Ricord's Iguana

Cyclura ricordii

Ricord's iguana, Cyclura ricordii, is one of the rare rock iguanas of Hispaniola, restricted to dry valleys and scrublands in the Dominican Republic and a small border area of Haiti. It is a stout, ground-dwelling Cyclura with a banded body, heavy tail, spiny crest, and a blunt head adapted for life among limestone outcrops and cactus scrub. The species is closely related to the rhinoceros iguana but has a much smaller natural range and is treated as one of the Caribbean's most threatened iguanas.

Most human work around Ricord's iguanas is conservation work rather than pet keeping. Field teams monitor nesting areas, protect habitat, reduce pressure from feral cats, dogs, and mongooses, and support head-start or captive-breeding programs where they are authorized. Zoos and specialist institutions keep them under tight records and permit systems, with large warm enclosures, strong UVB, dry refuges, and a mostly leafy diet. Anyone encountering animals offered for sale should be cautious, since legal trade is limited and provenance matters.