After traveling 1,800 miles from Mexico to Sterling Heights, an immigrant iguana is staying in Michigan for good.
 

Earlier this month, the rare reptile was moved from the Sterling Heights Nature Center to the Detroit Zoo -- only this time, the reptile didn't have to travel in the cargo hold of a truck.

Workers at Ford Motor *** Van Dyke Transmission Plant discovered the Yucatan spiny-tailed iguana July 29.

You can find the full article here. Ford also issued the following press release.


Rare Reptile Found on Loading Dock at Ford Plant

ROYAL OAK, Mich., August 25, 2010 – A rare reptile, believed to be a stowaway in a shipment of auto parts from Mexico, has found a new home at the Detroit Zoo.  A Yucatan spiny-tailed iguana was spotted scurrying across the loading dock at the Ford Motor Company’s Van Dyke Transmission Plant on July 29.  The reptile can only be found in a 1,200-square-mile range of the Yucatan Peninsula.

After discovering the surprise visitor, a safety engineer at the Ford plant called Sterling Heights Animal Control, who helped relocate the iguana to a temporary home at the Sterling Heights Nature Center.  The Detroit Zoological Society (DZS) was contacted the next day and was asked to provide the fugitive reptile with a permanent home.
 
The DZS is frequently asked to help with the rescue of exotic animals from private owners, pseudo-sanctuaries, circuses and roadside zoos.  “This is a unique and rare rescue situation.  This particular species is from a localized area in Mexico and it’s uncommon to see them in zoos,” said Curator of Reptiles Jeff Jundt.
 
The Yucatan spiny-tailed iguana (Ctenosaura defensor) is one of the smallest iguana species, only growing up to a foot long.  Its body sports a variety of colors, including a black chest with white spots, gray tail with a blue tint and a red lower back.  The species sometimes uses its tail, covered with spiny scales, for defense by lashing it back and forth.
 
The iguana, an adult male, is currently in quarantine to make certain it is healthy before joining the Detroit Zoo’s black iguana in the fall at the Holden Museum of Living Reptiles.
 
The Detroit Zoological Society is a non-profit organization that operates the Detroit Zoo and Belle Isle Nature Zoo. Situated on 125 acres of naturalistic exhibits, the Detroit Zoo is located at the intersection of 10 Mile Road and Woodward Avenue, just off I-696, in Royal Oak. The Detroit Zoo is open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. April through Labor Day (with extended hours until 8 p.m. Wednesdays during July and August), 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. the day after Labor Day through October and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. November through March. Admission is $11 for adults 15 to 61, $9 for senior citizens 62 and older, and $7 for children ages 2 to 14; children under 2 are free. The Belle Isle Nature Zoo is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. year-round; admission is free. For more information, call (248) 541-5717 or visit www.detroitzoo.org.


Source: Ford