Animal Biology

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• Scientific Name: Iguanidae
• Common Names: Common Iguana (for green iguana)
• Order: Squamata
• Basic Animal Group: Reptile
• Size: Up to 5 to 7 feet (green iguana)
• Weight: Up to 30 pounds
• Life Span: 4 to 40 years on average depending on species
• Diet: Fruits, flowers, leaves, insects, and snails
• Habitat: Rainforests, lowlands

Iguanas are cold-blooded, egg-laying animals and are some of the largest lizards found in the Americas. Their size, color, behavior, and unique adaptations vary depending on the species. Some, like the . The most abundant and well-known type of iguana is the green iguana (Iguana iguana). Their average size is 6.6 feet, and they weigh up to 11 pounds. Their green color helps camouflage them in undergrowth, and they have a row of spines on their body which function as defense.

Diet and Behavior

Most iguana species are herbivores, eating young leaves, fruits, and flowers. Some eat insects like the wax worm, while marine iguanas dive into the ocean to harvest algae from plants. Some species house bacteria in their digestive systems which allow them to ferment the plant material they eat.

Green iguanas are omnivores when they are young but shift to almost entirely herbivorous diets as adults. Young green iguanas eat mostly insects and snails and shift to eating fruits, flowers, and leaves as adults. They have sharp teeth that allow them to shred leaves. Green iguanas also live high in the tree canopy and inhabit higher altitudes as they grow older. Another interesting fact about iguanas is that they can detach their tails when in danger and regrow them later.

Reproduction and Offspring

Iguanas generally reach the age of sexual maturity at 2 to 3 years and can lay anywhere from 5 to 40 eggs per clutch depending on the species. For green iguanas, males establish mating pairs with females during the rainy season and leave the tree tops to fertilize the eggs during the beginning of the dry season.

Most iguana species dig a burrow in sunny areas to lay their eggs inside and cover them. The ideal temperature range for incubation of these eggs is between 77 to 89 degrees Fahrenheit. After 65 to 115 days, depending on the species, these young hatch at the same time. After digging out of their burrows, the newly hatched iguanas begin their lives on their own.

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