IGUANA

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Iguanidae
Genus: Iguana
Scientific Name: Iguana Iguana
Type: Reptile
Diet: Omnivore
Size: 0.91-1.83m (3-6ft)
Weight: 4-8kg (8.8-17.6lbs)
Top Speed: 35km/h (21mph)
Life Span: 15-20 years
Lifestyle: Solitary
Conservation
Threatened
Status:
Iguanas are native to
central and south
the Caribbean. The
docile species of
that iguanas are often
when keeping exotic
Iguanas have
allowing the iguana to
movement from
distances. The iguana
to seek out prey and
approaching predators
predators has even
iguana.

Colour: Green, Brown, Yellow

Skin Type: Scales
Favourite Food: Insects
Habitat:

Lowland tropical
rainforest near water

Average Litter
3
Size:
Main Prey: Insects, Fruit, Leaves
Predators: Hawk, Eagle, Snakes
Special Features:

Long tongue and change

skin colour with mood

the jungles of
America, and
iguana is a large
lizard, meaning
a popular choice
pets.
excellent sight
detect
incredibly long
can use this skill
be aware of
often before the
noticed the

It is said that the iguana uses visual signals to communicate with other iguanas. The
iguanas do this through a series a rapid eye movements that other iguanas are able
to pick up on easily due to the excellent sight of the iguana.
Green Iguanas are forest dwelling lizards that live high in the tree canopy of the
South American rainforest. Young iguanas get to grips with tree top living by staying

in areas lower in the canopies while older mature adult iguanas reside higher up in
the tree tops. This tree dwelling habit allows the iguana to bask in the sun, with little
need to go down to the forest floor below. The only real exception to this is when the
female iguanas must come down from their sky high home in order to dig burrows in
which the female iguanas lay their eggs.
Although iguanas tend to prefer the forest environment, iguanas can adjust well to a
more open areas. However, wherever the iguanas inhabit, iguanas prefer to have
water around them as iguanas are excellent swimmers and will often dive beneath
the water to avoid oncoming predators.
Although iguanas are classed as omnivores, most iguana individuals in the wild, tend
to enjoy a very herbivorous diet, with ripened fruit being one of the iguanas favourite
foods along with leafy green plants. Most mature adult iguanas weigh around 4 kg,
but it is not uncommon for large, healthy iguanas where food is in good supply, to
weigh up to 8 kg and grow to over 2 meters in length.
Due to the natural green and brown colours of the scales of the iguana, iguanas are
easily able to make themselves invisible to predators. Iguanas do this well as the
iguana blends extremely effectively into the surrounding forest and the iguana will
then remain extremely still until the predator has passed. Iguanas will often chose
basking spots on those tree branches that hang over water so that if the iguana does
feel threated, the iguana can leap from the tree into the water and therefore the
iguana can quickly escape oncoming danger

OKRA

Species information

Taxonomy

Scientific name:

Class:

Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench

Equisetopsida

Common name:

Subclass:

okra, ladys fingers, gumbo, okro

(English); gombo, gumbo (French);
bandakai, bindi (India); Kachang bendi
(Malay); quimgomb (Spanish).

Magnoliidae

Conservation status:

Order:

Widespread in cultivation.

Malvales

Key Uses:

Family:

Food, fibre, traditional medicine.

Malvaceae

Known hazards:

Genus: Abelmoschus

Irritating hairs are sometimes present on

leaves and stems, and traces of alkaloid
have been reported in leaves.

Geography and distribution

Superorder:
Rosanae

Available evidence suggests that okra originated in Africa, where the vast majority of
primitive forms and wild relatives are found. It is thought likely to have come from the
Sahel region, south of the Sahara (from Mali eastwards to Ethiopia).
Many publications give India as the country of origin, but this is more likely to be a
reflection of where it is currently used. There are no names for okra in the classical
languages of the Indo-Persian area, suggesting that it probably did not originate
there. Later it was introduced to the Americas during the slave trade.
Okra is widespread in cultivation in the tropics, subtropics and warmer temperate
zones. It is particularly popular in Africa, India, the Philippines, Thailand, Brazil,
Turkey, Spain and the southern USA. It is naturalised in some areas.
The related species West African okra (Abelmoschus manihot) is restricted to the
humid and perhumid (wettest) climates of Africa.
Overview: An annual, erect herb up to 5 m (but typically about 2 m) tall. Stems
succulent with scattered, stiff hairs. The whole plant has an aromatic smell
resembling cloves.
Leaves: Up to 50 cm wide and 35 cm long, deeply lobed, with toothed margins, hairy
on both surfaces, especially on the nerves. Each leaf is borne on a petiole (leaf stalk)
up to 50 cm long.
Flowers: Showy, up to 8 cm in diameter, usually yellow with a dark red, purple or
mauve centre, borne on a stout flower stalk (peduncle) up to 4 cm long. Stamens
(male parts) united into a white, hairless column up to 2.5 cm long. Stigmas (female
parts) dark purple. Calyx (whorl of sepals) and epicalyx (whorl of bracts) both
present.
Fruits: A capsule, 1020 cm long, roughly circular in cross-section with a pointed
end, usually 5-ribbed, borne at the leaf axils. Immature fruit can be purple-red,
reddish-green, dark green, pale green or yellow. At maturity, fruits turn brown and
split into segments.
Seeds: Each fruit has up to 100 spherical or ovoid seeds bearing minute warts in
concentric rows.
Many cultivars are available, for example Clemson Spineless, Indiana, Emerald
(USA) and Pusa Sawani (India).