Creatures in Crisis
Photograph of Saban black iguana (Iguana melanoderma), recorded as Critically Endangered
Saban black iguana (Iguana melanoderma). Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Critically Endangered

Saban black iguana

Iguana melanoderma

The Saban black iguana (Iguana Saban black iguana) is a subspecies (sometimes considered a distinct species) of the green iguana thought to be endemic to the islands of Saba and Montserrat, although external evidence indicates that it may be distributed in other parts of the Caribbean.

Status
Critically Endangered
Scientific name
Iguana melanoderma
Taxonomy
Squamata · Iguanidae · Iguana

Appearance

The Saban black iguana is darker coloured than the other subspecies of green iguana, with colouration deepening in older individuals. It possesses a black dewlap, high dorsal spikes, no horns on the snout, and carries a noticeable black patch between the eye and tympanum. The Saban black iguana (Iguana Saban black iguana) is a subspecies (sometimes considered a distinct species) of the green iguana thought to be endemic to the islands of Saba and Montserrat, although external evidence indicates that it may be distributed in other parts of the Caribbean.

It was described in 2020 as a distinct species, although the Reptile Database classifies it as a subspecies of the common green iguana (Iguana iguana).

Range and habitat

Member populations are found on Montserrat and Saba, as well as on the Virgin Islands and the island of Vieques, and in northern Venezuela, among them several coastal islets as well as the mainland vicinity of Cumaná. The mainland distribution has not been well defined. Recent genetic insights confirm that near-indistinguishable melanistic iguanas (compared to Saba and Montserrat) from Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have identical mitochondrial haplotypes as those two populations in the Lesser Antilles.

Pins are Wikidata “endemic to” fields. Orange dots, when present, are GBIF occurrence tiles — survey bias included.

In crisis

It has been suggested that the subspecies is threatened by unsustainable harvest for consumption and the pet trade, and by competition with and hybridization from escaped or released non-native iguanas.

Saban black iguana is Critically Endangered on this catalog because that is the IUCN category stored on Wikidata. Confirm the official criteria and any later count on iucnredlist.org.

Sources

Written for this catalog from the English Wikipedia article on Saban black iguana, Wikidata item Q94659710. Family and order context is original field-guide writing about the group, not a copied assessment of this one species. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA. Not an IUCN assessment. Counts, when quoted, can change — confirm them on the recovery programme and on iucnredlist.org.

Photograph via Wikimedia Commons. Wikipedia · Wikidata · IUCN Red List.

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Quick answers

What is Saban black iguana?
The Saban black iguana (Iguana Saban black iguana) is a subspecies (sometimes considered a distinct species) of the green iguana thought to be endemic to the islands of Saba and Montserrat, although external evidence indicates that it may be distributed in other parts of the Caribbean.
What is the conservation status of Saban black iguana?
Critically Endangered, as the IUCN category stored on Wikidata for Iguana melanoderma. Confirm the official assessment on iucnredlist.org.
Where does Saban black iguana live?
Member populations are found on Montserrat and Saba, as well as on the Virgin Islands and the island of Vieques, and in northern Venezuela, among them several coastal islets as well as the mainland vicinity of Cumaná.
Why is Saban black iguana in crisis?
It has been suggested that the subspecies is threatened by unsustainable harvest for consumption and the pet trade, and by competition with and hybridization from escaped or released non-native iguanas.
Is this the IUCN Red List page for Iguana melanoderma?
No. This is a researched catalog account. The Red List is the assessment.
Is Saban black iguana a pet?
An animal on this catalog is in crisis in the wild. Keeping one is usually the wrong question.