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ers recorded near the reforestation area where we first recordedthe species.H. mabouia or their eggs were probably introduced with saplingsduring the reforestation interval in the late 1990s or early2000s (Alves 2006, op. cit.). As no harbor exists on Trindade andbecause of its steep topography, saplings were usually transportedfrom boats to the drop areas by helicopters, which would explainthe absence of H. mabouia near human settlement. Despite theabundance of the terrestrial crab, Gecarcinus lagostoma, on theisland that could prey on this lizard, a well-established populationnow exists that is apparently spreading to other areas. We alsofound 3 H. mabouia at sea level on Andradas Beach on differentoccasions at dusk and at night, roughly 400 m SE from the placewhere it was presumably first introduced. The nocturnal and crepuscularhabit of H. mabouia is well known (Rocha et al. 2002, op.cit.).Four specimens were collected and deposited in Setor deHerpetologia, Museu Nacional do Rio de Janeiro (MNRJ 17117,one juvenile collected 1 January 2007; MNRJ 17118 one adultcollected 28 February 2007), and in the Museu de Biologia Prof.Mello Leitão, Santa Teresa, Espírito Santo (MBML 2107 and 2108,one juvenile recently hatched and one adult, both collected 19 January2007). We also found exoskeleton fragments of insects andspiders underneath rocks inhabited by H. mabouia. Arthropodsare the main prey of H. mabouia in Brazil in both urban (Bonfiglioet al. 2006. Biociências, Porto Alegre 14:107–111) and less disturbedcoastal environment (Teixeira 2001, op. cit.). To our knowledge,no detailed study of the arthropods on Trindade has beenundertaken, but the island is home to varied arthropod species includingdragonflies, beetles, spiders, flies, moths, grasshoppers,and exotic cockroaches, and may include several introduced speciesas on Gough Island in the South Atlantic (Jones et al. 2003.Biol. Cons. 113:75–87). H. mabouia is expected to expand its distributionthroughout the island and arrive at the human settlementsoon. As it is the only terrestrial reptile on the island, no conservationconcern for related species as a function of H. mabouia presencecurrently exists, as has occurred on other islands (Arnold2000. Bonn. Zool. Monogr. 46:309–323), but it may represent athreat to endemic invertebrates.We thank P. Passos (MNRJ) and J. E. Simon (MBML) who assistedus with the identification on H. mabouia, and E. G. Hancockand M. P. Hayes for editorial suggestions.Submitted by LEANDRO BUGONI, University of Glasgow,Department of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, G812QQ, Glasgow, United Kingdom (e-mail:L.bugoni.1@research.gla.ac.uk); PEDRO WELFF-NETO, RuaDiógenes Nascimento das Neves, 165/ 704, CEP 29057–670,Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil.IGUANA DELICATISSIMA (Lesser Antillean Iguana). MOR-TALITY. Major natural disturbances such as hurricanes have beenreported responsible for the extirpation of island biotas (Schoeneret al. 2004. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 101:177–181) and as amechanism for overwater dispersal (Censky et al. 1998. Nature395:556). Indeed, these catastrophic disturbances can have profoundeffects on insular ecosystems and influence current biogeographicalpatterns (Spiller et al. 1998. Science 281:695–697).Though extirpations and population reductions have been inferredto be caused by catastrophic hurricanes, to our knowledge, directevidence of hurricane-induced mortality on larger squamates islacking. Here, we report direct evidence of mortality on Iguanadelicatissima caused by Hurricane Dean. The eye of HurricaneDean passed south of Dominica between St. Lucia and Martiniqueduring the morning of 17 August 2007. Hurricane Dean was aCategory 2 storm with sustained winds of ca. 160 kph.On 17 August 2007, hours after Hurricane Dean struck the Commonwealthof Dominica, SV was inspecting damage along themain western coastal road east of Layou Village. Approximately100 m N of the Layou Quarry is a 10-m wide ravine (15.3989°N,61.4236°W, datum: WGS84; elev. 20 m), which runs down theslope of the western coastal ridge to the main coastal road. Theravine is typically dry but a 1-m diameter culvert under the roadaccommodates runoff. On this day, the culvert was blocked withdebris, causing runoff to overflow the main coastal road as it madeits way toward the sea. Rapidly moving water, ca. 35 cm deep,was choked with debris including branches, leaves, and stones.Within this debris-choked flow, SV observed the head of an adultiguana (ca. 28 cm SVL) on the surface of the road being batteredby the onrushing water. The force of the water appeared to havewedged the iguana between rocks. As the iguana lacked signs ofrigor mortis or decomposition, we presumed it had recently died.However, whether the iguana was dead prior to becoming wedgedin the rocks or it drowned as a result of being trapped in the rushingwater was unclear.On 19 August 2007, CRK was inspecting hurricane damage ona communal iguana nesting area (ca. 72 m 2 ) located on the coastalslope between the main western coastal road and Batali Beach(15.4497°N, 61.4478°W; elev. 16 m). The storm caused the upperportion of the ridge to fail, resulting in a landslide of large boulders(up to 2 m long; 1 m high) and trees. The heavy rains alsocaused severe erosional rutting up to 1.5 m deep. Twenty-five tornand crushed iguana eggs with near-term neonates were countedscattered about the lower and middle portions of the slope. Onedead hatchling iguana was discovered partially unearthed whiletrapped in a 2-cm wide collapsed exit burrow located toward thelower portion of the slope. A group of dead hatchlings was found5 m above the first hatchling. Three iguanas in the group werevisible, protruding partially from the surface of the slope while 14others were entombed just under the surface. All hatchlings werefacing the same outward direction and appeared to be in the processof exiting the same ca. 10 cm wide collapsed tunnel of compressedsoil. Three hatchlings had crushed skulls. These animalsare presumed to have died in their exit burrow as a result of thelandslide.Hurricane season in the Caribbean is typically from 1 June to30 November, which encompasses the incubation and emergentperiod for I. delicatissima hatchlings, and therefore can impactnot only existing iguana populations but also the annual recruitmentof hatchlings into these populations. In fact, hurricanes havebeen implicated in population declines of I. delicatissima on thePetite Terre Islands in the French West Indies (Lorvelec et al. 2004.Rev. Ecol. Terre Vie 59:331–344). By reporting mortality in multiplelife stages (egg, hatchling, adult), our observations provideevidence for the ecological mechanisms of such population declinescaused by catastrophic disturbance.Herpetological Review 39(2), 2008 227