You’ve
seen them everywhere. Darting among the bushes, high up in the trees or sunning
themselves on your neighbor’s roof. Iguanas! Lovely iguanas ranging in color
from vibrant green to even orange! Iguanas look like a missing link to the
dinosaur age or like something out of a Medieval story about dragons. They may
not breathe fire, but they can pack a punch if cornered. How much do you know
about this Caribbean icon?
One
of the most surprising things about iguanas is their extensive range. Their
habit extends from Mexico all the down to Paraguay and Southern Brazil and, of
course, the Caribbean. Scientists believe that these clever creatures have
hitched rides on boats over the years, extending their range slowly but surely.
Think of them as a lizard of the High Seas!
Iguanas
live in tropical rainforest areas, generally in lower altitudes in areas near
water sources, such as rivers or streams. In South American and Central
America, they spend most of their time high in the forest canopy,
about 40-50 feet above the ground. However, the iguana can adapt to nearly any
area, as long as there is plenty of food to be found. Iguanas are omnivorous,
which means they eat both plants and meat. They tend to eat mostly plants, though,
especially leaves and fruits. Sometimes young iguanas will eat eggs, insects,
and tiny animals, like other lizards. Both male and female iguanas can store
fat under their jaws and in their necks for times when there is not much food
available. Depending on how much food there is to be had, iguanas can range in
size anywhere from six inches to a whooping six feet and eighteen pounds! In
some areas of Brazil there have been recorded accounts of iguanas reaching
seven feet! Not something you want to tangle with. Keep in mind the overall
length does include the tail, which can be as long, if not longer than the body
of the lizard. Though the Caribbean iguana is often referred to as the green
iguana, it actually comes in a variety of shades. Many green iguanas have green
coloring with black tiger stripes. Their body color can range from vibrant
green to a grayish green. On St. Maarten/St. Martin bright orange iguanas have
been spotted on the French side!
The
wonderful color variations of the iguana allow it to hide in the trees, keeping
safe from predators. They also have some great adaptations that keep them ahead
of anything that may want to hunt them. They have long fingers and claws, five
fingers on each ‘hand’. This adaptation, combined with great sense of smell and
hearing and superior sight, allows iguanas to travel through the tree tops with
surprising speed. They also use the tail as a defense weapon. The tail has a
pretty sharp edge and can be used like a whip, swiping at an attacker just like
Indiana Jones. The tail can also break off, without a lot of trouble to the
lizard, and will grow back in time. If they are spotted by a predator and need
to escape quickly, iguanas can dive from trees into water, and swim well. Green
iguanas are quite sturdy-- they can fall 40-50 feet to the ground without
getting hurt!
Like
most reptiles, iguanas are cold blooded. This means they need the warmth of the
sun to regulate body temperature. They don’t produce their own body heat. When
the weather is cool or cold, so is the iguana. So, the best way for them to
keep warm is sunbathing. The favorite past time of any iguana is lying on a
warm rock, soaking up the rays of the sun, just like tourists!
Iguanas
tend to live solitary lives, but may be seen in groups occasionally in good
sunny basking spots. Several areas on St. Maarten host dozens of lizards. As for making baby iguanas, iguanas lay many
eggs at one time, some times fifty in one clutch, in holes in the ground called
burrows. These intelligent reptiles also dig pretend burrows to confuse any
animals that may be looking for eggs to eat. After female iguanas lay the eggs,
they leave them and do not return. It takes green iguana eggs about 8-10 weeks
to hatch, then takes baby iguanas about 2 years to become mature adults. When
iguana babies hatch, they grow up without care from their parents. Even though
a female can lay many eggs, sadly only 3-10 babies actually survive to be
adults.
The
iguana is threatened by habitat destruction. The green iguana is listed as threatened
and on CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of
Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention. The main cause
is destruction of the rain forests and demands of the wildlife and pet trade. Many
people in the United States and elsewhere want an iguana for a pet, so there is
a big demand for their capture. Although many pet iguanas are now being raised
on iguana farms, capture from the wild has lowered their numbers. Now there are
captive farming operations, based in the country of origin and designed
strictly for breeding iguanas as pets. Still, this may have a negative effect
on the genetic diversity of the species, as they are being mass-produced. As
iguanas are bred in a captive area, they lose their phenotypic and genetic
diversity, as cattle do when they are raised on a farm. In attempts to conserve
this species, exporters and importers of iguanas are required to obtain permits
to move them across country borders. However, once they are in the United
States, it is legal for someone to buy them. The pet trade industry has put a
great demand on the iguana; 800,000 iguanas were imported into the U.S. in just
one year. Sadly, most captive pet iguanas don’t live more than one year, while
wild iguanas have a life span of nearly twenty years.
Many
people are trying to develop protected areas for the iguanas, and to educate
local populations about the importance of conservation. Some of these
educational programs help local populations find new ways of using the land,
without permanently destroying it. For example, for people who want to continue
to eat iguana, programs are being developed to raise these animals for food,
instead of hunting wild ones. Iguanas are hunted for meat in the tropics,
however this does not seem to have much effect on numbers. Iguana meat is less
commonly eaten because it is considered a low class food in most areas, but
some indigenous people may depend heavily on it. In
Central America, where iguana meat is frequently consumed, iguanas are referred
to as "bamboo chicken" or "chicken of the trees." Iguana eggs are sold as a novelty food. They are
boiled in salt water and sold at more than twice the price of chicken eggs by
weight.
So
the next time you see an iguana, take a moment to admire this dinosaur from
another time. Appreciate this intelligent creature and smile if you happen to
see one hanging around in the tree outside your bedroom window.
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