iguana

a general term used for three types of iguana: a kind of animal – reptile – looks like (resembles) a large lizard – coldblooded (the temperature of the blood changes depending on the weather, unlike the mammals in which the temperature of blood stays the same in any weather; the present name for ‘coldblooded’ animals is ‘echtotherms’)

I.

(A)  marine iguana

(also called ‘Galapagos marine iguana’) 1½ to 3 feet long (the tail being half the total length), and weighs 1-2 Kg., (males much larger than females) usually grey in colour (males become more colourful during mating season); large conical head with blunt, smashed-in snout (mouth and nose part); body covered in scales, with long thick (spike-like scales) spines running along the back, from head to tail; four short legs, with five long clawed toes on each foot; long pointed tail; feeds on (eats) only the algae and seaweeds in the salt water; lives for 5-12 years; found only on the Galapagos Islands, a group of islands near South America in the Pacific Ocean

Special Features:

Marine iguanas are found only on the Galapagos Islands in Pacific Ocean.

They look ugly and weird but are gentle and harmless; the males become aggressive only during the mating season.  The males also become colourful during mating season!

Marine iguanas live on land, but feed in sea water; and to remove the salt from their body, they ‘sneeze’!

excess salt — wigs

And the excess salt, in the form of white substance, is spat out ‘sneezed out’, sometimes falling on its own head which looks like white patches which are called ‘wigs’!

The colour and size of these iguanas differ from island to island!

(B)  land iguana

(also called ‘Galapagos land iguana’)

almost similar to the ‘marine iguana’ in length and weight;  brownish-red above and yellowish-orange below; size: 3-5 feet long, and weighs 8-10 Kg.; feeds mostly on (eats) cactus plants, and very occasionally some insects, worms and carrion (= dead bodies of other animals);

lives for about 40-60 years; found only on the Galapagos Islands, like the marine iguana (in fact, the marine iguanas and the land iguanas live almost side by side)

II.

green iguana

(also known as ‘common iguana’)

large long body covered with rough scales, and a line of long spines running along the back from head to tail; large more-conical shaped head with a slightly pointed snout (mouth and nose part), a large dew-lap (= a fold of thick skin hanging loose from the jaw and neck); different colours; size; on average 5 feet long, including the long tail, and weighs about 10 Kg.; feeds on (eats) plants and plant matter – leaves, fruit, flowers; native to Central and South America, and southern part of the USA

Special Features:

Though they are called ‘green iguanas’, they are found in different colours – reddish-brown, yellowish-green, etc!

Green iguanas are a food source to the local communities in S. America, and are kept as pets in most parts of the world, especially in the USA!

Green iguanas use their dew-lap to scare away any predators!  And the males of green iguanas are the only reptiles that are known to shield the females from predators with their bodies!!

Green iguanas do not get hurt even when they accidentally fall from trees from heights of 50 metres or so!

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