“The number of blue iguanas—impressive reptiles native to Grand Cayman—has surged from fewer than 25 in 2002 to over 1,200 today,“ reports The Doomslayer.
CNN adds:
Habitat loss, hunting and a wave of feral cats and dogs pushed the lizards, referred to as ‘blue dragons,’ to the brink of extinction. In the early 1990s, researchers estimated there were between 100 and 200 blue iguanas surviving in the wild. But within a decade, those numbers had plummeted, with fewer than 25 individuals remaining in 2002.
Thanks to ongoing conservation efforts, the blue iguana is back from the brink of extinction. Through captive breeding and a habitat protection program, over 1,200 have now been released into the wild, primarily in protected areas. This led to the species being reclassified from “critically endangered” to “endangered” in 2012, according to IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species….
A striking feature of these animals is their ability to turn a dazzling blue. “Their fluctuation of color primarily serves as a signalling tool and is often used to scare off danger,” says Burton. It is especially noticeable in males, he adds, which turn an even more intense shade during the breeding season to attract mates. He explains that the iguanas have melanophores (pigment cells) in their skin, which expand and contract, allowing them to appear darker or lighter.
Snub-nosed monkeys have made a comeback in the mountains of China.
Amur leopards are making a comeback in Russia’s far east.
Bobcats recently returned to New Jersey after being absent from the state for 50 years.
The snow leopard population has doubled in Kazakhstan.
A giant fish believed to be extinct was found in the Mekong River.
Brazil’s rarest parrots have come back from the edge of extinction.
