Melanistic Lesser Antilles Iguana Iguana melanoderma

Photo: Martijn Terpstra

Classification

Iguanidae [family]

Iguana [genus] (3)

Iguanidae [family]

Iguana [genus] (3)

Recorded on	Saba
	Sint Maarten

Presence status	Indigenous (1) - Saba
	Introduced (2) - Sint Maarten

Endemic to	Lesser Antilles

Distribution description	Split from Iguana iguana in 2020; endemic to Saba and Montserrat.

Notes on presence status	Saba subpopulation is listed as Critically Endangered under criteria A3ce; B1ab(iii,v) of the IUCN Red List

Breuil, M., Schikorski, D., Vuillaume, B., Krauss, U., Morton, M.N., Corry, E., Bech, N., Jelić, M. & F. Grandjean 2020. Painted black: Iguana melanoderma (Reptilia, Squamata, Iguanidae) a new melanistic endemic species from Saba and Montserrat islands (Lesser Antilles). ZooKeys 926: 95-131. [link]
Burg, M.P. van den, Proosdij, A.S.J. van, Balborda, T.M., Boeken, M., Buurt, G. van, Freitas, J. de, Houtepen, E., Leeuwen, S.J. van, Mitchell, A., Waart, S. de & Debrot, A.O. 2025. Invasive Species: Major Threat to Caribbean Netherlands Biodiversity. In: Debrot et al. 2025. State of Nature Report for the Caribbean Netherlands 2024. C001/25: 337-351. Wageningen University and Research.