在加勒比海新发现的黑鬣蜥属濒危物种

在加勒比海新发现的黑鬣蜥属濒危物种

The novel reptile, Iguana melanoderma, was found on the Saba and Montserrat islands of the Lesser Antilles.

人们在小安的列斯群岛的萨巴岛和蒙特塞拉特岛发现了一种新的爬行动物——鬣蜥。

Researchers announced their discovery in the journal ZooKeys. According to the paper, the new species -- the melanistic black iguana -- is severely threatened.

研究人员在ZooKeys杂志上公布了他们的发现。根据这篇论文，这个新物种——黑鬣蜥——受到了严重的威胁。

This new melanistic taxon is threatened by unsustainable harvesting -- including for the pet trade -- and both competition and hybridization from escaped or released invasive alien iguanas, scientists wrote.

科学家们写道:“这种新的黑色素类群受到了不可持续的捕捞——包括宠物贸易——以及来自逃跑或释放的外来鬣蜥的竞争和杂交的威胁。”

The Lesser Antilles are home to three iguana species, but only one is endemic. The Lesser Antillean iguana, Iguana delicatissima, has lived among the northernmost islands of the Lesser Antilles for thousands of years. More recently, the islands have welcomed a pair of newcomers: the common iguana, Iguana iguana iguana, from South America and the green iguana, Iguana rhinolopha, from Central America.

小安的列斯群岛有三种鬣蜥，但只有一种是当地特有的。 小安德烈斯岛鬣蜥，小安德烈斯岛鬣蜥，已经在小安的列斯群岛最北端的岛屿上生活了数千年。 最近，这些岛屿迎来了一对新来者: 来自南美洲的普通鬣蜥，鬣蜥和来自中美洲的绿鬣蜥。

Physically, the new species is differentiated by a black spot located between the eye and its ear cavity. Juveniles also boast a dorsal carpet pattern that darkens as the reptiles age. Genetically, the species is marked by a series of unique mitochondrial patterns.

在体貌特征上，这个新物种是通过一个位于眼和耳腔之间的黑点来区分的。幼体的背部也有地毯图案，随着爬行动物的年龄增长而变暗。从遗传学上讲，该物种以一系列独特的线粒体模式为标志。

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the Lesser Antillean iguana remains a species of least concern, but the group's Red List fails to differentiate between different populations. In some parts of the Caribbean, such as Guadeloupe, the common iguana and the green iguana have pushed the Lesser Antillean iguana to the brink of extinction through competition and hybridization.

根据国际自然保护联盟(International Union for Conservation of Nature)的说法，较小的安提利尔鬣蜥仍然是最不受关注的物种，但该组织的红色名单未能区分不同的种群。在加勒比海的一些地区，如瓜德罗普岛，常见的鬣蜥和绿色鬣蜥已经通过竞争和杂交把较小的安地利尔岛鬣蜥推到了灭绝的边缘。

Similar trends are underway on the islands of the Lesser Antilles, and scientists worry the newly discovered melanistic black iguana will face a similar fate.

类似的趋势正在小安的列斯群岛上发生，科学家们担心新发现的黑色鬣蜥将面临类似的命运。

Researchers hope that future analysis of the region's iguana species will help scientists better differentiate endemic lineages from invasive iguanas.

研究人员希望未来对该地区鬣蜥物种的分析，可以有助于科学家更好地区分地方性鬣蜥和入侵性鬣蜥。