Iguanas

La lizard it is quite an impressive animal that can serve as a pet. They can reach lengths of up to 2 meters and show different colors depending on the species. These animals have become one of the most popular and loved lizards by humans. They have habits and characteristics that come to surprise everyone who studies them.

Therefore, we are going to dedicate this article to tell you all the characteristics, habitat, feeding and reproduction of the iguana.

iguana characteristics

It is a lizard that belongs to the Aquamata order and the Iguanidae family. They usually weigh between 4 and 8 kilos depending on their size. At birth they are quite small, but in just about 3 years of life they have already reached great weight and length. These lizards can display a wide range of colors. Adult specimens can vary their color depending on the temperature, the region where they live, their state of health and their mood. This makes it quite an interesting animal to the naked eye.

One of the characteristics that makes the iguana a unique animal is its ability to more effectively absorb sunlight and its color change based on your body temperature. The iguanas that have a higher hierarchy have a darker color than the rest. They also acquire another color between orange and dark yellow if they are in the breeding season.

Another notable feature of this animal is that they have a dewlap under its throat and a dorsal crest composed of dermal spines. These thorns run through its entire body, from the neck to the base of the tail. The spines are used to defend themselves against certain predators while helping to absorb and dissipate body heat. From the upper region of their skull they have a kind of parietal eye that, although it is not considered an organ of vision, allows them to determine the solar energy that is in a place.

And it is that these animals are cold-blooded and need to be exposed to the sun in order to regulate their internal temperature. They are not able to regulate the temperature on their own.

Habitat and feeding of the iguana

Iguanas inhabit the central and southern regions of the American continent. They can also be found on some islands in the Caribbean region and the eastern coasts of the Pacific Ocean. The habitat of this animal is characterized by having high temperatures so that they can regulate their internal temperature. They are not good at resisting the cold.

In their natural habitat they are usually found on the branches of trees. The youngest specimens are those that establish themselves in the middle areas of the trees, while the adults are found in the highest areas. The branches of the upper part of the trees are where there is the greatest contact with sunlight. This means that adults have preference in these areas.

It is rare to see an iguana descend from the tree, except in the rainy season, when they look for another specimen to reproduce or look for a safe place to deposit their eggs. Iguanas are arboreal species, although they can easily adapt to places such as grasslands and open regions with less abundance of trees. The only thing they need to establish themselves in an ecosystem is to have an early water source. They have a good ability to hibernate and do well in aquatic environments. They use this aquatic environment to escape from their predators.

Regarding their diet, they are herbivorous animals and base their diet on a wide variety of plants. The main food sources for this reptile also include some insects as an extra nutritional contribution. Although they are herbivores, it is the young specimens that, especially, ingest these common insects with an extra supply of protein. In order to make up for the lack of vitamins and minerals, the youngest specimens of iguanas can feed on the feces of the adult members of the group. This makes them be coprophagous organisms.

The diet is based mainly on leaves, fruits, buds and other flowers of plants that grow around its habitat. In order to keep the body hydrated and its temperature stable, they take advantage of rainwater and the water from the fruits they eat.

iguana reproduction

Iguana reproduction takes place during the fall season. It only lasts for a period of two weeks. The males use a series of strategies to be able to copulate with the female. This is considered as a kind of courtship. The signal to be more likely to mate with the female is the intensity of her body colors. In addition, the female can be won with a series of characteristic gestures such as the es shaking his head, moving his body up and down or displaying his red chin.

Males can become quite aggressive towards females during the mating ritual. It is possible that during the act they will bite some parts of the body, causing damage. The gestation period of the iguana is only about two months. During this time the female is dedicated to looking for a suitable nest to deposit her eggs. It is here that they decide to come down from the trees where they are normally found. In each laying of eggs approximately between 12 and 30 are generated.

One of the aspects that makes the iguana have a good survival capacity is that the young must fend for themselves. When the eggs hatch the mother is not present to care for them. Thus, from the first moment of their birth, they must fend for themselves and learn to survive.

The majority of confrontations between iguanas in nature occur due to a perfect place to sunbathe. Although the availability of food is acceptable, some areas of the trees are more privileged than others when it comes to getting more sunlight. During the mating season there are usually big fights between the males and the females also adopt a more aggressive position if they cannot find a place to deposit their eggs.

I hope that with this information you can learn more about the iguana