turn things around, Fauna & Flora, Anguilla National Trust and Re:wild began restoration efforts in 2018. They trapped and removed all the mice by placing bait from June to August 2021. They also developed a “biosecurity plan” in which researchers regularly check the island to ensure it’s still mouse-free.

Given Sombrero’s remote location, the likelihood of reinvasion by mice is considered low, Daltry said. She added that the teams are also developing “remote surveillance cameras with AI capability” to automatically detect and alert them of invasive species.

While the mice may be gone, the threat from hurricanes fueled by climate change still loom close. While the researchers have been working to restore the island’s native vegetation, the island has lost much of its original soil cover, which will take time to rebuild, Daltry said. With no tree cover yet, any severe hurricane or storm surge in the future “could set back the speed of recovery of the soil layer and vegetation,” she added.

However, Daltry said she’s hopeful that even the current sparse vegetation provides the Sombrero ground lizards “with vital food and shelter, giving them a much better chance of survival when the next storm strikes.”

“This could make the difference between survival and extinction,” she said."

-via Mongabay News, December 20, 2024

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neechiegeckos · 4 days ago

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Peek

#gecko #lizard #gargoyle gecko #rhacodactylus auriculatus

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neechiegeckos · 6 days ago

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A baby crested gecko has hatched!

#Gecko #Lizard #Baby animal #Crested Gecko

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neechiegeckos · 7 days ago

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Some of the little goobers I have available :)

#gecko #lizard #crested gecko #correlophus ciliatus #gargoyle gecko #rhacodactylus auriculatus

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neechiegeckos · 10 days ago

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First thing she does when I get home from a weekend away is attack me when I walk by then look all innocent 🤷🏼‍♀️ somethings never change in 12+ years

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neechiegeckos · 10 days ago

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The fluffiest animals in my house!

#rabbit #kitty #cat #lionhead #tarantula #spider

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neechiegeckos · 12 days ago

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This sweet little goober went to their new home today! Saying goodbye to my babies is always hard, but I know this little one will be so loved ♡

#gecko #lizard #gargoyle gecko #rhacodactylus auriculatus

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neechiegeckos · 13 days ago

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Managing the Mangshan Viper

The mangshan viper, also known as the Mang Mountain pit viper, the Chinese pit viper, and the iron-headed pit viper (Protobothrops mangshanensis), is a species of pit viper found in south-central China. It is endemic to the Mangshan mountain region and the surrounding areas, and is typically found in tropical montane forests at elevations of 800–1,300 m (2,600–4,300 ft).

Mangshan pit vipers are notoriously hard to spot due to their camouflage-patterned green and brown scales, which are perfectly suited to blend into the forest. However, they grow to be quite large; some up to 203 cm (6.66 ft) and weighing 5 kg (10 lbs). In fact, they are among the largest members of the pit viper family.

P. mangshanensis is a notoriously shy and solitary species. They are nocturnal, using their camouflage to remain hidden and their 'pit organs' to sense the heat of passing prey. They feed primarily on rodents, birds, and frogs. Thanks to their size, ability to blend in, and their incredibly potent venom, adults have virtually no predators. Eggs and juveniles however, may be vulnerable to birds of prey, larger reptiles, and carnivorous mammals.

Though the start of the breeding season is unknown, females lay eggs in June or July. They may lay up to 27 eggs in a clutch, in a nest built from leaf litter, and guard them until they hatch some 50 days later. This is unusual among pit vipers, as most other species are oviviparous- incubating the eggs internally and giving birth to live young. Once the eggs hatch, the young are fully independent. Individuals may live up to 25 years in the wild.

Conservation status: The Chinese pit viper is classified as Endangered by the IUCN. There are approximately 500 individuals in the wild, and the population is believed to be declining due to illegal hunting and collection for the pet trade, habitat destruction, and climate change. There are about 150 Mangshan pit vipers in zoos and husbandry programs.

Photos

Los Angeles Zoo

Julie Larson

Václav Šilha

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neechiegeckos · 14 days ago

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