Difference between revisions of "Iguana" - New World Encyclopedia

From New World Encyclopedia
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{{Ready}}{{Claimed}}{{Contracted}}
 
{{Ready}}{{Claimed}}{{Contracted}}
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{{Taxobox
+
 
 +
{{Taxobox  
 
| color = pink
 
| color = pink
−
| name = Iguanas
+
| name = ''Iguana''
−
| image = 63 Building guana.jpg
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| image = Iguana iguana.jpg
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| image_caption = [[Green iguana]] ''(Iguana iguana)''
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| image_width = 250px
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| image_caption = A [[green iguana]] (''Iguana iguana'')
 
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
 
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
 
| phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]]
 
| phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]]
−
| classis = [[Reptile|Sauropsida]]
+
| classis = [[reptile|Sauropsida]]
 
| ordo = [[Squamata]]
 
| ordo = [[Squamata]]
 
| subordo = [[Iguania]]
 
| subordo = [[Iguania]]
−
| familia = '''Iguanidae'''
+
| familia = [[Iguanidae]]
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| subdivision_ranks = Genera
+
| genus = '''''Iguana'''''
 +
| genus_authority = [[Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti|Laurenti]], 1768
 +
| subdivision_ranks = Species
 
| subdivision =  
 
| subdivision =  
−
''[[Marine Iguana|Amblyrhynchus]]''<br/>
+
*[[Lesser Antillean Iguana]], ''I. delicatissima''
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''[[Brachylophus]]''<br/>
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*[[Green Iguana]], ''I. iguana''
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''[[Conolophus]]''<br/>
 
−
''[[Ctenosaura]]''<br/>
 
−
''[[Cyclura]]''<br/>
 
−
''[[Dipsosaurus]]''<br/>
 
−
''[[Iguana]]''<br/>
 
−
''[[Sauromalus]]''
 
 
}}
 
}}
  
−
'''Iguanidae''' is a family of [[lizard]]s composed of iguanas and related species, including the [[green iguana]] commonly kept as a pet.  
+
'''Iguana''' is a [[genus]] of [[lizard]] native to tropical areas of [[Central America|Central]] and [[South America]] and the [[Caribbean]] first described by Austrian [[naturalist]] [[Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti]] in his book ''Specimen Medicum, Exhibens Synopsin Reptilium Emendatam cum Experimentis circa Venena'' in 1768.  The genus ''iguana'' includes two [[species]]: the [[Green Iguana]] and the [[Lesser Antillean Iguana]].
 +
 
 +
The word "Iguana" is derived from a Spanish form of the original [[Taino]] name for the species "Iwana".<ref name="Coles">
 +
{{citation
 +
  | last = Coles
 +
  | first = William
 +
  | title =  Green Iguana
 +
  | work = U.S.V.I. Animal Fact Sheet #08
 +
  | publisher = Department of Planning and Natural Resources US Virgin Islands Division of Fish and Wildlife
 +
  | url = http://www.vifishandwildlife.com/Education/FactSheet/PDF_Docs/08GreenIguana.pdf
 +
  | date = 2002
 +
  }}
 +
</ref>
 +
 
 +
 
 +
==Iguanidae==
 +
 
 +
 
 +
'''Iguanidae''' is a family of [[lizard]]s composed of iguanas and related species, including the [[green iguana]] commonly kept as a pet.
  
 
==Classification of iguanidae==
 
==Classification of iguanidae==
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Image:Iguana iguana 2 AB.jpg|A [[green iguana]].  
 
Image:Iguana iguana 2 AB.jpg|A [[green iguana]].  
 
</gallery></center>
 
</gallery></center>
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==Green iguana==
 +
{{Taxobox
 +
| color = pink
 +
| name = Green Iguana
 +
| status = {{StatusLeastConcern}}
 +
| image = Iguana_Iguana.jpg
 +
| image_width = 250px
 +
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
 +
| phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]]
 +
| classis = [[reptile|Sauropsida]]
 +
| ordo = [[Squamata]]
 +
| familia = [[Iguanidae]]
 +
| genus = ''[[Iguana]]''
 +
| species = '''''I. iguana'''''
 +
| binomial = ''Iguana iguana''
 +
| binomial_authority = ([[Carolus Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[1758]])
 +
}}
 +
 +
The '''Green Iguana''' (''Iguana iguana'') is a large, [[arboreal]] [[herbivorous]] [[species]] of [[lizard]] of the [[genus]] [[iguana]] native to [[Central America|Central]] and [[South America]].  The Green iguana ranges over a large geographic area, from  southern [[Brazil]] and [[Paraguay]] to as far north as [[Mexico]], the [[Caribbean]] Islands; and in the [[United States]] as [[feral]] populations in [[Florida]], [[Hawaii]] and the [[Rio Grande Valley]] of [[Texas]].  The Green iguana is a [[reptile]] commonly found in captivity as a [[pet]] and grows to 1.5 meters in length from head to tail, although a few specimens have grown more than 2 meters (6 feet) and can weigh upwards of 20 pounds (10 kg).
 +
 +
===Taxonomy===
 +
 +
The word Iguana is derived from a Spanish form of the [[Taino]] name for the species "Iwana".<ref name="Coles">
 +
{{citation
 +
  | last = Coles
 +
  | first = William
 +
  | title =  Green Iguana
 +
  | work = U.S.V.I. Animal Fact Sheet #08
 +
  | publisher = Department of Planning and Natural Resources US Virgin Islands Division of Fish and Wildlife
 +
  | url = http://www.vifishandwildlife.com/Education/FactSheet/PDF_Docs/08GreenIguana.pdf
 +
  | date=  2002
 +
  }}
 +
</ref><ref name="devosjoli"/>  The species was first officially described by Swedish [[botanist]] [[Carolus Linnaeus]] in 1758.<ref name="Hollingsworth"/>  In the two centuries since then, no less than 17 species and [[subspecies]] have been identified with all but one species(''[[Iguana delicatissima]]'') being found to be invalid.<ref name="Hollingsworth">
 +
{{citation
 +
  | last = Hollingsworth
 +
  | first = Bradford D.
 +
  | title = The Evolution of Iguanas an Overview and a Checklist of Species
 +
  | work = Iguanas: Biology and Conservation
 +
  | publisher = University of California Press
 +
  | pages = 40-41
 +
  | date=  2004
 +
  | isbn = 9780520238541
 +
  }}
 +
</ref>
 +
 +
In Spanish speaking countries, males of the species are referred to as ''gorrobo'' or ''ministro'' and juveniles are called ''iguanita'' or ''gorrobito''.<ref name="Swanson">
 +
{{Citation
 +
  | last = Swanson
 +
  | first = Paul L
 +
  | title =The Iguana: Iguana iguana iguana
 +
  | journal = Herpetolgica
 +
  | volume=6
 +
  | pages=187-193
 +
  | year = 1950
 +
}}
 +
</ref>
 +
 +
===Distribution and habitat===
 +
 +
The native range of the Green iguana extends from southern Mexico to central Brazil, Paraguay, and [[Bolivia]] and the [[Caribbean]]; specifically [[Grenada]], [[Curacao]], [[Trinidad and Tobago]], [[St. Lucia]], [[St. Vincent]], and [[Utila]].<ref name="Lazell"/><ref name="Krysko"/>  They have been introduced to [[Grand Cayman]], [[Puerto Rico]], [[Texas]], Florida, Hawaii, and the US Virgin Islands.<ref name="Krysko"/><ref name="wildblue"> {{Citation
 +
  | last = Mani
 +
  | first = Bina
 +
  | title = Wild Blue Iguanas plummeting towards extinction
 +
  | date=  7/17/2002
 +
  | year =2002
 +
  | url =http://www.blueiguana.ky/zzzwildblue.htm
 +
  | accessdate = 10/28/2007 }}</ref><ref name="seidel">
 +
{{citation
 +
  | last = Seidel
 +
  | first = M
 +
  | last2 = Franz
 +
  | first2 = R
 +
  | title = Amphibians and reptiles (exclusive of marine turtles) of the Cayman Islands
 +
  | work = The Cayman Islands: natural history and biogeography
 +
  | publisher = Kluwer Academic Publishers
 +
  | location = The Netherlands
 +
  | pages = 407-434
 +
  | date=  1994
 +
  | isbn = 9780792324621
 +
  }}
 +
</ref>
 +
 +
[[Image:Iguana iguana 2 adults 1 young.jpg|thumb|left|250px|a young iguana with two adults in the trees]]
 +
Green iguanas are [[diurnal animal|diurnal]] and [[arboreal]] and often found near water.<ref name="Cogger">
 +
{{citation
 +
  | last = Cogger
 +
  | first = Harold
 +
  | last2 = Zweifel
 +
  | first2 = Richard
 +
  | title = Reptiles & Amphibians
 +
  | publisher = Weldon Owen
 +
  | location = [[Sydney, Australia]]
 +
  | pages = 140
 +
  | date=  1992
 +
  | isbn = 0831727861
 +
  }}
 +
</ref><ref name="Samuelson"/>  Agile climbers, iguanas can fall up to 50 feet and land unhurt (iguanas use their hind leg claws to "hook" leaves, branches, or anything in a "clasping" motion to break a fall).<ref name="Samuelson"/><ref name="Audobon">
 +
{{citation
 +
  | last = Bebler
 +
  | first = John L.
 +
  | last2 = King
 +
  | first2 = F. Wayne
 +
  | title = The Audubon Society Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of North America
 +
  | publisher = Alfred A. Knopf
 +
  |Location= New York
 +
  | pages = 511-512
 +
  | date=  1979
 +
  | isbn = 0394508246
 +
  }}
 +
</ref><ref name="Rosenfeld">
 +
{{citation
 +
  | last = Rosenfeld
 +
  | first = Arthur
 +
  | title = Exotic Pets
 +
  | publisher = [[Simon & Schuster]]
 +
  | location= New York
 +
  | pages = 105
 +
  | date=  1989
 +
  | isbn = 067147654
 +
  }}
 +
</ref>  During cold, wet weather, Green iguanas prefer to stay on the ground for greater warmth.<ref name="Swanson"/>  When swimming an iguana remains submerged and lets its four legs hang limply against its side and propels itself through the water with powerful tail strokes.<ref name="Swanson"/>
 +
 +
 +
Because of the Green iguana's popularity in the pet trade and as a food source in [[Latin America]], they are listed on the [[CITES]] Appendix II, which means that while they are not an [[endangered species]], "their trade must be controlled so as to not harm the species in the future".<ref name="cites">{{Citation
 +
  | Work =Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
 +
  | title = Appendices I,II, and III
 +
  | date=  9/13/2007
 +
  | year =2007
 +
  | url = http://www.cites.org/eng/app/appendices.shtml
 +
  | accessdate = 10/28/2007 }}
 +
</ref>
 +
 +
===Anatomy and morphology===
 +
In southern countries of their range, such as [[Peru]], Green iguanas appear bluish in color with bold black markings.<ref name="Samuelson"/> On islands such as [[Bonaire]], [[Curacao]], [[Aruba]], and [[Grenada]], a Green iguana's color may range from green to lavender, black, and even pink.<ref name="devosjoli"/><ref name ="Samuelson"/> Green iguanas from the western region of Costa Rica are red and animals of the northen ranges, such as Mexico, appear orange.<ref name="Samuelson"/><ref name="devosjoli"/> Juvenile Green iguanas from [[El Salvador]] are often bright blue as babies, however they lose this color as they get older.<ref name="devosjoli"/>
 +
 +
[[Image:AA Iguana Fot Ars Summum.JPG|thumb|right|250px|A male Green iguana with spines and [[dewlap]].]]
 +
Green iguanas possess a row of spines along their backs and along their tails which helps to protect them from predators.<ref name="Samuelson"/> Their whiplike tails can be used to deliver painful strikes and like many other lizards, when grabbed by the tail, the iguana can allow it to break, so it can escape and eventually regrow a new one.<ref name="SS"/><ref name="Rosenfeld"/> In addition, iguanas have well developed [[dewlap]]s which helps regulate their body temperature.<ref name="Audobon"/>  It is also used in courtships and displays.<ref name="devosjoli"/><ref name="Samuelson"/><ref name="Conant">
 +
{{cite book
 +
  | last =Conant
 +
  | first =Roger
 +
  | last2 =Collins
 +
  | first2 =Joseph
 +
  | title =A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians Eastern/Central North America
 +
  | publisher =Houghton Mifflin Company
 +
  | date= 1991
 +
  | pages =94-95
 +
  | location =[[Boston]], [[Massachussets]]
 +
  | isbn = 0395583896 }}
 +
</ref>
 +
 +
Green iguanas have excellent vision, enabling them to detect shapes and motions at long distances.<ref name="Brames">
 +
{{Citation
 +
  | last = Brames
 +
  | first = Henry
 +
  | title = Aspects of Light and Reptile Immunity
 +
  | journal = Iguana: Conservation, Natural History, and Husbandry of Reptiles
 +
  | publisher = International Reptile Conservation Foundation
 +
  | volume = 14
 +
  | issue = 1
 +
  | year = 2007
 +
  |pages=19-23
 +
}}
 +
</ref> As Green iguanas have only a few [[Rod cell]]s, they have poor vision in low-light conditions. At the same time, they have cells called “double [[Cone cell]]s” that give them sharp color vision and enable them to see [[ultraviolet]] wavelengths.<ref name="Brames"/> This ability is highly useful when basking so the animal can ensure that it absorbs enough sunlight in the forms of [[UVA]] and [[UVB]] to produce [[Vitamin D]].<ref name="devosjoli"/><ref name="Rosenfeld"/>
 +
 +
Green iguanas have evolved a white photosensory organ on the top of their heads called the [[parietal eye]], which are also called third eye, pineal eye or pineal gland.<ref name="Brames"/> This “eye” doesn’t work the same way as a normal eye does as it has only a rudimentary retina and lens and thus cannot form images.<ref name="Brames"/> It is, however, sensitive to changes in light and dark and can detect movement.<ref name="Brames"/> This helps the iguana when being stalked by predators from above.<ref name="Brames"/>
 +
 +
Green iguanas have very sharp teeth that are capable of shredding leaves and even human skin.<ref name="devosjoli"/> The teeth are situated on the inner sides of the jawbones which is why they are hard to see in smaller specimens.<ref name="Conant"/>
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 +
Primarily [[herbivorous]], Green iguanas are presented with a special problem for [[osmoregulation]]; plant matter contains more [[potassium]] and as it has less nutritional content per gram, more must be eaten to meet metabolic needs.<ref name="Hazard">
 +
{{citation
 +
  | last = Hazard
 +
  | first = Lisa C.
 +
  | title = Sodium and Potassium Secretion by Iguana Salt Glands
 +
  | work = Iguanas: Biology and Conservation
 +
  | publisher = University of California Press
 +
  | pages = 84-85
 +
  | date=  2004
 +
  | isbn = 9780520238541
 +
  }}
 +
</ref>  As Green iguanas are not capable of creating liquid urine more concentrated than their bodily fluids, like birds they excrete nitrogenous wastes as urate salts through a [[salt gland]]. <ref name="Hazard"/>  As a result, Green iguanas have developed a lateral [[nose|nasal]] gland to supplement renal salt secretion by expelling excess potassium and sodium chloride.<ref name="Hazard"/>
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 +
Green iguanas from [[Guatemala]] and southern Mexico have small horns on their snouts between their eyes and their nostrils, whereas others do not.<ref name="Samuelson"/>  Naturalists once classified these iguanas as belonging to different [[subspecies]] (''Iguana iguana rhinolopha''); however, this classification has been found to be invalid as iguanas with similar nose projections appear randomly in other populations and interbreed freely with those that do not share this trait.<ref name="Samuelson">
 +
{{Citation
 +
  | last = Samuelson
 +
  | first = Phillip
 +
  | title = The Lizard King
 +
  | journal = Reptiles Magazine
 +
  | volume = 3
 +
  | issue = 2
 +
  | date= 6/1/1995
 +
  | year = 1995
 +
  |pages=64-84
 +
}}
 +
</ref><ref name="devosjoli"/>
 +
[[Image:Iguana3.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Juvenile Green iguana]]
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===Sexual dimorphism and reproduction===
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Male Green iguanas have highly developed [[femoral]] [[pores]] on the underside of their thighs which secrete a scent (females also have fermoral pores, but they are smaller in comparison to those of the males).<ref name="devosjoli">
 +
{{cite book
 +
  | last =De Vosjoli
 +
  | first =Phillipe
 +
  | coauthors = David Blair
 +
  | title =The Green Iguana Manual
 +
  | publisher =Advanced Vivarium Systems
 +
  | date= 1992
 +
  | location =Escondido, California
 +
  | isbn = 74886904040 }}
 +
</ref> 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 [[sexual dimorphism|sexually dimorphic]].<ref name="devosjoli"/>
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Green iguanas are [[oviparous]] with females laying clutches of 20 to 71 eggs once per year during a synchronized nesting period.<ref name="Burghart">
 +
{{cite book
 +
  | last = Burghart
 +
  | first = Gordon
 +
  | title = Iguana Research: Looking Back and Looking Ahead
 +
  | work = Iguanas: Biology and Conservation
 +
  | publisher = University of California Press
 +
  | pages = 5-10
 +
  | date=  2004
 +
  | isbn = 9780520238541
 +
  }}
 +
</ref><ref name="SS">{{cite book |last= Capula|first= Massimo|coauthors =Behler|title= Simon & Schuster's Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of the World |year= 1989|publisher= Simon & Schuster |location= New York|isbn= 0671690981}}</ref> The female Green iguana gives no parental protection after egglaying, apart from defending the nesting burrow during excavation.<ref name="Burghart"/> In [[Panama]], the Green iguana has been observed sharing nest sites with [[American Crocodile]]s and in [[Honduras]] with [[Spectacled Caiman]]s.<ref name="Krysko"/>
 +
 +
The hatchlings emerge from the nest after 10-15 weeks of incubation.<ref name="Burghart"/><ref name="SS"/> 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.<ref name="Burghart"/>
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 +
Juveniles stay in familial groups for the first year of their lives.<ref name="Burghart"/> 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.<ref name="Rivas">
 +
{{citation
 +
  | last = Rivas
 +
  | first = Jesus
 +
  | last2 = Levin
 +
  | first2 = Luis E
 +
  | title = Sexually Dimorphic Antipredator Behavior in Juvenile Green Iguanas
 +
  | work = Iguanas: Biology and Conservation
 +
  | publisher = University of California Press
 +
  | pages = 121
 +
  | date=  2004
 +
  | isbn = 9780520238541
 +
  }}
 +
</ref>
 +
 +
===Behavior===
 +
[[Image:Cuban Iguana head.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Reddish colored Green Iguana]]
 +
When frightened by a [[predator]], Green iguanas will attempt to flee, and if near a [[body of water]], dive into it and swim away.<ref name="Swanson"/>  If cornered by a threat, the Green iguana will extend and display the [[dewlap]] under its neck, stiffen and puff up its body, and bob its head at the aggressor.<ref name="Samuelson"/>  If the threat persists the Green iguana will lash with it's tail, bite and use its claws in defense.<ref name="Swanson"/>  Wounded animals are more inclined to fight than unijured ones.<ref name="Swanson"/>
 +
 +
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.<ref name="devosjoli"/>  The frequency and number of head bobs have particular meanings to other iguanas.<ref name="Samuelson"/>
 +
 +
Green iguanas are preyed upon by [[hawk]]s and their fear of hawks is exploited as a ploy to catch them in the wild.<ref name="Swanson"/>  The sound of a hawk's whistle or scream makes the iguana freeze and easy to capture.<ref name="Swanson"/>
 +
 +
===Diet===
 +
[[Image:La Palmyre 073.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The herbivorous Green iguana]]
 +
 +
Green iguanas are primarily [[herbivore]]s, feeding on leaves, flowers, fruit, and growing shoots of upwards of 100 different species of plant.<ref name="Burghart"/><ref name="devosjoli"/>  In Panama one of the Green iguana's favorite foods is wild plum, ''[[Spondias monbin]]''.<ref name="Swanson"/>
 +
 +
Although they will consume a wide variety of foods if offered, green iguanas are naturally [[herbivorous]] and require a precise ratio of minerals (2 to 1 calcium to phosphous) in their diet.<ref name="Rosenfeld"/><ref name="anapsid-mkdiet">{{cite web
 +
  | last = Kaplan
 +
  | first = Melissa
 +
  | date = [[April 19]], [[2007]]
 +
  | url = http://www.anapsid.org/iguana/igdiet.html
 +
  | title = "'MK Diet' - The Short Version"
 +
  | work = Melissa Kaplan's Herp Care Collection
 +
  | publisher = [http://www.anapsid.org anapsid.org]
 +
  | accessdate = 2007-06-27
 +
}}</ref>  Juvenile iguanas tend to be [[insectivores]] and often eat [[feces]] from adults in order to acquire the essential [[microflora]] to digest their low-quality and hard to process diet.<ref name="Burghart"/><ref name="Swanson"/>
 +
 +
There is some debate as to whether captive Green iguanas should be fed animal protein.<ref name="devosjoli"/> There is evidence of wild iguanas eating [[grasshopper]]s and [[tree snail]]s, usually as a byproduct of eating plant material.<ref name="FLA">{{cite web
 +
  | last = Meshaka
 +
  | first = Walter
 +
  | last2 = Bartlett
 +
  | first2 = Richard
 +
  | last3 = Smith
 +
  | first3 = Henry
 +
  | date = [[September]] [[2004]]
 +
  | url = http://www.anapsid.org/adambritton.html
 +
  | title = Colonization Success by Green Iguanas in Florida
 +
  | work = Iguana: Journal of the International Iguana Society
 +
  | publisher = State Museum of Pennsylvania, Zoology and Botany
 +
}}</ref>  Wild adult Green iguanas have also been observed eating bird's eggs.<ref name="Lazell">
 +
{{citation
 +
  | last = Lazell
 +
  | first = J.D.
 +
  | title = The lizard genus Iguana in the Lesser Antilles
 +
  | work = Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology
 +
  | location= New York
 +
  |Volume=145
 +
  | pages = 1-28
 +
  | date=  1973
 +
  }}
 +
</ref>  Zoologists, such as Adam Britton, believe that such a diet containing protein is unhealthy for the animal's digestive system resulting in severe long-term health damage including kidney failure and leading to premature death.<ref name="Britton">{{cite web
 +
  | last = Britton
 +
  | first = Adam
 +
  | date = [[April 19]], [[2007]]
 +
  | url = http://www.anapsid.org/adambritton.html
 +
  | title = Animal Protein and Claw Trimming"
 +
  | work = Melissa Kaplan's Herp Care Collection
 +
  | publisher = [http://www.anapsid.org anapsid.org]
 +
  | accessdate = 2007-06-27
 +
}}</ref>  On the other side of the argument is that Green iguanas at the [[Miami Seaquarium]] in [[Key Biscayne]], Florida, have been observed eating dead fish and individuals kept in captivity have been known to eat mice without any ill effects.<ref name="devosjoli"/>  De Vosjoli also writes that some animals have been known to survive and thrive on eating nothing but whole rodent block, or monkey chow, and one instance of [[Romaine lettuce]] with vitamin and calcium supplements.<ref name="devosjoli"/>
 +
 +
 +
 +
===Captivity===
 +
''Main article: [[Green Iguana in captivity]]''
 +
 +
[[Image:GreenIguana.jpg|thumb|right|250px|A Green iguana in a terrarium]]
 +
The US pet trade has put a great demand on the Green iguana; 800,000 iguanas were imported into the U.S. in 1995 alone, primarily originating from captive farming operations based in their native countries (Honduras, El Salvador, Colombia, and Panama).<ref name="nationalzoo">
 +
{{citation
 +
  | title =  Green Iguana
 +
  | work = Reptiles and Amphibians Fact Sheets
 +
  | publisher = Smithsonian National Zoological Park
 +
  | url =http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/ReptilesAmphibians/Facts/FactSheets/Greeniguana.cfm
 +
  | date=  2007
 +
  }}
 +
</ref>  However, these animals are demanding to care for properly over their lifetime, and many die within a few years of acquisition.<ref name="devosjoli"/> 
 +
 +
Although, in captivity, Green Iguanas will eat meat if presented with it, excessive consumption of animal protein results in severe kidney problems and possible [[premature death]].<ref name="devosjoli"/><ref name ="Britton"/>  Misinformed pet owners tend to feed iguanas [[iceberg lettuce]], which provides iguanas with water but has no other nutritional value.<ref name="Rosenfeld"/>  A captive Green iguana's diet should consist of fresh leafy vegetables such as [[mustard greens]], [[collard greens]], [[dandelion]], [[arugula]] or [[kale]] and access to fresh water.<ref name="devosjoli"/>
 +
 +
Green iguanas will thrive only in temperatures of 79 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit (24 to 32 degrees Celsius) and must have appropriate sources of [[Ultraviolet|UVB]] and [[Ultraviolet|UVA]] lighting, or else their bodies cannot produce Vitamin D, which can result in a metabolic bone disease that can be fatal.<ref name="devosjoli"/><ref name="Rosenfeld"/>
 +
In some locales([[New York City]] and [[Hawaii]]), iguanas are considered [[exotic pets]], and are prohibited from ownership.<ref name="Blood">
 +
{{citation
 +
  | last = Blood
 +
  | first = Michael R
 +
  | title = Exotic Pets' Days Numbered
 +
  | newspaper = New York Daily News
 +
  | date=  6/30/1999
 +
  }}
 +
</ref>
 +
<ref name="adopt">{{cite web
 +
  | url = http://members2.boardhost.com/gisadoptions
 +
  | title = "Green Iguana Society Adoption Board" (discussion board)
 +
  | publisher = [http://www.boardhost.com/ Boardhost.com]
 +
  | accessdate = 2007-06-27
 +
}}</ref>  Hawaii has strict regulations regarding the import and possession of Green iguanas, violators can spend three years in jail and fined up to $200,000.<ref name="Hawaii">
 +
{{Citation
 +
  | title = Iguana & Illegal Lizard Turned In Under Amnesty
 +
  | publisher = State of Hawaii Department of Agriculture
 +
  | date= 04/16/2002
 +
|url=http://www.hawaiiag.org/hdoa/newsrelease/02-08.htm
 +
}}
 +
</ref>  This is due to the potential impact of an introduced species on Hawaii's ecosystem.
 +
 +
===Invasive species===
 +
Green iguanas are considered an [[invasive species]] in [[South Florida]] and along the gulf coast of [[Florida]] from [[Key West]] to [[Pinellas County]].<ref name ="SPT"/><ref name="Krysko">
 +
{{Citation
 +
  | last = Krysko
 +
  | first = Kenneth L
 +
  | last2 = Enge
 +
  | first2 = Kevin M
 +
  | last3 = Donlan
 +
  | first3 = Ellen M
 +
  | last4 = Seitz
 +
  | first4 = Jason C
 +
  | title = Distribution, Natural History, and Impacts of the Introduced Green Iguana in Florida
 +
  | journal = Iguana: Conservation, Natural History, and Husbandry of Reptiles
 +
  | publisher = International Reptile Conservation Foundation
 +
  | volume = 14
 +
  | issue = 3
 +
  | year = 2007
 +
  |pages=142-151
 +
}}
 +
</ref>  This is due to a combination of events.<ref name="Conant"/>  The original small populations in the Florida Keys were animals that had arrived there due to hurricanes and storms; others were stowaways on ships carrying fruit from South America.<ref name= "zoogoer"/>  Over the years escaped, and intentionally released, iguanas from the pet trade survived and then thrived in their new habitat.<ref name ="SPT"/> They commonly hide in the attics of houses and on beaches. They often destroy gardens and landscaping.<ref name ="SPT">
 +
{{Citation
 +
  | last =Lush
 +
  | first =Tamara
 +
  | title = Florida's Iguana Infestation
 +
  | newspaper =St Petersburg Times
 +
  | date= July 26,2005
 +
  | year =2005
 +
  | url = http://www.sptimes.com/2005/07/26/State/Florida_s_iguana_infe.shtml
 +
}}</ref>  However, they seem to be fond of eating a native endangered plant, ''[[Cordia|Cordia globosa]]'' and feeding on [[Nicker nut]] (''[[Caesalpinia]]'') a primary food plant of the endangered [[Miami blue|Miami Blue Butterfly]] (''Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri''); additionally on [[Marco Island]], Green iguanas have been observed using the burrows of the [[Florida Burrowing Owl]], a species of special concern, all of which makes them more of a serious threat to Florida's ecosystem than originally believed.<ref name= "zoogoer">
 +
{{Citation
 +
  | last =Youth
 +
  | first =Howard
 +
  | title = Florida's Creeping Crawlers
 +
  | journal =Zoogoer
 +
  | volume =20
 +
  | issue =3
 +
  | year =2005
 +
  | url = http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Publications/ZooGoer/2005/3/reptilefeature.cfm
 +
}}
 +
</ref><ref name="Krysko"/> 
 +
 +
The Green iguana is established in [[Maui]], Hawaii as a feral species (despite strict legislation)and the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.<ref name="Samuelson"/><ref name="Perry">
 +
{{Citation
 +
  | last = Perry
 +
  | first = Brian
 +
  | title = Leaping lizards! Girl sights iguana in Kahului
 +
  | newspaper = The Maui News
 +
  | date= 04/12/2006
 +
  | year = 2006
 +
|url=http://www.mauinews.com/story.aspx?id=18635
 +
}}
 +
</ref>  As most reptiles carry [[salmonella]], this is also a concern and a reason legislation has been sought to regulate the trade in Green iguanas.<ref name="Krysko"/>
 +
 +
===Cultural references===
 +
[[Image:Iguanalarcomuseum.jpg|thumb|150px|Moche Iguana. 200 C.E. [[Larco_Museum|Larco Museum Collection]] Lima, Peru.]]
 +
 +
The [[Moche]] people of ancient [[Peru]] worshipped animals and often depicted Green iguanas in their art. <ref>Berrin, Katherine & Larco Museum. ''The Spirit of Ancient Peru:Treasures from the [[Larco_Museum|Museo Arqueológico Rafael Larco Herrera]].'' New York: [[Thames and Hudson]], 1997.</ref>  The iguana has also been used as a food source in Central and South America for the past 7000 years.  It is believed that populations in the [[Caribbean]] were translocated there from the mainland by various tribes as a food source.<ref name="Coles"/>  In Central and South America, Green iguanas are used as a source of meat and are often referred to as ''gallina de palo'', "Bamboo Chicken" or "chicken of the tree".<ref name="Swanson"/>
 +
 +
===Photos===
 +
<gallery>
 +
Image:Iguana iguana 2 AB.jpg | A Green iguana adult
 +
Image:young_iguana.png|A young Green iguana in the wild
 +
Image:Iguana iguana.jpg|A male Green iguana in the wild (BCC Panama)
 +
Image:Wizardtoilet.jpg|A pet Green iguana using a [[toilet]].
 +
</gallery>
 +
 +
==Lesser Antillian iguana==
 +
{{Taxobox | color = pink
 +
| image = Iguana delicatissima.jpg
 +
| image_width = 250px
 +
| name = Lesser Antillean Iguana
 +
| status = VU
 +
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
 +
| phylum = [[Chordata]]
 +
| classis = [[reptile|Sauropsida]]
 +
| ordo = [[Squamata]]
 +
| familia = [[Iguanidae]]
 +
| genus = ''[[Iguana]]''
 +
| species = '''''I. delicatissima'''''
 +
| binomial = ''Iguana delicatissima''
 +
| binomial_authority = [[Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti|Laurenti]], 1768
 +
}}
 +
 +
The '''Lesser Antillean Iguana''' (''Iguana delicatissima'') is one of two species of [[lizard]] of the genus ''[[Iguana]]''.  Endemic to the Lesser Antilles it is in severe decline due to habitat destruction, feral predators, hunting, and hybridization with its sister species the [[Green iguana]].
 +
 +
===Taxonomy===
 +
 +
The generic name ''Iguana'' is derived from ''Iwana'', a Spanish form of the [[Taino]] name for the species.<ref name="Coles">
 +
{{citation
 +
  | last = Coles
 +
  | first = William
 +
  | title =  Green Iguana
 +
  | work = U.S.V.I. Animal Fact Sheet #08
 +
  | publisher = Department of Planning and Natural Resources US Virgin Islands Division of Fish and Wildlife
 +
  | url = http://www.vifishandwildlife.com/Education/FactSheet/PDF_Docs/08GreenIguana.pdf
 +
  | date = 2002
 +
  }}
 +
</ref>  Its specific name ''delicatissima'' is [[Latin]] for "extraordinary".  The species was first officially described by Austrian [[naturalist]] [[Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti]] in 1768.<ref name="Hollingsworth">
 +
{{citation
 +
  | last = Hollingsworth
 +
  | first = Bradford D.
 +
  | title = The Evolution of Iguanas an Overview and a Checklist of Species
 +
  | work = Iguanas: Biology and Conservation
 +
  | publisher = University of California Press
 +
  | pages = 40-41
 +
  | date = 2004
 +
  | isbn = 9780520238541
 +
  }}
 +
</ref>
 +
 +
===Distribution===
 +
The Lesser Antillean iguana is found in scrub woodland, [[rainforest]], and [[mangrove]] throughout the [[Lesser Antilles]] on [[Anguilla]], [[St. Martin]], [[St. Eustatius]], [[Antigua]], [[Guadeloupe]], [[Dominica]], and [[Martinique]].<ref name ="iucn"/>
 +
 +
===Anatomy and morphology===
 +
Though belonging to the same genus as the [[Green Iguana]], the Lesser Antilles Iguana has a more blocky, shortened face than the Green Iguana and lacks the distinctive stripe pattern present along the Green Iguana's tail.  The feature that most easily distinguishes these two species is the large, round scale, which the Green iguana has below each ear hole but the Lesser Antillean  iguana does not.
 +
 +
The Lesser Antillean iguana  varies in color between different island populations, but the base color tends to be gray, with green splotching on the underside.<ref name="Lazell"/>  They have large pale, ivory colored scales on their heads.  The jowls of males are pink and the scales around the eyes are blue.<ref name="Lazell"/>  Males also have femoral pores along each inner thigh that exude  [[pheromones]] during  breeding season.  Males are larger than females and are  40cm (16in) long, with an 80cm (32in) tail when full-grown.  Females are two-thirds this size.
 +
 +
===Diet===
 +
Lesser Antillean  iguanas are primarily [[herbivore]]s, feeding on leaves, flowers, fruit, and growing shoots of upwards of 100 different species of plant.<ref name="Lazell">
 +
{{citation
 +
  | last = Lazell
 +
  | first = J.D.
 +
  | title = The lizard genus Iguana in the Lesser Antilles
 +
  | work = Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology
 +
  | location= New York
 +
  |Volume=145
 +
  | pages = 1-28
 +
  | date = 1973
 +
  }}
 +
</ref>  This presents a problem for [[osmoregulation]]: vegetable matter contains more [[potassium]] has less nutritional content per gram, so more must be eaten to meet the animal's metabolic needs.<ref name="Hazard">
 +
{{citation
 +
  | last = Hazard
 +
  | first = Lisa C.
 +
  | title = Sodium and Pottassium Secretion by Iguana Salt Glands
 +
  | work = Iguanas: Biology and Conservation
 +
  | publisher = University of California Press
 +
  | pages = 84-85
 +
  | date = 2004
 +
  | isbn = 9780520238541
 +
  }}
 +
</ref>  Like most reptiles, Lesser Antillean iguanas are not capable of creating liquid urine more concentrated than their bodily fluids, like birds they excrete nitrogenous wastes as urate salts through a specially evolved [[nose|nasal]] [[salt gland]]. <ref name="Hazard"/>  As a result, the iguanas have developed this lateral nasal gland to supplement renal salt secretion by expelling excess potassium and sodium chloride.<ref name="Hazard"/>
 +
 +
===Conservation===
 +
The Lesser Antillean Iguana is a vulnerable species and is found on the [[IUCN Red List]].<ref name ="iucn">
 +
{{IUCN2006|assessors=Breuil, M. & Day, M.|year=1996|id=10800|title=Cyclura nubila nubila|downloaded=30 October2007}}
 +
</ref>  The Lesser Antillean iguana is legally protected from hunting throughout its range, but enforcement of these regulations is extremely difficult and therefore limited. <ref name="Day"/>  Other threats include habitat loss to agriculture and development and the introduction of [[feral]] predators such as [[dog]]s, [[feral cat|cat]]s, and the [[mongoose]].<ref name="Day"/> 
 +
 +
The species greatest threat is from its own genus.<ref name="Day"/>  The Green iguana has been introduced to the Lesser Antilles as an [[invasive species]] and directly competes with the Lesser Antillean Iguana for food and resources.<ref name="Day"/>  In addition the Green iguana has been interbreeding with the Lesser Antillean Iguana and this hybridization has been the number one reason for decline on at least three of the islands: Les Iles des Saintes,  Basse Terre (Guadeloupe) and St. Barthélemy.<ref name="Day"/>
 +
 +
Captive Lesser Antillean iguanas are currently kept at the [[Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust]], [[Memphis Zoo]] and the [[San Diego Zoo]]’s Center for Reproduction of Endangered Species.<ref name="Day"/>  All individuals originate from the Commonwealth of Dominica.<ref name="iucn"/>  Breeding and keeping the species in captivity is difficult.  Mating and egg laying have occurred at each institution but most of the eggs have been infertile, a single individual was successfully hatched at the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust in 1997 and in 2000 eight iguanas were hatched. <ref name="Day">
 +
{{Citation
 +
  | last = Day
 +
  | first = Mark
 +
  | last2 = Breuil
 +
  | first2 = Michel
 +
  | last3 = Reichling
 +
  | first3 = Steve
 +
  | title =Taxonomic Account Lesser Antillean iguana Iguana delicatissima
 +
  | journal = IUCN Iguana Specialist Group
 +
  | year = 2001
 +
  | url=http://www.iucn-isg.org/actionplan/ch2/lesserantillean.php
 +
|date accessed=10/31/2007
 +
}}
 +
</ref>
 +
 +
==References==
 +
{{reflist}}
 +
 +
==References==
 +
<references/>
 +
 +
==External links==
 +
{{Wikispecies|Iguana iguana}}
 +
{{commons|Iguana iguana}}
 +
 +
*[http://www.anapsid.org/iguana/icfs/index.html Melissa Kaplan's Iguana Care, Feeding & Socialization]
 +
*[http://www.greenigsociety.org/ Green Iguana Society]
 +
*[http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/iguanaiguana/interesting/ Pictures at flickr tagged with 'Iguana iguana']
 +
*[http://www.niad.org National Iguana Awareness Day]
 +
*[http://www.sdgl.org/ Stichting Doelgroep Groene leguanen, Dutch Green Iguana Foundation]
 +
*[http://www.arubaplaza.com/enc/animals/green_iguana.php Aruba animals encyclopedia]
 +
*[http://stream.realimpact.net/?file=realimpact/hsus/video_features/reptiles.smi Humane Society Video (Requires Real Player)]
 +
*[http://www.corhs.org Colorado Reptile Rescue (Adoption Option)]
 +
*[http://www.iguanafoundation.org International Iguana Foundation]
 +
*[http://www.todaysplanet.com/pg/beta/lizardlover/page21.htm Henry Lizardlover Link]
 +
*[http://pages.prodigy.net/anaconda/iguana.htm Research papers on Green iguana]
 +
*[http://www.southeasternreptiles.com Florida Iguana Pictures]
 +
 +
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
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[[Category:Animals]]
 
[[Category:Animals]]
  
−
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{{Credit|Iguanidae|162063117|Iguana|169461153|Green_Iguana|169380619|Lesser_Antillean_Iguana169514387}}

Revision as of 23:58, 6 November 2007


Iguana
A green iguana (Iguana iguana)
A green iguana (Iguana iguana)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Sauropsida
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Iguania
Family: Iguanidae
Genus: Iguana
Laurenti, 1768
Species
  • Lesser Antillean Iguana, I. delicatissima
  • Green Iguana, I. iguana

Iguana is a genus of lizard native to tropical areas of Central and South America and the Caribbean first described by Austrian naturalist Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti in his book Specimen Medicum, Exhibens Synopsin Reptilium Emendatam cum Experimentis circa Venena in 1768. The genus iguana includes two species: the Green Iguana and the Lesser Antillean Iguana.

The word "Iguana" is derived from a Spanish form of the original Taino name for the species "Iwana".[1]


Iguanidae

Iguanidae is a family of lizards composed of iguanas and related species, including the green iguana commonly kept as a pet.

Classification of iguanidae

Two different classification schemes have been used to define the structure of this family. These are the "traditional" classification and the classification presented by Frost et al. (1989).

Frost et al. redefined this family. The genera belonging to the different subfamilies were assigned to separate families. This view is not generally accepted and the 'traditional' classification is still widely used.

Traditional classification

Family Iguanidae

  • Subfamily Corytophaninae: casquehead lizards
  • Subfamily Crotaphytinae: collared and leopard lizards
  • Subfamily Hoplocercinae: wood lizards, clubtails
  • Subfamily Iguaninae: green iguanas and spinytail iguanas
  • Subfamily Leiocephalinae
  • Subfamily Leiosaurinae
  • Subfamily Liolaeminae
  • Subfamily Oplurinae: Madagascar iguanids
  • Subfamily Phrynosomatinae: ear-less, spiny, tree, side-blotched and horned lizards
  • Subfamily Polychrotinae: anoles
  • Subfamily Tropidurinae: neotropical ground lizards

Frost et al classification of iguanas

Family Iguanidae

  • Genus Amblyrhynchus
  • Genus Brachylophus
  • Genus Conolophus
  • Genus Ctenosaura
  • Genus Cyclura
  • Genus Dipsosaurus
  • Genus Iguana
  • Genus Sauromalus
  • Genus Armandisaurus (extinct)
  • Genus Lapitiguana (extinct)
  • Genus Pumila (extinct)

Green iguana

Green Iguana
Iguana Iguana.jpg
Conservation status
Template:StatusLeastConcern
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Sauropsida
Order: Squamata
Family: Iguanidae
Genus: Iguana
Species: I. iguana
Binomial name
Iguana iguana
(Linnaeus, 1758)

The Green Iguana (Iguana iguana) is a large, arboreal herbivorous species of lizard of the genus iguana native to Central and South America. The Green iguana ranges over a large geographic area, from southern Brazil and Paraguay to as far north as Mexico, the Caribbean Islands; and in the United States as feral populations in Florida, Hawaii and the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. The Green iguana is a reptile commonly found in captivity as a pet and grows to 1.5 meters in length from head to tail, although a few specimens have grown more than 2 meters (6 feet) and can weigh upwards of 20 pounds (10 kg).

Taxonomy

The word Iguana is derived from a Spanish form of the Taino name for the species "Iwana".[1][2] The species was first officially described by Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus in 1758.[3] In the two centuries since then, no less than 17 species and subspecies have been identified with all but one species(Iguana delicatissima) being found to be invalid.[3]

In Spanish speaking countries, males of the species are referred to as gorrobo or ministro and juveniles are called iguanita or gorrobito.[4]

Distribution and habitat

The native range of the Green iguana extends from southern Mexico to central Brazil, Paraguay, and Bolivia and the Caribbean; specifically Grenada, Curacao, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and Utila.[5][6] They have been introduced to Grand Cayman, Puerto Rico, Texas, Florida, Hawaii, and the US Virgin Islands.[6][7][8]

a young iguana with two adults in the trees

Green iguanas are diurnal and arboreal and often found near water.[9][10] Agile climbers, iguanas can fall up to 50 feet and land unhurt (iguanas use their hind leg claws to "hook" leaves, branches, or anything in a "clasping" motion to break a fall).[10][11][12] During cold, wet weather, Green iguanas prefer to stay on the ground for greater warmth.[4] When swimming an iguana remains submerged and lets its four legs hang limply against its side and propels itself through the water with powerful tail strokes.[4]


Because of the Green iguana's popularity in the pet trade and as a food source in Latin America, they are listed on the CITES Appendix II, which means that while they are not an endangered species, "their trade must be controlled so as to not harm the species in the future".[13]

Anatomy and morphology

In southern countries of their range, such as Peru, Green iguanas appear bluish in color with bold black markings.[10] On islands such as Bonaire, Curacao, Aruba, and Grenada, a Green iguana's color may range from green to lavender, black, and even pink.[2][10] Green iguanas from the western region of Costa Rica are red and animals of the northen ranges, such as Mexico, appear orange.[10][2] Juvenile Green iguanas from El Salvador are often bright blue as babies, however they lose this color as they get older.[2]

A male Green iguana with spines and dewlap.

Green iguanas possess a row of spines along their backs and along their tails which helps to protect them from predators.[10] Their whiplike tails can be used to deliver painful strikes and like many other lizards, when grabbed by the tail, the iguana can allow it to break, so it can escape and eventually regrow a new one.[14][12] In addition, iguanas have well developed dewlaps which helps regulate their body temperature.[11] It is also used in courtships and displays.[2][10][15]

Green iguanas have excellent vision, enabling them to detect shapes and motions at long distances.[16] As Green iguanas have only a few Rod cells, they have poor vision in low-light conditions. At the same time, they have cells called “double Cone cells” that give them sharp color vision and enable them to see ultraviolet wavelengths.[16] This ability is highly useful when basking so the animal can ensure that it absorbs enough sunlight in the forms of UVA and UVB to produce Vitamin D.[2][12]

Green iguanas have evolved a white photosensory organ on the top of their heads called the parietal eye, which are also called third eye, pineal eye or pineal gland.[16] This “eye” doesn’t work the same way as a normal eye does as it has only a rudimentary retina and lens and thus cannot form images.[16] It is, however, sensitive to changes in light and dark and can detect movement.[16] This helps the iguana when being stalked by predators from above.[16]

Green iguanas have very sharp teeth that are capable of shredding leaves and even human skin.[2] The teeth are situated on the inner sides of the jawbones which is why they are hard to see in smaller specimens.[15]

Primarily herbivorous, Green iguanas are presented with a special problem for osmoregulation; plant matter contains more potassium and as it has less nutritional content per gram, more must be eaten to meet metabolic needs.[17] As Green iguanas are not capable of creating liquid urine more concentrated than their bodily fluids, like birds they excrete nitrogenous wastes as urate salts through a salt gland. [17] As a result, Green iguanas have developed a lateral nasal gland to supplement renal salt secretion by expelling excess potassium and sodium chloride.[17]

Green iguanas from Guatemala and southern Mexico have small horns on their snouts between their eyes and their nostrils, whereas others do not.[10] Naturalists once classified these iguanas as belonging to different subspecies (Iguana iguana rhinolopha); however, this classification has been found to be invalid as iguanas with similar nose projections appear randomly in other populations and interbreed freely with those that do not share this trait.[10][2]

File:Iguana3.jpg
Juvenile Green iguana

Sexual dimorphism and reproduction

Male Green iguanas have highly developed femoral pores on the underside of their thighs which secrete a scent (females also have fermoral pores, but they are smaller in comparison to those of the males).[2] 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.[2]

Green iguanas are oviparous with females laying clutches of 20 to 71 eggs once per year during a synchronized nesting period.[18][14] The female Green iguana gives no parental protection after egglaying, apart from defending the nesting burrow during excavation.[18] In Panama, the Green iguana has been observed sharing nest sites with American Crocodiles and in Honduras with Spectacled Caimans.[6]

The hatchlings emerge from the nest after 10-15 weeks of incubation.[18][14] 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.[18]

Juveniles stay in familial groups for the first year of their lives.[18] 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.[19]

Behavior

File:Cuban Iguana head.jpg
Reddish colored Green Iguana

When frightened by a predator, Green iguanas will attempt to flee, and if near a body of water, dive into it and swim away.[4] If cornered by a threat, the Green iguana will extend and display the dewlap under its neck, stiffen and puff up its body, and bob its head at the aggressor.[10] If the threat persists the Green iguana will lash with it's tail, bite and use its claws in defense.[4] Wounded animals are more inclined to fight than unijured ones.[4]

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.[2] The frequency and number of head bobs have particular meanings to other iguanas.[10]

Green iguanas are preyed upon by hawks and their fear of hawks is exploited as a ploy to catch them in the wild.[4] The sound of a hawk's whistle or scream makes the iguana freeze and easy to capture.[4]

Diet

File:La Palmyre 073.jpg
The herbivorous Green iguana

Green iguanas are primarily herbivores, feeding on leaves, flowers, fruit, and growing shoots of upwards of 100 different species of plant.[18][2] In Panama one of the Green iguana's favorite foods is wild plum, Spondias monbin.[4]

Although they will consume a wide variety of foods if offered, green iguanas are naturally herbivorous and require a precise ratio of minerals (2 to 1 calcium to phosphous) in their diet.[12][20] Juvenile iguanas tend to be insectivores and often eat feces from adults in order to acquire the essential microflora to digest their low-quality and hard to process diet.[18][4]

There is some debate as to whether captive Green iguanas should be fed animal protein.[2] There is evidence of wild iguanas eating grasshoppers and tree snails, usually as a byproduct of eating plant material.[21] Wild adult Green iguanas have also been observed eating bird's eggs.[5] Zoologists, such as Adam Britton, believe that such a diet containing protein is unhealthy for the animal's digestive system resulting in severe long-term health damage including kidney failure and leading to premature death.[22] On the other side of the argument is that Green iguanas at the Miami Seaquarium in Key Biscayne, Florida, have been observed eating dead fish and individuals kept in captivity have been known to eat mice without any ill effects.[2] De Vosjoli also writes that some animals have been known to survive and thrive on eating nothing but whole rodent block, or monkey chow, and one instance of Romaine lettuce with vitamin and calcium supplements.[2]


Captivity

Main article: Green Iguana in captivity

File:GreenIguana.jpg
A Green iguana in a terrarium

The US pet trade has put a great demand on the Green iguana; 800,000 iguanas were imported into the U.S. in 1995 alone, primarily originating from captive farming operations based in their native countries (Honduras, El Salvador, Colombia, and Panama).[23] However, these animals are demanding to care for properly over their lifetime, and many die within a few years of acquisition.[2]

Although, in captivity, Green Iguanas will eat meat if presented with it, excessive consumption of animal protein results in severe kidney problems and possible premature death.[2][22] Misinformed pet owners tend to feed iguanas iceberg lettuce, which provides iguanas with water but has no other nutritional value.[12] A captive Green iguana's diet should consist of fresh leafy vegetables such as mustard greens, collard greens, dandelion, arugula or kale and access to fresh water.[2]

Green iguanas will thrive only in temperatures of 79 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit (24 to 32 degrees Celsius) and must have appropriate sources of UVB and UVA lighting, or else their bodies cannot produce Vitamin D, which can result in a metabolic bone disease that can be fatal.[2][12] In some locales(New York City and Hawaii), iguanas are considered exotic pets, and are prohibited from ownership.[24] [25] Hawaii has strict regulations regarding the import and possession of Green iguanas, violators can spend three years in jail and fined up to $200,000.[26] This is due to the potential impact of an introduced species on Hawaii's ecosystem.

Invasive species

Green iguanas are considered an invasive species in South Florida and along the gulf coast of Florida from Key West to Pinellas County.[27][6] This is due to a combination of events.[15] The original small populations in the Florida Keys were animals that had arrived there due to hurricanes and storms; others were stowaways on ships carrying fruit from South America.[28] Over the years escaped, and intentionally released, iguanas from the pet trade survived and then thrived in their new habitat.[27] They commonly hide in the attics of houses and on beaches. They often destroy gardens and landscaping.[27] However, they seem to be fond of eating a native endangered plant, Cordia globosa and feeding on Nicker nut (Caesalpinia) a primary food plant of the endangered Miami Blue Butterfly (Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri); additionally on Marco Island, Green iguanas have been observed using the burrows of the Florida Burrowing Owl, a species of special concern, all of which makes them more of a serious threat to Florida's ecosystem than originally believed.[28][6]

The Green iguana is established in Maui, Hawaii as a feral species (despite strict legislation)and the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.[10][29] As most reptiles carry salmonella, this is also a concern and a reason legislation has been sought to regulate the trade in Green iguanas.[6]

Cultural references

File:Iguanalarcomuseum.jpg
Moche Iguana. 200 C.E. Larco Museum Collection Lima, Peru.

The Moche people of ancient Peru worshipped animals and often depicted Green iguanas in their art. [30] The iguana has also been used as a food source in Central and South America for the past 7000 years. It is believed that populations in the Caribbean were translocated there from the mainland by various tribes as a food source.[1] In Central and South America, Green iguanas are used as a source of meat and are often referred to as gallina de palo, "Bamboo Chicken" or "chicken of the tree".[4]

Photos

  • Iguana iguana 2 AB.jpg

    A Green iguana adult

  • Young iguana.png

    A young Green iguana in the wild

  • A male Green iguana in the wild (BCC Panama)

  • Wizardtoilet.jpg

    A pet Green iguana using a toilet.

Lesser Antillian iguana

Lesser Antillean Iguana
Iguana delicatissima.jpg
Conservation status
Status iucn3.1 VU.svg
Vulnerable
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Sauropsida
Order: Squamata
Family: Iguanidae
Genus: Iguana
Species: I. delicatissima
Binomial name
Iguana delicatissima
Laurenti, 1768

The Lesser Antillean Iguana (Iguana delicatissima) is one of two species of lizard of the genus Iguana. Endemic to the Lesser Antilles it is in severe decline due to habitat destruction, feral predators, hunting, and hybridization with its sister species the Green iguana.

Taxonomy

The generic name Iguana is derived from Iwana, a Spanish form of the Taino name for the species.[1] Its specific name delicatissima is Latin for "extraordinary". The species was first officially described by Austrian naturalist Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti in 1768.[3]

Distribution

The Lesser Antillean iguana is found in scrub woodland, rainforest, and mangrove throughout the Lesser Antilles on Anguilla, St. Martin, St. Eustatius, Antigua, Guadeloupe, Dominica, and Martinique.[31]

Anatomy and morphology

Though belonging to the same genus as the Green Iguana, the Lesser Antilles Iguana has a more blocky, shortened face than the Green Iguana and lacks the distinctive stripe pattern present along the Green Iguana's tail. The feature that most easily distinguishes these two species is the large, round scale, which the Green iguana has below each ear hole but the Lesser Antillean iguana does not.

The Lesser Antillean iguana varies in color between different island populations, but the base color tends to be gray, with green splotching on the underside.[5] They have large pale, ivory colored scales on their heads. The jowls of males are pink and the scales around the eyes are blue.[5] Males also have femoral pores along each inner thigh that exude pheromones during breeding season. Males are larger than females and are 40cm (16in) long, with an 80cm (32in) tail when full-grown. Females are two-thirds this size.

Diet

Lesser Antillean iguanas are primarily herbivores, feeding on leaves, flowers, fruit, and growing shoots of upwards of 100 different species of plant.[5] This presents a problem for osmoregulation: vegetable matter contains more potassium has less nutritional content per gram, so more must be eaten to meet the animal's metabolic needs.[17] Like most reptiles, Lesser Antillean iguanas are not capable of creating liquid urine more concentrated than their bodily fluids, like birds they excrete nitrogenous wastes as urate salts through a specially evolved nasal salt gland. [17] As a result, the iguanas have developed this lateral nasal gland to supplement renal salt secretion by expelling excess potassium and sodium chloride.[17]

Conservation

The Lesser Antillean Iguana is a vulnerable species and is found on the IUCN Red List.[31] The Lesser Antillean iguana is legally protected from hunting throughout its range, but enforcement of these regulations is extremely difficult and therefore limited. [32] Other threats include habitat loss to agriculture and development and the introduction of feral predators such as dogs, cats, and the mongoose.[32]

The species greatest threat is from its own genus.[32] The Green iguana has been introduced to the Lesser Antilles as an invasive species and directly competes with the Lesser Antillean Iguana for food and resources.[32] In addition the Green iguana has been interbreeding with the Lesser Antillean Iguana and this hybridization has been the number one reason for decline on at least three of the islands: Les Iles des Saintes, Basse Terre (Guadeloupe) and St. Barthélemy.[32]

Captive Lesser Antillean iguanas are currently kept at the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust, Memphis Zoo and the San Diego Zoo’s Center for Reproduction of Endangered Species.[32] All individuals originate from the Commonwealth of Dominica.[31] Breeding and keeping the species in captivity is difficult. Mating and egg laying have occurred at each institution but most of the eggs have been infertile, a single individual was successfully hatched at the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust in 1997 and in 2000 eight iguanas were hatched. [32]

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Coles, William (2002), Green Iguana, Department of Planning and Natural Resources US Virgin Islands Division of Fish and Wildlife  Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "Coles" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "Coles" defined multiple times with different content
  2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 De Vosjoli, Phillipe and David Blair (1992). The Green Iguana Manual. Escondido, California: Advanced Vivarium Systems. ISBN 74886904040. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Hollingsworth, Bradford D. (2004), The Evolution of Iguanas an Overview and a Checklist of Species, University of California Press, ISBN 9780520238541  Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "Hollingsworth" defined multiple times with different content
  4. ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 Swanson, Paul L (1950), "The Iguana: Iguana iguana iguana", Herpetolgica 6: 187-193 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Lazell, J.D. (1973), The lizard genus Iguana in the Lesser Antilles, New York  Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "Lazell" defined multiple times with different content
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Krysko, Kenneth L; Kevin M Enge & Ellen M Donlan et al. (2007), "Distribution, Natural History, and Impacts of the Introduced Green Iguana in Florida", Iguana: Conservation, Natural History, and Husbandry of Reptiles 14 (3): 142-151, International Reptile Conservation Foundation 
  7. ↑ Mani, Bina (7/17/2002), Wild Blue Iguanas plummeting towards extinction. Retrieved 10/28/2007 
  8. ↑ Seidel, M & R Franz (1994), Amphibians and reptiles (exclusive of marine turtles) of the Cayman Islands, The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers, ISBN 9780792324621 
  9. ↑ Cogger, Harold & Richard Zweifel (1992), Reptiles & Amphibians, Sydney, Australia: Weldon Owen, ISBN 0831727861 
  10. ↑ 10.00 10.01 10.02 10.03 10.04 10.05 10.06 10.07 10.08 10.09 10.10 10.11 Samuelson, Phillip (6/1/1995), "The Lizard King", Reptiles Magazine 3 (2): 64-84 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Bebler, John L. & F. Wayne King (1979), The Audubon Society Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of North America, Alfred A. Knopf, ISBN 0394508246 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 Rosenfeld, Arthur (1989), Exotic Pets, New York: Simon & Schuster, ISBN 067147654 
  13. ↑ 9/13/2007, Appendices I,II, and III. Retrieved 10/28/2007 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Capula, Massimo and Behler (1989). Simon & Schuster's Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of the World. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0671690981. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Conant, Roger (1991). A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians Eastern/Central North America. Boston, Massachussets: Houghton Mifflin Company, 94-95. ISBN 0395583896. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 16.5 Brames, Henry (2007), "Aspects of Light and Reptile Immunity", Iguana: Conservation, Natural History, and Husbandry of Reptiles 14 (1): 19-23, International Reptile Conservation Foundation 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 17.5 Hazard, Lisa C. (2004), Sodium and Potassium Secretion by Iguana Salt Glands, University of California Press, ISBN 9780520238541  Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "Hazard" defined multiple times with different content
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 18.5 18.6 Burghart, Gordon (2004). Iguana Research: Looking Back and Looking Ahead. University of California Press, 5-10. ISBN 9780520238541. 
  19. ↑ Rivas, Jesus & Luis E Levin (2004), Sexually Dimorphic Antipredator Behavior in Juvenile Green Iguanas, University of California Press, ISBN 9780520238541 
  20. ↑ Kaplan, Melissa (April 19, 2007). "'MK Diet' - The Short Version". Melissa Kaplan's Herp Care Collection. anapsid.org. Retrieved 2007-06-27.
  21. ↑ Meshaka, Walter (September 2004). Colonization Success by Green Iguanas in Florida. Iguana: Journal of the International Iguana Society. State Museum of Pennsylvania, Zoology and Botany.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Britton, Adam (April 19, 2007). Animal Protein and Claw Trimming". Melissa Kaplan's Herp Care Collection. anapsid.org. Retrieved 2007-06-27.
  23. ↑ 2007, Green Iguana, Smithsonian National Zoological Park 
  24. ↑ Blood, Michael R (6/30/1999), "Exotic Pets' Days Numbered", New York Daily News 
  25. ↑ "Green Iguana Society Adoption Board" (discussion board). Boardhost.com. Retrieved 2007-06-27.
  26. ↑ 04/16/2002, Iguana & Illegal Lizard Turned In Under Amnesty, State of Hawaii Department of Agriculture 
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 Lush, Tamara (July 26,2005), "Florida's Iguana Infestation", St Petersburg Times 
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Youth, Howard (2005), "Florida's Creeping Crawlers", Zoogoer 20 (3) 
  29. ↑ Perry, Brian (04/12/2006), "Leaping lizards! Girl sights iguana in Kahului", The Maui News 
  30. ↑ Berrin, Katherine & Larco Museum. The Spirit of Ancient Peru:Treasures from the Museo Arqueológico Rafael Larco Herrera. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1997.
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 31.2 Breuil, M. & Day, M. 1996. [1]. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species., World Conservation Union. Retrieved on 30 October2007.
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 32.2 32.3 32.4 32.5 32.6 Day, Mark; Michel Breuil & Steve Reichling (2001), "Taxonomic Account Lesser Antillean iguana Iguana delicatissima", IUCN Iguana Specialist Group 

References


External links

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References

  • Frost, D.R. and R.E. Etheridge. 1989. A Phylogenetic Analysis and Taxonomy of Iguanian Lizards (Reptilia: Squamata). Lawrence, KS: University of Kansas, Museum of Natural History. ISBN 0893380334.
  • Frost, D.R., R. Etheridge, D. Janies and T.A. Titus. 2001. Total evidence, sequence alignment, evolution of Polychrotid lizards, and a reclassification of the Iguania (Squamata: Iguania). American Museum Novitates. 3343:38.

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