Finally pictures of my BLACK-project! (DUW -> 50+ pictures)

[malt_geckos]

Wow! That looks like a lot of work but it looks like you're having a great time! We really want to do something like this one day, maybe when we get a summer off of our college work. It's great to see that people are working on keeping an endangered species alive like this!

Johannes, those are beautiful pictures, like always! Keep up the great field work, and let us know how everything goes! We've never met you but can't wait to meet ya in Daytona if you're there next year! Best wishes!

 

[rhac]

How many of these black iguanas are there left in the wild??

Well we do not not know how many animals are left in the wild. We really have no idea. But not more than a few thousands.
That's why we do transect. So we at least get the idea how part of the population is doing. But the problem with the transect line is, that you have to go the same line everytime to compare the data.
So the hunters know of course that the Iguana Station people are there quite often. But hunting iguanas is forbidden. So they use to hunt them on other areas. On the transect line we are able to spot 20 to 30 animals each transect. In another area it would be maybe one or two...
There are still a lot of questions so a lot of room for new research.
But we know for sure that if people keep on cutting down more and more mangroves there will be not enough habitat. Breeding the animals is good. But they need a habitat!
With 2008 the Iguana Research and Breeding Station will become a NGO. Until now it was still kind of a german station and it got sponsoring from Germany.
Becoming an NGO the sponsoring will stop. So the station is facing a hard time. But there are advantages from that. Because as an NGO the station can buy more land to build protactive areas!
So if anyone would like to donate some money (every cent counts), write me a PM and I will give you the data of the bank account.

Thank you everyone for the nice comments and showing so much interest!

Regards,
Johannes

 

[malt_geckos]

Is there anything we can do to help? Like any donations or anything to the Iguana station?Or are there any needs for anything?

 

[rhac]

Is there anything we can do to help? Like any donations or anything to the Iguana station?Or are there any needs for anything?

Hi Matt and Mallorie,
yes some donations would be great. Of course as a volunteer I do not know much about the financial situation of the station.
But the station is always in need of money because there are always things that need to be repaired or new cages that need to be built.
And for the big plans in the future like buying land to build protective areas they would need a lot of money. But first they have to see how the station will survive in the future without the permanently sponsoring from Germany.
So everyone who wants to donate some money, just write me a PM. The station director just gave me the data of the bank account, so I can send it to everyone who wants to donate.

Thank you very much,
Johannes

 

[rhac]

Hi everyone,

Internet wasn't working the last days at the station.
But today I left Utila and I am sitting in a Hotel in San Pedro Sula at the moment where I got the possibility to load up some pictures that I took before I left the island.

First some more non-reptile shots:
small bats:

a huge vampire bat:

more reptile-shots:
Young Ctenosaura similis. You can often find them in private gardens, chilling out in the gras. I took this picture on a house wich was never finished. Now there are living at least 11 C.similis on this house.

one of Utilas biggest C.similis males:

Norops sericeus male:

finally he showed me all his beauty:

Regards,
Johannes

 

[seraphim21]

These bats look, uhm, interesting . . . :main_laugh: Just kidding, great pics!! :main_thumbsup:

 

[DAWNoftheLEO]

Awesome pics of the bats !!!!!!! It was great meeting and talking with you as well, kind sir!
-Juan

 

[paulnj]

Very nice images Johannes. Are those first 2 bats insect eaters or fruit eaters?

 

[rhac]

Are those first 2 bats insect eaters or fruit eaters?

I am not sure about the species. But we sometimes saw a few of the smaller bats eating from the banana flowers next to the Iguana Station.
But maybe they eat smaller insects as well? I don't know.
All I know is that the vampire bat ate some big stuff like birds. You could easily tell that by the big bones under its hiding place

 

[yellermelon]

Wow, how in the heck did you get the bats to sit still, while you took their picture?

 

[rhac]

Wow, how in the heck did you get the bats to sit still, while you took their picture?

Well it was kind of hard. Especially with the small ones. They used to fly away quite fast when I tried to take some pictures. So it took me a while in that tight and smelly cave to get some more or less good shots...
The Vampire bat did not fly away but it started to get agressive after a while because of all the light from my torch and the flash. So I had to be quick and that's why I cut her feet or parts of her wings in most of the shots
But you don't want that thing flying at you so you better hurry up...