CR

Haensch's Whorltail Iguana

Stenocercus haenschi

Unknown

Overview

Haensch's whorltail iguana is a species of lizard in the family Tropiduridae. The species is native to Ecuador.

Stenocercus haenschi faces severe threats from rapid habitat destruction in Ecuador's coastal dry forests, one of the world's most endangered ecosystems. Urban expansion and agricultural conversion have eliminated most of its original habitat, while the species' extremely limited range makes it particularly vulnerable to local extinctions. Climate change poses additional pressure through altered precipitation patterns affecting the dry forest ecosystem this lizard depends upon.

Threat summary

Habitat

This endemic lizard inhabits Ecuador's coastal dry forests and scrublands, particularly areas with dense vegetation cover and rocky outcrops. It requires well-preserved forest structure with adequate canopy cover and leaf litter for foraging and shelter.

Forest· major

Conservation measures underway

Species recovery

Other threatened species in TROPIDURIDAE

Peracca's Whorltail IguanaVU

Peracca's Whorltail Iguana

Stenocercus festae

Unknown
CR

Leiocephalus altavelensis

Unknown
CR

Central Haitian Curlytail

Leiocephalus endomychus

Declining
VU

Turks and Caicos Curlytail

Leiocephalus psammodromus

Declining

Threatened in Ecuador

EN

Puya fastuosa

Unknown
VU

Diospyros esmereg

Declining
VU

Copper Shark

Carcharhinus brachyurus

Declining
EN

Baird's Tapir

Tapirus bairdii

Declining

Frequently asked questions

Why is Haensch's Whorltail Iguana classified as Critically Endangered?
Haensch's Whorltail Iguana is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Stenocercus haenschi faces severe threats from rapid habitat destruction in Ecuador's coastal dry forests, one of the world's most endangered ecosystems. Urban expansion and agricultural conversion have eliminated most of its original habitat, while the species' extremely limited range makes it particularly vulnerable to local extinctions. Climate change poses additional pressure through altered precipitation patterns affecting the dry forest ecosystem this lizard depends upon.
Where does Haensch's Whorltail Iguana live?
Haensch's Whorltail Iguana occurs in Ecuador. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Haensch's Whorltail Iguana?
The main threats to Haensch's Whorltail Iguana are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

Get weekly conservation intelligence

One short digest a week of the most striking species and country data we ship, plus breaking conservation news paired with our database where it matters.

Free, no spam. One-click unsubscribe in every email.