El Criadero de Iguanas

So last weekend we took a quick trip about 30 minutes east of Puerto Escondido - to visit a seat-of-the-pants iguana farm run by a veteranarian/university professor/conservationist named Elpidio Marcelino Lopez Reyes. We spent time afterward at a secluded beach nearby, Agua Blanca, where huge surf pounded the coastline.

La Criedero de Iguana is a small site located along a river very close to the ocean. The land is rented, about 20 or so acres, though the facilities itself is located on probably just 3-4 acres. There are two types of iguanas in this area - the dark iguana and the green. Both are endanger of extinction -  in part due to habitat loss and in part because people here have hunted them for food for a very long time. They say that it tastes like chicken (just kidding).

Anyway, the facility is super-low budget - it contains a few cages and reproduction areas (they lay and bury soft eggs in the late winter). There are a couple of volunteers who live next to the site, and I think are related to the doctor.

We had the good fortune of meeting Elpidio - he just happened to be there when we visited. He is super-busy - he works as a veteranarian locally. He also is professor who gives classes in Oaxaca, 7 hours away. He also manages the turtle restoration efforts on the coast - helping to protect and restore the ocean-going tortugas and re-educate the local population to help conserve them. Historically, the eggs have been considered a delicacy and an aphrodisiac; and the turtles themselves, some of which grow to hundreds of pounds, has been a source of fresh protein.

Anyways - below are some photos from the criadero and Agua Blanca.

Dr. Lopez Reyes with Team Bogaard.

This is a 3-y.o. green iguana. It will soon be released back into the wilds locally. The criadero had scores of 3 y.o's as well as 2 y.o's

Close-up of a green. They get to be about 1.5 meters/

This is a dark iguana - more rare, more shy. Head to tail, they can grow to 2 meters in length.

This is the shedded skin of a dark iguana.

This is one of the volunteers preparing some food for the young, still-caged iguanas.

The site was filled with free-ranging iguanas. The trees were filled with them. This is a large green iguana.

We were there at feeding time. Dozens of iguanas came flying out of the trees to feed.

This is a coconut that has sprouted recently.

This area is filled with cicadas. Here are a few shells of the wingless insects, after they emerged with wings and took flight.

This is a photo of David, a surfer from B.C. that we spent some time chatting with at Agua Blanca. He had spent lots of time on this coast, and had lots if insight and some crazy stories.