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Shrunk Iguanas |
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Smithsonian biologist, Carole Baldwin, visited the Galapagos during and after the 1997-98 El Niño. In her journal Dr. Baldwin wrote: "A lot has changed in the six months that we've been away. After the heavy rains of El Niño, it is now about as dry as it gets. [U]pwelling has apparently resumed leading to large growths of algae.and the marine iguanas are looking nice and fat!"
On the Gal�pagos, iguanas shrink to survive food shortages. Normally, iguanas feed on algae along the island's rocky shores. But warmer than normal water, caused by an El Niño, lacks the nutrients the algae need to live. With little food available, more than 90 percent of the iguanas often die of starvation. Only the iguanas that shrink and slim down are able to survive.
Learn more about Carole Baldwin's research... |
Well-fed iguanas thrive during a non-El Niño year (middle). During an El Niño, some iguanas lose 20 percent of their body length (bottom). |
