Mona Ground Iguana

Cyclura stejnegeri

The Mona ground iguana, Cyclura stejnegeri, is a large rock iguana endemic to Mona Island, a limestone island between Puerto Rico and Hispaniola. It has a heavy body, strong limbs, a row of dorsal spines, and the blunt-headed look typical of many Cyclura iguanas. Wild animals use dry forest, scrub, open rocky areas, and sandy nesting sites, feeding mainly on leaves, flowers, fruits, and other plant material.

This iguana is managed primarily as a conservation animal, not a normal pet trade reptile. Work around the species includes nest protection, population surveys, control of invasive predators, and head-starting young iguanas until they are large enough to face fewer threats. Facilities that hold related rock iguanas need intense basking light, herbivorous diets, room for digging and dominance behavior, and careful recordkeeping, especially where island forms must be kept genetically distinct.