| Scientific Name
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Iguana iguana
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| Classification
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Phylum Chordata, Class Reptilia, Order Reptilia, Suborder Sauria,
Family Iguanidae
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| Status
|
While the common green iguana is not currently listed as
"endangered," several other species of iguanas are endangered. Common
green iguanas are listed as CITES Appendix II. CITES (Convention
on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora)
is a United Nations treaty with over 100 member states and provides
a means for regulating international trade in wild animals and plants.
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| Range
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In the wild, common green iguanas are found from Mexico to Paraguay
and in southern Brazil.
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| Habitat
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Primarily rain forests; also woodlands, savannas
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| Diet
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In the wild, iguanas eat vegetation, insects and arachnids,
as well as the occasional small mammals and eggs.
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| Size
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up to 5 feet
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Lifespan
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Over 20 years.
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| Location
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Special Features
- Like
all reptiles, iguanas are ectotherms. This means they are not
able to regulate their body temperature internally (as humans,
other mammals, and birds are). Instead, their body temperature
is dictated by the temperature of their environment. When reptiles
want to be warm they must seek a sunlit area. When they need to
cool themselves, they seek shade.
- They
shed their skin, or molt, as they grow older.
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