Florida's Nonnative Wildlife. Species detail.
First year: 1978
Extirpated year:
Established status: Populations
are confirmed breeding and apparently self-sustaining for 10 or
more consecutive years.
Estimated Florida range: 3
counties At least 10 years, 2 counties Less than 10
years
Statewide trend: Expanding
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Photograph by Kevin M. Enge © 2003
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Threats to natives: Expanding
Species Account: This species is
native to both drainages of southern Mexico and has established
populations in Dade, Lee, and Charlotte counties in Florida. It is
difficult to distinguish this species from the Mexican spinytail
iguana (Ctenosaura pectinata), but Ctenosaura similis has 0-2
scales separating the short crest along the back and tail, 2
complete rows of intercalary scales between the whorls of enlarged
scales on the tail, and dark dorsal crossbands (Köhler and Streit
1996). Adult males may reach nearly 1.2 m (4 ft) in length. These
primarily terrestrial lizards are extremely wary and typically dash
to their burrows, although they will climb agilely if they cannot
reach their burrows (Bartlett and Bartlett 1999). According to
Wilson and Porras (1983), Eggert (1978) misidentified a population
of this species along Old Cutler Road in Miami, but black spinytail
iguanas are found on Key Biscayne in Dade County (Townsend et al.
2003).
Habitats: Coastal upland, Exotic
plant community, Low density suburban development, areas peripheral
to core urban areas, and small towns, Agricultural habitat
| County |
First Year |
Extirpated Year |
Breeding status |
Notes |
| BROWARD |
2002 |
|
Less than 10 years |
Davie (Townsend et al. 2003); breeding population (K. Enge,
FFWCC, Quincy, personal observation) |
| CHARLOTTE |
? |
|
At least 10 years |
Gasparilla Island and adjacent mainland at Placida, Cape Haze,
and Gulf Cove; population spread north from point of introduction
at the southern tip of the island in Lee Co., so the first year of
occurrence is unknown (Krysko et al. 2003) |
| COLLIER |
1998 |
|
Less than 10 years |
Keewaydin Island (Krysko et al. 2003) |
| DADE |
1978? |
|
At least 10 years |
Old Cutler Road, Miami (Eggert 1978), but this population was
misidentified and was actually Ctenosaura pectinata (Wilson and
Porras 1983); a large population of C. similis is present on Key
Biscayne, and a large, breeding population occurs at Amelia Earhart
Park in Hialeah (Townsend et al. 2003; K. Enge, FFWCC, Quincy,
personal observation) |
| LEE |
ca. 1980 |
|
At least 10 years |
Gasparilla Island and Cayo Costa (Krysko et al. 2003) |
References
Bartlett, R. D., and P. P. Bartlett. 1999. A field
guide to Florida reptiles and amphibians. Gulf Publishing Company,
Houston, Texas. 278pp.
Eggert, J. 1978. The invasion of the wish willy.
Florida Wildlife 31(5):9-10.
Köhler, G., and B. Streit. 1996. Notes on the
systematic status of taxa acanthura, pectinata, and similis of the
genus Ctenosaura (Reptilia: Sauria: Iguanidae). Senckenbergiana
Biologica 75:33-43.
Krysko, K. L., F. W. King, K. M. Enge, and A. T.
Reppas. 2003. Distribution of the introduced black spiny-tailed
iguana (Ctenosaura similis) on the southwestern coast of Florida.
Florida Scientist 66:141-146.
McKercher, E. 2001. Ctenosaura pectinata
(Iguanidae) on Gasparilla Island, Florida: colonization, habitat
use and interactions with Gopherus polyphemus. M.S. Thesis,
University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA. 117pp.
Townsend, J. H., K. L. Krysko, and K. M. Enge.
2003. The identity of spiny-tailed iguanas, Ctenosaura, introduced
to Florida, USA (Squamata: Sauria: Iguanidae). Herpetozoa
16:67-72.
Wilson, L. D., and L. Porras. 1983. The ecological
impact of man on the south Florida herpetofauna. University of
Kansas Museum of Natural History, Special Publication No. 9.
89pp.
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Nonnative Reptiles
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