Green Iguana

General Clasification

The Iguana is a large, arboreal herbivorous species of lizard of the genus Iguana.
Some types of iguanas live in tropical rain forests, others live in deserts, and there
are some that live on rocks along the ocean. One special adaptation they have is
that they can be different colors from bright green, to dark brown to help them hide
in grass, trees, in water, and along rocks.

Appearance

Iguanas lay up to fifty eggs at a time, and baby iguanas are usually bright green.
Iguanas can grow to be up to seven feet long if you measure them from their nose
all the way to the end of their long tail. They can live for up to twenty years. They
are cold-blooded reptiles, so they have to soak up the suns rays during the day to
stay warm when the sun sets. Iguanas can run very fast, climb trees easily with
their long claws and theyre great swimmers. If a big animal catches an iguana, its
tail can break off and it will grow back. (Smaller lizards, like anoles and
salamanders, can do this too.)

Behavior

Iguanas are omnivores. They like to eat leaves and fruits best, but they also eat
insects and sometimes they even eat small animals. When frightened by a predator,
Green Iguanas will attempt to flee, and if near a body of water, they dive into it and
swim away. If cornered by a threat, the Green Iguana will extend and display the
dewlap under its neck, stiffen and puff up its body, hiss, and bob its head at the
aggressor. If threat persists the Iguana can lash with its tail, bite and use its claws in
defense. The wounded are more inclined to fight than uninjured prey.

Green Iguanas use "head bobs" and dewlaps in a variety of ways in social
interactions, such as greeting another iguana or to court a possible mate. The
frequency and number of head bobs have particular meanings to other iguanas.

Green Iguanas are preyed upon by hawks and their fear of hawks is exploited as a
ploy to catch them in the wild. The sound of a hawk's whistle or scream makes the
iguana freeze and it becomes easier to capture.

Habitat

The habitat of iguana native to Central, South America, and the Caribbean. The
green iguana ranges over a large geographic area, from southern
Brazil and Paraguay as far north as Mexico and the Caribbean Island especially
in Puerto Rico where they are also known as "Gallina de palo" and they are very
common throughout the island where is seen as an intruder animal from South
America; and in the United States as feral populations in South Florida (including
the Florida Keys), Hawaii, and theRio Grande Valley of Texas
Breeding

Male Green Iguanas have highly developed femoral pores on the underside of their
thighs which secrete a scent (females have femoral pores, but they are smaller in
comparison to those of the males). In addition, the dorsal spines that run along a
Green iguana's back are noticeably longer and thicker in males than they are in
females, making the animals somewhat sexually dimorphic.

Green Iguanas are oviparous with females laying clutches of 20 to 71 eggs once per
year during a synchronized nesting period. The female Green iguana gives no
parental protection after egg laying, apart from defending the nesting burrow during
excavation. In Panama, the Green iguana has been observed sharing nest sites with
American crocodiles and in Honduras with Spectacled Caimans.

The hatchlings emerge from the nest after 1015 weeks of incubation. Once
hatched, the young iguanas look similar to the adults in color and shape, resembling
adult females more so than males and lacking dorsal spines.

Juveniles stay in familial groups for the first year of their lives. Male Green iguanas
in these groups often use their own bodies to shield and protect females from
predators and it appears to be the only species of reptile which does this.

Green, or common, iguanas are among the largest lizards in the Americas, averaging around 6.5 feet (2 meters) long
and weighing about 11 pounds (5 kilograms).

They are also among the most popular reptile pets in the United States, despite being quite difficult to care for
properly. In fact, most captive iguanas die within the first year, and many are either turned loose by their owners or
given to reptile rescue groups.

The green iguanas extensive range comprises the rain forests of northern Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean
Islands, and southern Brazil. They spend most of their lives in the canopy, descending only infrequently to mate, lay
eggs, or change trees.

Primarily herbivores, iguanas are active during the day, feeding on leaves, flowers, and fruit. They generally live near
water and are excellent swimmers. If threatened, they will leap from a branch, often from great heights, and escape
with a splash to the water below. They are also tough enough to land on solid ground from as high as 40 feet (12
meters) and survive.

Iguanas' stout build gives them a clumsy look, but they are fast and agile on land. They have strong jaws with razor-
sharp teeth and sharp tails, which make up half their body length and can be used as whips to drive off predators.
They can also detach their tails if caught and will grow another without permanent damage.

Other members of the iguana family include the Fiji Island banded iguana, the desert iguana, and the Galpagos
Islands marine iguana. Their appearance, behavior, and endangered status vary from species to species.
Iguana ialah sejenis kadal yang hidup di daerah tropis di Amerika Tengah, Amerika Selatan, dan Karibia.
Pertama kali mereka disebutkan oleh seorang naturalis berkebangsaan Austria Josephus Nicolaus
Laurenti pada tahun 1768. Ada 2 spesies yang berbeda dari jenis kadal ini: iguana hijau dan iguana
Antilles Kecil.

Kedua spesies kadal tersebut memiliki lipatan kulit di bawah rahang, sekumpulan kulit yang mengeras
yang berderet di punggungnya hingga ekor, dan "mata ketiga" di kepalanya. Mata ini disebut
sebagai mata parietal, yang mirip seperti tonggak di atas kepalanya. Di belakang lehernya ada sisik kecil
yang menyerupai paku panjang, dan disebut tuberculate scale. Iguana juga memiliki sisik besar bundar di
pipinya yang disebut sebagai selubung subtimpani.

Iguana memiliki penglihatan yang baik dan bisa melihat bentuk, bayangan, warna, dan gerakan pada
jarak yang jauh. Iguana menggunakan matanya untuk mengarahkannya mengarungi hutan lebat, untuk
menemukan makanan. Mereka juga menggunakan matanya untuk berkomunikasi dengan anggota
spesies yang sama.

Mereka merespon rangsangan visual berupa warna seperti jingga, kuning, merah muda, dan biru yang
terdapat pada substansi makanan mereka.

Telinga iguana disebut timpanum, yang merupakan gendang telinga iguana dan terdapat di kanan atas
selubung subtimpani dan di belakang mata. Ini adalah bagian tubuh iguana yang amat tipis dan lembut,
dan amat penting untuk pendengarannya.

Mereka sering kali sulit untuk diketahui keberadaannya karena kemampuan mereka untuk menyatu
dengan lingkungannya. Warna hijau alaminya sangat membantu dalam menyembunyikan dirinya
dari predator.