Green Iguana | Tropical habitats, Facts & herbivorous diet

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The reptile Green Iguana is a fairly large lizard that has gained popularity as a pet.

Where does Green Iguanas live?

Green iguanas are native to South America and parts of Central and North America, where they often live in tall trees in tropical forests. Green iguanas can also be found in the wild in the United States as a result of pets being released or escaping into the wild.

How big are the Green Iguanas?

Green iguanas have been known to grow up to 6 feet long and weigh 20 pounds in captivity. It’s quite large for a lizard. About half of this length is their tail.

Although known as “green” iguanas, these lizards are sometimes found in shades and colors other than green, including blues, oranges, and purples. Their skin color acts as camouflage, allowing them to blend in with the landscape. The skin of the iguana is hard and waterproof.

What do Green Iguanas eat?

The iguana is primarily herbivorous, which means it likes to eat plants, including leaves and fruit. They will also eat small insects, eggs and other non-plant foods, but some scientists believe this is not good for them. They have very sharp teeth to help them chew on leaves and plants, but watch out for them if you have a salamander! Iguanas will use these sharp teeth, along with their long claws and pointed tail, to attack if they feel threatened.

Iguanas have spines along their backs to protect them from predators. They also have an extra layer of skin under the neck called the frill. This holster helps them regulate their temperature, which is useful because they are cold-blooded and their bodies don’t automatically control body temperature. The frill is also used as a sign of aggression or as a means of communication. The iguana will widen its frills to appear larger and shake its head up and down.

The Third Eye

An interesting feature of green iguanas is their third eye. This is an extra eye above their head called the parietal eye. This eye is not quite like the normal eye, but it can help the iguana detect the movement of a predator that is stalking them from above (like a bird) for the iguana to escape. Iguanas also have good eyesight with their “normal” eyes.

Interesting Facts About the Green Iguana

Green iguanas can survive falls from 40 to 50 feet. This works well because they live in trees (especially for the clumsy ones!).

Green iguanas are excellent swimmers and will dive into the water to avoid predators.

The hawk is the most feared predator of the green iguana. The salamander is usually frozen and unable to move when it hears a hawk’s call.

Their tails can be cut off if caught, but that’s okay because they can grow new tails.

Most pet iguanas die within the first year due to poor care. However, some iguanas have lived up to 20 years in captivity with proper care (they are thought to live about 8 years in the wild).