ANGUILLA— The current health and population status of the Sombrero ground lizard is being actively monitored by the Anguilla National Trust (ANT). This species of lizard is only found on Sombrero Island which is part of the British Overseas Territory of Anguilla.
In 2007 the Government of Anguilla (GoA) declared Sombrero Island, and its surrounding waters, a nature reserve marine park, signaling its commitment to protect the island’s globally and regionally in view of its significant seabird nesting populations, along with its endangered and endemic lizards. It was designated a world heritage site in May 2018.
On Thursday, August 22, ANT staff along with volunteers from both Anguilla and St Barts took the thirty-four mile trip from Anguilla to Sombrero to begin a phased process of tallying the total count of these ‘one-of–a-kind’ lizards on the island, as well as assessing their health and general wellbeing. The ANT will continue to collect data for an undefined period of time until they are confident that their information reflects a true picture of the lizards’ current status. The results will then be compared to the last assessment of the lizards compiled and published in 1995. The current study is expected to be completed and published in the first half of 2020.
The initial task of counting the reptiles consisted of two-person teams spreading out across the width of the barren and rocky island and walking in unison from one end to the other in search of the reptiles. While difficult to spot due their natural tendency to hide under the rocks, and blend into the barren landscape, those identified were marked with drops of fluorescent orange and yellow colouring, and GPS readings taken of their locations. These measures will facilitate the necessary observational follow-up and study.
Sombrero Island is known for its lighthouse which marks the Anegada Passage which is the shipping route from Europe into the Caribbean. The first lighthouse, erected in 1868, was damaged in 1960 by Hurricane Donna. Replaced in 1962, workers continued to rotate to the island to maintain the lighthouse until 2001 when a new automated tower was installed. The island is now uninhabited, with the exception of a large number of birds and the Sombrero Island ground lizards.
– Press Release
