This once-rare lizard bounced on Sombrero Island back from the brink of extinction

In 2018, fewer than 100 Sombrero ground lizards remained on Sombrero Island—but now, more than 1,600 of the critically endangered reptiles are scampering around the limestone landscape.

Biologists are celebrating the recovery of the Sombrero ground lizard (Pholidoscelis corvinus), a critically endangered reptile that’s endemic to Sombrero Island—meaning it can’t be found anywhere else on Earth. And, just years ago, the creature had been nearly wiped out from its home.