| found on Gasparilla Island.
The main differences are temperament and diet. Greens
are comparatively docile and herbivores. The black feeds
on "any animal that it can capture," including
eggs and chicks of Florida's seabirds "such as
Snowy Plovers and Least Terns." Both these birds
are in trouble. Spiny-tails do invade the burrows of
gopher tortoises and can eat those eggs and hatchlings.
Although the turtle patrol has not reported sea turtle
predation by iguanas the spiny-tail is capable of taking
hatchlings.
One sample of predation involved a
woodpecker nest "with hatchlings one week"
thatwas occupied by a spiny-tail the next week
"that had likely consumed the occupants," Dr.
Jackson concludes. He then refers to a "study"
at the University of Florida by W.H. Kern, Jr. That
study was not done on Gasparilla Island nor did it
restrict itself to spinytails. Kern's work cited the
idea "that most young iguanas are killed" by
predators. But Dr. Jackson notices that the island lacks
the predators widespread on the mainland and |
Kern included several
varieties that dig in more accessible areas. The
island's iguanas are burrowed under buildings and prefer
concrete slabs to hide among making it difficult for
predators to dig them up. "Predators are exercising
very little control over the . . .population" and
it "is growing."
They have already spread north and
south off the island. Keewaydin Island in Collier County
is cited in Dr. Jackson's report as having a colony
established. He is concerned that "If these
(spiny-tailed) reach . . .sensitive areas . . . such as
the Lake Wales Ridge area, they could wipe out
endangered species."
"These animals did not ask to be
brought to Florida" however "their presence
here is a serious threat to" delicate ecosystems
and "they must be controlled, or, if possible,
eliminated. The problem is further complicated because
the spiny-tail helps spread invasive exotics like the
Brazilian pepper. The pepper trees provide winter
forage and the seeds pass
Continued
On Page 17 |
