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Species
Iguana iguana Liner 1994
IUCN
NCBI
EOL Text
The green iguana is one of the best-known reptiles due to its popularity in zoos and with private reptile keepers (3). It has a very distinctive appearance, with a large head, a pronounced dewlap, and an impressive crest of comb-like spines that runs down the centre of the back and tail (3) (5), measuring around three centimetres high (2). While, like its name suggests, this iguana is usually a shade of green, (from dull, grassy green to vivid turquoise), bright orange individuals may occur in the northern parts of its range (3), and the colour may also vary with temperature, particularly when young, being bright green when hot and dull and dark when cold (2). The green iguana's scaly skin is either uniformly coloured, or bears blackish stripes or a contrasting brownish pattern (3). Prominent large, circular scales are present on the lower jaw below the clearly visible tympanum. Male green iguanas can be distinguished from females by the more pronounced spiny crest and larger head (5), the more noticeable femoral pores (2), and the broader cloaca opening (6).
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Source | http://www.arkive.org/green-iguana/iguana-iguana/ |
Primarily a tree-dwelling reptile (3), the green iguana is a specialised leaf-eater, consuming the tender green leaves and flowers of a selection of trees, shrubs and herb vegetation (4). For over 90 percent of the time, green iguanas are inactive and often when they do move, they travel slowly. However, if required, green iguanas are capable of running fast and will dive into water to escape predators (4), revealing their excellent swimming abilities. This explains the iguana's preference for habitat close to watercourses (3). Green iguanas are territorial during the breeding season (4), and will defend their home range against intruders (3). If a green iguana ventures into the territory of another it will be met firstly with pronounced head-nodding behaviour, believed to be an intimidating action. This may be followed by an extensive threat ritual, when the iguanas vertically flatten their bodies and erect their dorsal crests to create the appearance of being much larger. If the altercation does not end there, serious fights with injuries can follow. The dewlap, which can be lowered by a bone in the neck, is also used in threat displays, as well as for communicating with other green iguanas (3). Green iguanas breed during the dry season, during which time a territorial male occupies his territory with several females (4). A month or two after mating, the females move to communal nesting sites where they lay a clutch of 17 to 76 eggs in burrows dug into the ground. Iguana hatchlings emerge from the nest after three months of incubation, coinciding with the onset of the rainy season, a strategy to ensure plentiful, lush, green vegetation for the growing iguanas to feed on (4). Green iguana hatchlings are incredibly vulnerable to predators, including other reptiles, birds and mammals (7), and only about 2.6 percent live to the age of one year. Sexual maturity is reached after two to three years (4).
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Rights holder/Author | Copyright Wildscreen 2003-2008 |
Source | http://www.arkive.org/green-iguana/iguana-iguana/ |
Esta es la lagartija más grande del país. Los machos adultos pueden alcanzar hasta 400 mm de H-C. Las hembras tienden a ser más pequeñas, pueden alcanzar una longitud H-C de hasta 300 mm. La cola es muy larga, puede llegar a ser hasta tres veces la longitud del resto del cuerpo y algo comprimida lateralmente. La cabeza es angosta y profunda, el hocico es redondeado dorsalmente y truncado lateralmente. Los ojos son moderadamente grandes, las pupilas son elípticas y verticales. Las extremidades son robustas y fuertes, terminadas en dígitos largos con uñas también largas.
La membrana gular, es mucho más conspícua en los machos y tiene escamas triangulares en el borde, lo que le da un aspecto aserrado. Hay una fila de escamas vertebrales altas y angostas, que comienza en la cabeza y continúa por el tronco y cola. Las escamas dorsales son pequeñas, yuxtapuestas, quilladas y más grandes que las laterales. Las ventrales son lisas, imbricadas y más grandes que las dorsales. La superficie dorsal de las extremidades está cubierta por escamas imbricadas y quilladas, mientras que en la ventral las escamas son lisas. La superficie dorsal de la cabeza está cubierta por placas agrandadas y simétricamente arregladas. Tiene una placa circular muy conspícua a cada lado de la cabeza, debajo del tímpano (característica que distingue a esta especies de cualquier otra). Tiene de 18 a 20 poros femorales que son más grandes en los machos.
Las iguanas verdes cambian de color conforme crecen y crecen conforme envejecen. Los jóvenes son verde brillante IMAGEDB.GET_BFILE_IMAGE?p_imageId=13059&p_imageResolutionId=2">(ver">http://attila.inbio.ac.cr:7777/pls/portal30IMAGEDB.GET_BFILE_IMAGE?p_imageId=13059&p_imageResolutionId=2">(ver imagen), mientras que los individuos maduros son gris verduzco, bronceados y hasta cafés. Los machos tienden a cambiar a un color verde anaranjado con una serie de barras verticales a cada lado del cuerpo. La cola muestra bandas alternadas claras y oscuras. Las extremidades son verde anarajadas así como el vientre.
Los jóvenes son presa de muchos depredadores como serpientes, aves, mamíferos y otras lagartijas.
Tasa de crecimiento
De acuerdo a Villareal y Vogt, (1997), la taza de crecimiento es lenta, no se mencionan cantidades pero se destaca que la especie alcanza la madurez sexual a los tres años.
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The most adverse effect green iguanas have on humans would be eating exotic tropical foliage in gardens. They do not pose any major problems for humans.
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Source | http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Iguana_iguana/ |
Los machos adultos de estas iguanas alcanzan entre 300 y 400 mm de longitud hocico-cloaca; las hembras tienden a ser más pequeñas, cerca de 100 mm menores que los machos. La cola es extremadamente larga, cerca de tres veces la longitud del cuerpo y es algo aplanada lateralmente. La cabeza es angosta, el hocico es redondeado en vista dorsal y truncado en vista lateral. Los ojos son algo grandes con pupilas verticalmente elípticas. Los brazos son robustos y poderosos con dedos provistos de poderosas uñas. El pliegue gular es conspicuamente grande en machos adultos y presenta escamas triangulares en los bordes dándole una apariencia de sierra. En la base de la cabeza inicia una fila de escamas anchas y alargadas que se prolonga en la parte medio dorsal sobre el cuerpo y la cola. Las escamas del dorso del cuerpo son pequeñas, yuxtapuestas y más largas que las laterales. Las escamas ventrales son planas, imbricadas y más grandes que las dorsales. La superficie dorsal de los brazos esta cubierta por escamas imbricadas quilladas, las de la superficie ventral son planas. La superficie dorsal de la cabeza esta cubierta por placas simétricamente arregladas. A los lados de la cabeza, ligeramente abajo del tímpano, presenta un escudo circular alargado. Comúnmente existen tubérculos de espinas alargadas a los lados del cuello. Comunmente presentan de 18 a 20 poros femorales en la superficie posteroventral de cada pierna, los cuales son grandes en machos.
Las iguanas cambian de color dependiendo de la edad. Los juveniles presentan un color verde brillante mientras que los individuos viejos (especialmente), presentan un color verde grisáceo, bronceado o café, usualmente con manchas de color naranja o naranja-verde en la cabeza y una serie de barras verticales obscuras a los lados del cuerpo. La cola está claramente marcada con líneas claras y obscuras de aproximadamente el mismo tamaño. Los brazos y las partes bajas del cuerpo están manchados de naranja.
Historia de vida
Son organismos ectotermos, vivíparos, herbívoros.
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Rights holder/Author | CONABIO |
Source | http://www.conabio.gob.mx/conocimiento/ise/fichasnom/Iguanaiguana00.pdf |
Although a growing assortment of exotic iguanids, polychrotids (anoles), geckonids (geckos), and other non-native lizards are now encountered in Florida, relatively few of these could be easily misidentified as I. iguana. Black spinytail iguanas (Ctenosaura similis) and Mexican spinytail iguanas (C. pectinata) are potential exceptions, but looking for the diagnostic features described above should allow Iguana iguana to be differentiated from these animals.
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Source | http://www.sms.si.edu/irlspec/Iguana_iguana.htm |
Green iguanas are known carriers of several Salmonella spp. bacterial strains considered to be pathogenic. Salmonella colonize the intestines and is shed in feces. Tortora at al. (1998) note that the carriage rate in pet reptiles may be as high as 90%.Invasion History: The pet trade has provided a steady source of introduction of Iguana iguana to Florida. Iguanas escaped from captivity were reported from south Florida as early as 1966, at Key Biscayne, Hialeah, Coral Gables, and near the Miami International Airport (King and Krakauer 1966). Populations have since become established at least as far north as Palm Beach County on the Atlantic coast and Lee County on the Gulf coast of the state, and an increasing number of animals (not yet reported breeding) are now reported from Martin and St. Lucie counties (Bartlett 1980, Bartlett and Bartlett 1999, Townsend et al. 2002, Krysko et al. 2005). The animals are frequently encountered in Everglades National Park, and have been reported in the Keys at least as far south as Stock Island (Meshaka et al. 2000).In addition to Florida, I. iguana has been introduced to Hawaii where it is also a nuisance species (McKeown 1996). Potential to Compete With Natives: I. iguana is the largest known lizard to occur in the U.S. (Conant and Collins 1998, Campbell 1998). McKie et al. (2005) reported concern over the potential for iguanas to disrupt native bird nests or destroy nestlings and eggs. Possible Economic Consequences of Invasion: The potential economic consequences associated with expanding Florida green iguana populations are believed to be minor, mostly related to the destruction of tropical garden and landscape foliage caused by iguana foraging (Gingell and Harding 2005). Health-related issues arising from iguanas being carriers of Salmonella are anticipated to be very minimal.In other parts of the world, green iguanas are an important source of food and leather, but they are unlikely to be utilized in this manner in Florida.
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Source | http://www.sms.si.edu/irlspec/Iguana_iguana.htm |
Clutch sizes are relatively large, averaging 20-70 eggs. Females deposit eggs approximately 65 days after mating, usually over the course of three days, into nests excavated to a depth of 0.45-1 m. If suitable nesting sites are limited, several females can share nests (De Vosjoli 1992, Frye 1995).Incubation takes 90 to 120 days at a nest tenperature of 30-32°C. Hatchlings break through egg shells with the aid of a caruncle (egg tooth) that is shed shortly after hatching. Young are precocial and independent from the time of hatching, but they derive most of their nourishment in the first few weeks of life from yolk that has already been absorbed (Gingell and Harding 2005).
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Source | http://www.sms.si.edu/irlspec/Iguana_iguana.htm |