La Cumbre volcano
02.05.2024
La Cumbre volcano
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For the Prelims: About La Cumbre volcano, Key facts about Galápagos land iguana |
Why in the news?
Recent lava spewing from La Cumbre volcano on Galápagos Islands destroying habitat of rare land iguanas.
About La Cumbre volcano:
- It is located on Fernandina Island – the third largest island in the Galápagos Islands.
- It lies directly atop the mantle plume, or hotspot, that produced all of the Galápagos Island. It is located around 1,125 kilometers off mainland Ecuador and erupted for the first time since 2020.
- The volcano has a large crater, or caldera, at its summit that harbors a permanent crater lake. This lake attracts a wide variety of animals including tens of thousands of Galápagos land iguanas (Conolophus subcristatus) that lay their eggs in nests within the caldera.
Key facts about Galápagos land iguana
- It is one of three species of land iguana endemic to the Galapagos Islands (the others being the Santa Fe land iguana and the Galapagos pink land iguana).
- It is a very large species of lizard in the family Iguanidae. It is primarily an herbivore species.
- This large cold-blooded reptile has a mutualistic relationship with finches, which can often be seen sitting on their backs, picking ticks from between their scales.
- It is active during the day, spending their time foraging or basking on rocks; at night they sleep in burrows.
- Conservation status
○IUCN: Vulnerable
Source: Wion.com