1993 Cuban rock iguana

Photo: Vladimír Motyčka, Prague Zoo

First to be bred in a European zoo

The Cuban rock iguana is a sturdy, herbivorous lizard from Cuba that was hunted so intensively that it is on the endangered species list. Iguanas seemed to adapt well to captivity, however, they died unnaturally young and showed no interest in reproducing. It was obvious that it was necessary to have a revolutionary change in breeding. This consisted of a higher intensity of natural light, which was provided for them, firstly by placing them in the atrium of the Felines and Reptiles Pavilion, then, with the development of technology, placing them under artificial sources when rearing the young. Another novelty at the time was switching from an omnivore diet to an exclusively herbivorous diet based on picked, naturally growing plants. The final step towards successful reproduction was to respect the iguanas’ psychosocial circumstances. To be sufficiently stimulated to mate, the male must sense competition, i.e. he must have a rival in sight.

Prague Zoo obtained its first Cuban rock iguanas in March 1992. They had been taken from the wild – a male, Pepino and three females. They took up residence in the atrium of the Felines and Reptiles Pavilion and the following year they bred successfully – the first time in a European zoo. This was followed by other young.

Among the first five was a male, who was named Pepino Junior. He and his four sisters were placed in a separate terrarium and together they provided us with another huge success – raising a second generation of Cuban rock iguanas has confirmed that the requirements for breeding this species in captivity have been fully met.