Description: Dark brown or black with light colored mottling of variable patterns, generally stripes or spots. Typical of the genus, this species has a tail with enlarged “spiny” scales that protrude in a ring pattern.

Distribution: Roatan, Honduras

Habitat: Studies are currently being conducted to better determine several aspects of this species natural history including habitat preference. This species is known to use a variety of habitats including coastal habitat and tropical dry forest.

Of the 40 species of iguanine lizards, 18 belong to the genus Ctenosaura, the most species-rich genus in this family of large, primarily herbivorous lizards. Ten species were evaluated for the IUCN Red List to determine their risk of extinction and of these, five were ranked Critically Endangered. Four of these belong to the Ctenosaura melanosterna clade, a group of closely related species endemic to Honduras, including the Bay Islands and Cayos Cochinos, and Guatemala. Endemic to the island of Roatan, Honduras, the Roatan spiny-tailed iguana (Ctenosaura oedirhina) has not been thoroughly researched. Currently, the IIF is supporting a project which will provide baseline data on this species. Although this species has been recognized as threatened by the Honduran government since 1994, there is currently no active management or conservation. As a part of the study being conducted on this species, lead researcher Stesha Pasachnik is working to develop educational outreach materials for the public and assist the government in gathering the necessary data to create a management plan for the species. One of the main threats to this species appears to be overharvest for consumption. Habitat loss is also a concern as this species only occurs on the island of Roatan which, like many islands, is in danger of being rapidly developed. The Roatan spiny-tailed iguana also faces a unique threat as a similar species of iguana, Ctenosaura similis, has been introduced on a nearby island. Should this iguana become introduced on Roatan, it would pose a threat to the genetically distinct and endemic iguana through competition and potential hybridization.

For information on conservation, management, and how the IIF is working to save this species, please see the projects section.

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