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A recent pilot study shows that nests of the Lesser Antillean iguana on Sint Eustatius are used by several other plant and animal species. They use the nests at least for cooling, hunting, and reproduction. This underscores the importance of a healthy iguana population for other Caribbean species and ecosystems. The study is published in Herpetology Notes.

The declining number of Lesser Antillean iguanas on Sint Eustatius is therefore not only a challenge to its own survival but likely also impacts numerous other native species.

On most Caribbean islands, the native iguana species is the largest native land animal. This is also true for the island of Sint Eustatius, where the Lesser Antillean iguana (Iguana delicatissima) is found. Female Lesser Antillean iguanas lay their eggs in underground nests that they dig themselves, which always consist of an entrance, a tunnel, and a nesting chamber. The reasons why a female iguana chooses a specific location are still unknown.

However, it is clear that there are two categories of nesting sites: those where a nest is dug by a single individual, and those where multiple individuals dig their nests. In the latter case, a complex underground network of multiple entrances, tunnels, and chambers can develop, which may be connected with each other. These larger nesting sites can be several dozen square meters in size and can be used by multiple females over consecutive years.

Knowledge about nests still limited

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