Green Iguana

Iguana iguana

Reptile

Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing green iguanas. Don’t forget to hit that sub button for more animal facts! Antonio Garcia made the request for today’s animal - thanks so much!

Most people know green iguanas because they’re some of the most commonly kept pet reptiles, but there’s a lot more to them than hanging out in home terrariums. Naturally, green iguanas are from southern Mexico to northern South America. They live in forests high up in the tree canopy where they can stay away from predators and enjoy the rays of the sun. Green iguanas are ectothermic, meaning they depend on the surrounding environment to determine their body temperature. This has actually caused a problem for non-native green iguanas living in Florida.

As an invasive species, green iguanas are not completely adapted to the environment of the habitats in which they don’t naturally occur. When it gets too cold in Florida, it will literally start raining green iguanas. If they get too cold, they enter a state of low activity in which they’re unable to move much. They’re still alive, but they can’t very well hold onto their tree perch and so they just plop right out of the tree. Weird things happen when invasive species get involved, man.

In their natural habitat, green iguanas have a hierarchy of older adults living higher in the trees than younger juveniles. These prime spots in the treetops are perfect for getting as much sun as possible and digesting meals, and they can be a source of controversy in the green iguana community. Green iguanas will actually fight one another for the best basking spot, though generally nobody gets hurt too bad. That’s because green iguanas are smart in how they choose their trees.

They might not seem it, but green iguanas are fantastic swimmers and they will purposefully choose trees that are close to waterways so they can drop down for an easy get-away if any sort of threat appears. It should also be noted, too, that they can drop down to solid ground from as high as 40 feet off the ground without getting hurt. They ain’t robust for nothin’.

Green iguanas can weigh as much as 15lbs (6.8kg), though they’re usually closer to half that. Including their tail they can be well over 6 feet (1.82m) long. Those long tails are handy for defense, as well, as they can be used as a whip to ward off enemies, or can be completely dropped leaving anyone holding the opposite end in a bit of a stupor. Younger individuals have to watch out for birds of prey, but adult green iguanas don’t really face many predators besides humans. Humans capture green iguanas for the pet trade and to use their skin for leather and they also eat them; there’s even an iguana cookbook!

Technically, green iguanas aren’t classified as a threatened species, however, they are monitored in terms of trade as their populations have suffered declines from human persecution. That just makes the idea that the government of Cayman is actually paying people to hunt iguanas all the more crazy to consider, though the green iguana is invasive there.

When they can avoid humans, green iguanas may live to be as old as twenty. They begin life in an egg unprotected by their mothers. After hatching, it can be anywhere from two to five years before they’re ready to produce babies of their own. Females sometimes return to the same nesting spot year after year, and they’ll even share sights if there’s limited availability. And believe it or not, green iguanas aren’t always green. In fact, they can change color just depending on the time of day, time of year, and surrounding temperature. So if you see an orange iguana, it’s probably still technically a green iguana.

For more facts on green iguanas, check out the links in the description. Have you ever seen a green iguana in person? Give a thumbs up for iguanas, and thanks for watching Animal Fact Files.