Conservation of the Remaining Population of the Critically Endangered Peters’ Ameiva in Southern Ecuador
Project objectives
This project aims to protect the Critically Endangered Peter’s Ameiva, a species with fewer than ten individuals remaining in the wild within Ecuador’s Azuay province, near Jocotoco’s Yunguilla Reserve. After being presumed extinct for 55 years, a small population was discovered in roadside patches vulnerable to predation, traffic, and habitat loss.
Threats
Habitat loss & degradation
The initial project phase succeeded in introducing two males and two females to the ex-situ reproduction program and constructing seven new terrariums. To ensure true success, the project seeks to raise awareness of the Peters’ Ameiva at the Amaru Reptile Conservation Center (ARCC), expand in-situ conservation efforts, and provide safeguards against disasters.
In the next phase, the project will conduct four field trips to install secure cages in locations where the Ameiva is found to prevent predation, gather ecological data to enhance species knowledge and raise awareness about the Peters’ Ameiva within communities through environmental education.
This project is implemented by Fundación de Conservación Jocotoco.
