Male and female iguanas on the tourist islands had higher uric acid levels, as a result of feeding on animal protein such as ground beef, provided by the tourists. Males had raised cholesterol concentrations, also as a result of meat in their diet.
The Red List does highlight some great conservation successes, but the IUCN is clear that the message remains bleak.
Sadly, poaching remains a problem, not for food but for Chinese traditional medicine. The translucent, foot-long horns belonging to the males are ground into a powder and used for the treatment of headaches and fever, and a pound of powder can fetch US$2,000.
The situation is particularly serious in west and central Africa, where lions are almost extinct as a result of illegal killing and the loss of prey and habitat.
People living in and around the Mara can harm or help wildlife, but current trends on the western edge of the reserve are at a crossroads.
In all regions across the continent, there is no single cause of the decline, however, they do all appear to be linked by rising temperatures caused by climate change.
When the time that plants are most nutritious differs from the time the animals need their nutrients the most, it is known as a trophic mismatch.
The native small mammals vanished extremely quickly. In fragments less than 10 hectares, they disappeared almost entirely within 5 years. By 25 years only a handful were left, on average less than one individual per island
The population of the Bonelli’s Eagle is experiencing a decreasing population trend. It is most at risk in western Europe and is one of France’s most threatened species.
Like many other baleen whales, blue whales accumulate layers of wax, lipids and keratin protein in their ear canals, which build up over time to form long earplugs.