Context:
Lava spewing from volcano on Galápagos Islands destroying habitat of rare land iguanas.
La Cumbre volcano:
- Located on – Fernandina Island, the 3rd largest island in the Galapagos Islands
- Galapagos Islands – A UNESCO heritage site that lies 1,000 km from the coast of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean.
- Impact – Damaged the island’s endemic endemic vegetation, including the habitat of the land iguanas
Land iguanas:
- Yellow coloured reptiles
- Endemic to – Galapagos Islands
- Habitat – Dry lowlands of the islands of Fernandina, Isabela, Santa Cruz, North Seymour, Baltra, and South Plaza.
- Other important features –
- Nest and lay eggs on the rim of the volcano’s large crater or caldera and deep within it.
- Being cold-blooded, they absorb heat from the sun by basking on volcanic rock, and at night sleep in burrows to conserve their body heat.
- Oviparous – Producing eggs that hatch outside the body of the mother.
- Precocial – Hatched or born in an advanced state and able to feed itself and move independently almost immediately
- IUCN Status – Vulnerable
Source: WION
Previous Year Question
Consider the following statements:
1. The Barren Island volcano is an active volcano located in Indian territory.
2. Barren Island lies about 140 km east of Great Nicobar.
3. The last time the Barren Island volcano erupted was in 1991 and it has remained inactive since then.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
[UPSC Civil Service Exam – 2018 Prelims]
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3
(c) 3 only
(d) 1 and 3
Answer: (a)
Explanation:
Statement 2 is not correct. The Barren Island lies about 140 Km from Port Blair.
Statement 3 is not correct. The last time the Barren Island volcano erupted was in 2018.
