mexican spiny tail iguanas morelia zoo

mexican spiny tail iguanas morelia zoo

Nice breeding group!

This species can be found in the state of Michoacan where Morelia zoo is located and was once very common in Mexico. Iguanas are under pressure in Mexico due to the consumption of their meat. They are resilent and recover under protection.

@carlos77, sadly this is true of most of the Ctenosaura and Cyclura groups for that matter. Is introduced / invasive species (rats, cats, dogs, goats, pigs) a threat to Ctenosaura too in Mexico?

The main threat to iguanas in Mexico is overhunting. Iguana tamales are said to be a delicacy. Yet iguanas in Mexico, under adequate protection, can withstand a certain amount of human contact. At some archeological sites like Chichen Izta, Uxmal and Palenque the wild iguanas have become remarkalbly tame and are very popular with tourists. Feral animals are not a problem here, as is the case of the caribbean iguanas.
In mexico it is basically a problem of regulating the excessive hunting.