Green iguana

Iguana iguana · The green iguana is a large, tree-dwelling, mostly plant-eating lizard that lives from Mexico down to southern Brazil and Paraguay.

Also called American iguana, Common green iguana.

Green iguana
Photo: Wilfredor, CC0
Green iguana
Photo: Basile Morin, CC BY-SA 4.0
Green iguana
Photo: Cayambe, CC BY-SA 3.0

Taxonomy

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassReptilia
OrderSquamata
FamilyIguanidae
GenusIguana
SpeciesIguana iguana

Where it lives

Rainforest canopies from Mexico to Paraguay and the Caribbean.

Fun facts

  • Green iguanas can fall up to 15 metres (50 ft) and land unhurt, using the claws on their hind legs to clasp leaves and branches to break the fall.
  • A green iguana has a pale "third eye" on top of its head that can't form images but senses light, dark and movement, helping it spot predators stalking from above.
  • When cold nights hit Florida, iguanas can go stiff and drop from trees, and many wake up again once the daytime warms up.
  • Young iguanas often eat adults' droppings to pick up the gut microbes they need to digest their tough, plant-only diet.

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Facts and taxonomy adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).