Thank you for all of your questions and comments.

We have received many questions from students over the past few days, so we decided to use today's Notes from the Trail to answer as many questions as we can.

What types of fish live in the water? Can you take pictures of them under the water?

There are hundreds of fish in the Bahamas, but some of the more common fish we might see while snorkeling in Andros include: spotted eagle rays, barracuda, parrotfish, needlefish, snappers, nassau grouper, sergeant majors, bluehead wrasse and nurse sharks. Hopefully you can research some of these fish on your own. Yes, it is possible to take pictures underwater with special waterproof cameras.

How did the iguanas escape after you spotted it? Are they really fast? Do you name them? How do you release them?

The iguanas escape after being spotted for a couple of reasons. First, they are indeed very fast and much better suited to the rocky terrain and dense vegetation than we are. So they will sometimes simply outrun us. They also know the area well and have holes they can dart into to elude us. We can sometimes pull them out of the holes, but if there is a risk to either the iguana or ourselves, we will let them go.
Once captured the iguanas are given numbers as a means of identification. This makes it easier to keep track of which iguanas we see and is also easier to work with when processing a large number of animals.

When we are finished collecting data, the iguanas are returned to the same area they were caught. One of the reasons this is done is because males are territorial, and we want to make sure they are returned to their home range.

Can you guys look at the aquatic life in the ocean like all the fish?

Since we are in the Bahamas to study iguanas, we have limited ability and time to study aquatic life also. We do have the opportunity to see dolphins, fish and invertebrates while we're aboard the research vessel. We also see a lot of plants and birds while we're looking for the iguanas on the islands.

My old teacher had an iguana for a pet. Do these make good pets?Hers was a green one.

Well, Bahamian iguanas are protected because they're endangered and therefore can't be pets. There are types of iguanas, like green iguanas, that are a better choice, but only for pet owners with a great deal of knowledge about how to keep an exotic animal like an iguana. Iguanas are very difficult to keep, requiring fresh food every day for 15-20 years. Iguanas also get very big and need a lot of room to get exercise. It's important to remember that iguanas are wild animals and will only become comfortable with humans after quite a bit of interaction.

Do you have to track the iguanas or do you just set out looking for them? When you find them, do you have to surround them and use a net, or do you just use your hands?

These iguanas don't have radio transmitters so we aren't 'tracking' them exactly. Instead we walk as a group through an area, looking all around until we spot one. This can be quite tough, because they can hold very still and their color blends very well with the vegetation.
When one of us spots an iguana we call the rest of the team to come help. We have to move carefully, because we don't want to scare it and make it run away. All of us surround the iguana, and we work to encourage it to move toward whoever has the best chance of getting their net over it. As soon as one of us gets a net on it we have to move fast to secure it, because iguanas move extremely fast.