Loss of Reptiles Poses Threat for Small Islands Where Humans May Have Caused Extinctions

February 6, 2023 • by Esther Robards-Forbes

A new study has startling conclusions about how, on smaller islands in the Caribbean where human impact was greatest, extinctions have led to the loss of up to two-thirds of the supports for the ecosystem that native reptile species once provided there.

Stylized image showing a lesser antillian iguana vs. an invasive mongoose

Photo-Illustration: Martha Morales/The University of Texas at Austin. 


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Three birds are shown. On the left is a blue jay, which is primarily blue with some patches of white on wing tips, around the face and on the chest. On the right is a green jay, which is primarily green with a lighter colored chest and a mix of blue and black patches on the face. In the center is a hybrid bird, which is primarily blue and resembles a blue jay, but with a larger area of black on the face, more akin to a green jay.

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