Experts say that May and June are the hatching periods, the best time to catch larvae and juveniles.
Taiwan has announced it will cull 120,000 green iguanas with local governments asking the public to help identify iguana nests, and fishing spears as the most humane means of killing the animals. As suggested.
About 200,000 reptiles are found in the southern and central regions of the island, which are heavily dependent on farming, the Taiwan Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency said.
Specially recruited hunting teams killed about 70,000 iguanas last year, with rewards of up to $15 each.
“Many people bought them as cute little pets, not realizing how big and long-lived they would become, so they released them into the wild, where they really thrive,” said Li Chi Ya. have taken to the environment in Taiwan,” said Li Chi Ya. of the Department of Agriculture in the southern county of Pingtung.
“This has allowed them to reproduce at such a high rate, we need to eliminate them and restore the balance of nature.”
Green iguanas have no natural predators in Taiwan and have migrated to areas that may be difficult to access, mostly forests and on the fringes of cities.
Males can grow up to two meters (6.6 feet) long, weigh 5 kilograms (11 pounds) and live up to 20 years, while females can lay up to 80 eggs at a time.
Mainly native to Central America and the Caribbean, they are not aggressive despite having a sharp tail and jaws and razor-like teeth. Reptiles survive mostly on a diet of fruits, leaves, and plants, with the occasional addition of small animals.
Although popular as pets, they are difficult to keep healthy in captivity and many die within a year.
May and June are the green iguana’s spawning periods, the most suitable for catching larvae and juveniles to prevent their spread and reproduction, Taiwan News website quoted Tainan Agriculture Bureau official Chu Qianming as saying. Make time.
