iguanas
Iguanas are a family of lizards that consists of about 40 species. The best known species are the green iguana and the marine iguana. The green iguana is an exotic pet and is kept worldwide. The marine iguana is a special species because it finds its food in the sea and gets it from there. No other lizard is known to do this. The iguana is generally somewhat larger than most lizards and therefore reach an impressive length of about 1 meter including tail. On the middle of the back there is a ridge which is most present in the neck. The comb continues over the tail. Some species also have outgrowths over the bowl, such as the rhinoceros iguana. In general, it is the males who are in possession of these body decorations. The male iguanas are generally larger than the females. In the sea lugan, the male is even up to four times heavier than the female.
iguanas
When iguanas are young they eat insects, but as they get older they eat more and more plant parts. By the time iguanas reach adulthood, they are usually completely vegetarian. What their diet consists of exactly depends on the habitat and the type of iguana. For example, tropical species eat different plant parts such as flowers, fruits and berries. For example, the desert iguana mainly feeds on the yellow flowers of the creosote bush. Iguanas that live in drier areas are even able to eat cacti. Iguanas can also climb very well, they often live on branches in high trees, but there are also species that live on the bottom, such as species that live in the desert, for example. Iguanas have adapted over time to the environment in which they live. Climbing species are often very agile and can drop from great heights to escape danger. Desert species can run very fast again thanks to their fast hind legs.
Unfortunately, iguanas in the wild have had a rough time since the arrival of humans. In some parts of the world they are eaten as a delicacy and therefore caught from the wild. However, this does not go without a fight, iguanas are very strong and fast. Fortunately, they are difficult to catch and bite hard. Unfortunately, a method has therefore been devised to still catch iguanas, they are shot from the trees with a catapult. The animals brought by humans are also a danger to the iguanas, for example the goats that eat all the plants and rats or pigs that dig the nests and/or eat the eggs.
Want to know more about the iguana or keeping it? Then visit our store in The Hague and let our employees inform you.
