Agamas, Iguanas, and the Vulnerability of Endemic Herpetofauna in the Comoros Archipelago to Environmental Change

Kathleen Webster, PhD Student

Biology
Mentor: Lisa Barrow

The herpetofauna native to the Comoros Archipelago in the Western Indian Ocean displays extremely high levels of endemism.

However, these unique reptiles and amphibians also face an increased extinction risk due to anthropogenic pressures combined with the natural constraints of insularity. In a timely response to rising concern about their future on these islands, my dissertation research aims to assess the vulnerability of native herpetofauna to three main forms of environmental change: habitat modification, climate change, and invasive species.

My research also takes a closer look at the interaction between the globally invasive Peter’s Rock Agama (Agama picticauda) and the imperiled Comoros Iguana (Oplurus cuvieri comorensis) endemic to the Comoros. I will present an overview of my dissertation research in addition to sharing some preliminary results and fieldwork anecdotes.