GREEN IGUANAS

The green (or common) iguana (iguana iguana) is an arboreal (tree‑living) and diurnal (daylight‑active) lizard usually found at elevations below 3,000 feet in tropical and subtropical regions from northern Mexico to central South America. It is most often found in the vicinity of rivers and streams.

Iguanas have short, powerful limbs equipped with strong, sharp claws (for climbing and digging), and a long, strong tail. They can reach lengths of 6 to 6 1/2 feet. A large flap of skin (the dewlap) hangs from the throat and helps regulate body temperature. Iguanas also have a prominent crest of soft spines (longer in males) along the midline of the neck and back, beginning at the base of the skull.

Male iguanas tend to be larger and have brighter overall coloration than females. The distinct color of males is especially pronounced during the breeding season. Males tend to have larger heads than females, in part because of enlarged jowls. Both sexes have 12 to 13 prominent pores arranged in a row on the underside of both thighs. These glandular structures secrete a waxy substance with which iguanas mark their territory and identify each other. As the males mature, their "femoral pores" develop slight outward projections. This developmental modification probably enables the male to better grasp the female during copulation.

An iguana's skin is entirely covered with very tiny scales. Iguanas cannot change their coloring (as chameleons do), but certain areas of their skin can become darker when exposed to direct sunlight. Young iguanas are a uniform pale blue-green color with dark‑ringed tails. Adult coloration seems to vary tremendously by sub species (gray‑green, orange‑brown or orange‑green, patterned‑black, etc.) but all tend to exhibit dark vertical bars on the body and tail.

Vision, hearing and the sense of smell are acute. In their natural environment, iguanas tend to be very wary, hiding or fleeing at any sign of danger. Iguanas are somewhat clumsy but accomplished tree climbers. They tend to bask by day on tree branches, often over water. When frightened or threatened, they usually drop (sometimes from great heights) into the water below.

Being excellent swimmers, they quickly make their way to protective cover by pressing their front limbs along their sides and swishing their powerful tails from side to side. Iguanas can also safely land on the ground and run to protective cover after jumping from substantial heights. When threatened or cornered, iguanas can defend themselves with astonishingly quick, whip‑like lashes of their tails and with their claws and jaws.

Iguanas mate in January or February. After a pregnancy of about 2 months, the female digs in moist sand or soil, usually near the base of a tree, and deposits 25 to 45 eggs. The hatchlings, measuring 25 to 30 centimeters long, emerge in about 2 weeks. They grow 15 to 24 centimeters a year and attain sexual maturity in about 3 years.

An interesting, but unfortunate, fact is that the iguana is widely hunted throughout its range for its tender white flesh and for its alleged aphrodisiac properties. Central American natives refer to the green iguana as "bamboo chicken". Because it is timid and relatively slow, it is easily captured. Its eggs are also collected and eaten by local hunters.

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