The natural environment of the Spotted Butterfly Lizard [Leiolepis guttata (Cuvier, 1829), Leiolepidinae, Agamidae, Iguania, Sauria, Diapsida, Squamata, Reptilia] in South-central Vietnam

peer reviewedAprès avoir esquissé l’intérêt actuel porté à Leiolepis guttata, sa distribution naturelle est actualisée. Le climatope des stations concernées est défini. Les unités géomorphologiques qui s’y observent sont énumérées et les formations végétales décrites. La flore des sites naturels est dressée à partir de la littérature et de relevés effectués sur une dizaine de sites. La pédologie et la végétation d’une station naturelle sont décrites. La discussion aborde le régime alimentaire de l’espèce en milieu naturel et sa survie dans l’évolution climatique prédite et en réponse à la pression anthropique subie tant par la chasse que par la dégradation des écosystèmes naturels

Commercialisation et élevage de Leiolepis guttata dans la province de Binh Thuan, Vietnam : implication pour sa conservation

Since the first Indochinese war, natural populations of Leiolepis guttata have been hunted for their meat in southeastern Vietnam as a subsistence meal; nowadays, it has become a luxury delicacy. Commercial farms have become established since 2004 because of wild population declines and increasing demand for meat. We interviewed farmers and restaurateurs about the breeding and trade of the species to better understand the impact on wild populations. The results highlight the recent flourishing expansion of farming with rapidly increasing product prices and number of farms, as well as the ease and profitability of this activity. Wild population declines are widely acknowledged by authorities and local communities. Farms are being regarded as conservation pools to offset wild stock depletion, in addition to an important source of income. We discuss the risks associated with this trade development and we emphasize the conservation implications. Demand for lizards as founders for farms and for meat are likely to increase further, but risks exist that the development of new farms would saturate the market causing prices to ultimately fall. Habitat destruction and over-collecting severely reduce wild populations, but the high densities of farmed lizards raise serious genetic and sanitary issues. We suggest that further information should be collected to assess the sustainability of this trade. Priority should be given to the assessment of natural population densities and hunting effort. Biological patterns of this species are poorly documented and sound knowledge would enable better management of farms, and if this species is recognized as endangered could lead restrictions on harvesting of wild populations

Leiolepis guttata (Cuvier, 1829): from the wild to the captive breeding; ethology, ecology and its functional role in ecosystems

peer reviewe

Recommendations for the building of two types of enclosures for rearing of the spotted butterfly lizard, Leiolepis guttata (Cuvier, 1829), suitable with the environmental conditions and the investing capital in Bac Binh district, Binh Thuan province

peer reviewedBuilding of an enclosure for rearing of the spotted butterfly lizard, Leiolepis guttata (Cuvier, 1829), by the first farmer in 2004 (in Hong Chinh commune, Hoa Thang ward, Bac Binh district, Binh Thuan province) is considered as a fortuitous discovery which was the initiator of the current expanding trend of its rearing. Because L. guttata is a wild animal, with strong disease resistance and adaptation capacity, livestock farmers are presently not very interested in important aspects: rearing techniques, enclosure’s types, sex ratio, diseases’ prevention, etc. Notably the building of enclosures not perfectly suitable breeds a noticeable loss of the number of lizards and a reduction in the profits for the farmers. To this end, the building of two types of enclosures adapted to local rearing conditions and the investing capital available in Bac Binh district, Binh Thuan province is presently essential. We descrite two types of enclosure: the first one surrounded by a bricks (or breeze blocks) wall, the second one fended by a fiber cement corrugated sheets wall. Moreover, we suggest to introduce plants in order to build a vegetal cover nearer to the natural environment of L. guttata: shrubs and a plant carpet becoming the preferential refuge area of the spotted butterfly lizard