Adam Hogge 11 November 2013 Bio Lab 1615 Monday 7-9:50pm

Ricords Iguana Outline Ricords Iguana lives in the Dominican Republic and its environment includes a valley, a mountain range and a lake all of which are very near to each other. They are considered endangered because the fall prey to domestic animals and because they compete for food sources. Along with endangerment, Parque Zoologico Nacional started a Captive Breeding Program where they can further protect Ricords Iguana. These programs are also useful for educating the community and others and creating awareness. The primary goal of the Captive Breeding Program is to obtain data and aid these Iguanas in their fight for life, while the objective of the study is to establish a baseline morphometric data and plasma biochemistry values. Morphometric data is a measurement of the form of organisms or of their parts. Materials and Methods: The Program has captured on four separate trips from 2000-2002 twenty-three Ricords iguana. The iguanas were captured with the appropriate permits of the area and nation to which the study occurred. The method and technique of capture included the use of a pole noose. Upon capture, the iguanas were processed and released within an hour and returned to the same location where they were captured. Specialists used manual restraint while doctors and veterinarians assessed the iguanas health overall.

Adam Hogge 11 November 2013 Bio Lab 1615 Monday 7-9:50pm

Each iguana was marked both internally and externally to avoid the event of a recapture. When marked internally, each iguana was labelled with a PIT tag which is "A combined receiver and transmitter whose function is to transmit signals automatically when triggered by an interrogator". All personnel were trained on safety and how to perform a sample collection. Blood samples were collected from each iguana captured PIT tagged. The process of plasma extract and testing was performed within 8 hours and 1 month after direct collection. Within 2 weeks of collection from the Ricords Iguana, Microbiological Analysis Sample were extracted and tested. A series of tests and processes were taken to identify bacterial organisms. All data was entered into a computerized spreadsheet for easy access. Results: In order to view outliers, body weight, snout-vent length, and tail length were all compared. Bad conditions, such as: weather, environmental, physical health, etc., made data hard to read or unreadable in some cases. After examination and study, there was no statistically alarming difference between male and female. Microorganisms were recorded and listed in Table 3 of their data. Discussion: Seasonal effects, such as dry summers or harsh winters in rain season were not considered in the experiment. When blood was collected,

Adam Hogge 11 November 2013 Bio Lab 1615 Monday 7-9:50pm

plasma could not be spun until the end of the day; i.e. 8 hours after collection. In the condition of the Ricords Iguana, capture-related stress could skew results related to muscle associated enzymes. Due to exotic and differing climate, iguanas have adapted differently from one another which might be the cause to the change in plasma results found.

Adam Hogge 11 November 2013 Bio Lab 1615 Monday 7-9:50pm

Works Cited http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1638/1042260%282007%2938%5B414%3ABRIAIM%5D2.0.CO%3B2 http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/morphometry http://www.wyremicrodesign.co.uk/HowPitTagsWork.htm