Ex-situ conservation of Guatemalan beaded lizards at Zoológico la Aurora, Guatemala

Griffin, Rowland

rowland@explorewithindigo.com

Director of Conservation

Parque Zoológico Nacional la Aurora Guatemala City, Guatemala

The Guatemalan Beaded Lizard (Heloderma charlesbogerti) is an endemic restricted to the dry thorn scrub of Guatemala. Fewer than 600 individuals are estimated to currently exist in the wild. With continued loss of habitat contributing to an increasingly restricted distribution, this species and its habitat are subject to a National Conservation Strategy that was inaugurated in 2019. The strategy includes an ex-situ reintroduction component, alongside educational and habitat restoration strategies. Having maintained beaded lizards in its collection for over 20 years, Zoológico la Aurora has been charged with the task of reproducing the species in captivity with the intention of releasing the resulting offspring into the wild. We will discuss the challenges and successes of this landmark project and the involvement of both domestic and international collaborators that are helping the project to be realised.