Intimate Iguanas: social opportunities and mate preference improve breeding success in Caribbean iguanas

Abstract

Conservation breeding of West Indian rock iguanas (Cyclura) has met with limited success historically. Many facilities witness high levels of aggression and mate incompatibility resulting in failed breeding introductions which often require animals to be separated. This may be due, in part, to lack of knowledge of how mate familiarity and preference affect reproductive outcomes in these species. We investigated whether social exposure during the pre-breeding season influenced copulation success and breeding behaviors. Additionally, we examined whether mate preference, as determined by pre-mating dichotomous choice tests, increased these reproductive outcomes. Female Caribbean iguanas that were socialized with males prior to breeding opportunities allowed more copulations for longer periods of time than females that were not socialized. Socialization opportunities did not alter male reproductive success measurements or breeding behavior. Female iguanas introduced for mating to their preferred partners had a higher probability of successful copulations, higher average number of copulations, and less resting behavior during introductions than females mated to non-preferred males. Male mate preference had no effect on reproductive success measurements during mating introductions. These results indicate that socializing animals and providing mate choice opportunities increase breeding success of West Indian rock iguanas.