(CMR) The Department of Environment said the invasive reptile, the Red-headed Rock Agama (Agama agama), from the family Agamidae found in most of sub-Saharan Africa, was recorded in Grand Cayman on Thursday, 25th January.
This small reptile is a species of lizard, which, due to its spectacular coloration (especially in males), is a popular animal in the pet trade. It has been introduced to southern Florida where it has established and become extremely common.
The DoE said it has long kept an eye out for the Red-headed Agama, which can worryingly be thought of as the “next green iguana.”
The first sighting was a male found in the industrial center of George Town, next to the container yard where international shipments have their first port of call in our islands. It is, therefore, highly likely to have been a one-off accidental import, highlighting the need for robust biosecurity protocols, the DoE stated.
The Department expressed thanks to Dominic Jackson, who alerted the Terrestrial Resources Unit upon spotting it. The DoE said it was able to detect and remove the animal successfully within the hour of being alerted to its presence.
The Red-headed Agama is primarily insectivorous, but they have been known to eat small mammals, small reptiles, and vegetation such as flowers, grasses, and fruits. It behaves much like our native Curly-tailed Lizard (or Lion-lizard) and would pose a serious risk to such native reptiles through competition of resources as well as a potential vector of disease. Once established, the Agamas are much harder to control than are Green Iguanas due to their smaller size, the DoE said.
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