Conservation in ACTION

Committed to biodiversity conservation, Paso Pacífico conducts a wide range of research to identify and understand the flora and fauna of the Paso del Istmo. We consider different elements of wildlife across the landscape: birds, bats, bugs, and herps (amphibians and reptiles).

Herpetology is important to our mission, because amphibians, especially, are sensitive to environmental change. In addition to the sea turtles we've protected since our inception, we are currently studying three other herp species: the robber frog, the spiny-tailed iguana, and the Neotropical wood turtle.

Now that we know the endangered Robber frog's range includes the Paso del Istmo (a recent discovery), we will map their habitat and assess the impacts of the Chytrid fungus infection on their populations. To ensure healthy habitat for the Robber frog (Craugastor) Paso Pacífico's rangers are cooperating with landowners to improve stream protection and conducting stream monitoring with Junior Rangers.

Another species on our herp list is the Five-keeled Spiny-tailed iguana (Ctenosaura quinquecarinata). Endangered and endemic to Nicaragua's dry forests, this semi-arboreal species relies on tree cavities for nesting. In addition to facing habitat loss, Chola Chata iguanas (as they're locally known) are mistakenly considered venomous and are sometimes killed in a misguided effort to protect cattle. Not only will we expand our existing reforestation efforts with iguana habitat in mind, we will include iguana education in our environmental outreach efforts.

Next month, Kim Williams-Guillén will assemble her crack team of field herpetologists, including the esteemed iguana expert Cesar Otero Ortuño, to understand these animals who, in turn, will help us understand Nicaragua's forests and watersheds.

Funding for these projects comes from the International Iguana Foundation (IIF, the Turtle Conservancy, and Wildlife Without Borders: Working with people to conserve nature.

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Paso Pacífico in the News

Last month, we observed Earth Day with a community clean-up of Managua's Laguna de Tiscapa. Joining us were partners and sponsors FONARE, Recicla Nica, Comite Ballena Azul, Casco Safety, Café Las Flores, and Proyecto Tesón.



Thanks to 88 volunteers and with assistance from the Nicaraguan army, we cleaned up 18 cubic meters of trash from 750 meters of shore along Laguna de Tiscapa.

This effort was a great way to wrap a year of concentrated efforts to educate Nicaraguans about better water supply and solid waste management.

La Prensa Coverage
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Partnerships make it possible

Recent years have seen an influx of Painted wood turtles on the U.S. Market. Related to three other species of wood turtles considered Near Threatened, the Painted wood turtle (Rhinoclemmys pulcherrima manni) has not been assessed by the IUCN Red List.



Working with the Turtle Conservancy, we are studying Central American wood turtles, native to the dense tropical forested areas of Nicaragua. Our goal is to determine the viability of local populations and to gauge the sustainability of the turtle trade, especially in the face of increasingly fragmented habitat.



Read more about our joint effort to understand how the international trade is affecting turtle populations.