Do you know anything about green iguanas? Did you know that they use their tails to sense when predators are nearby and if they lose their tails, they will grow back as if it never happened.
One of the most common reptiles found in the South and Central America is the green iguana.
Several breeds can be seen in Mexico, Paraguay, Brazil and the Caribbean Islands.
It is not known for sure that the green iguana is an endangered species but it is often thought as one because hunters love this iguana attraction.
Hunters love to hunt for female iguanas.
Why is this the case? They are considered a delicacy for some people.
What is this female iguana delicacy called? How about Bamboo Chicken.
1.
Green Iguana Physical Appearance How big do the green iguanas get? For starters, these reptiles can grow anywhere from four to six feet long although some have managed to get up to seven feet in length.
The tail of the iguana is almost half of their body, taking up more than half that length.
So what does the green iguana look like exactly? Yes, these iguanas are green but they also have a dominant black stripe along their bodies.
Their shade of green changes from a bright green to a grayish dull green color, hence the reason behind the name.
The iguana's skin is primarily rough because it has pointy scales along its back.
They are equipped with long fingers and claws.
This makes it easy for them to grasp limbs and climb to get out of the way of danger and predators.
2.
The Green Iguana's Habitat Baby green iguanas are usually raised in a tropical rainforest setting especially where there is water, such as streams and rivers, in low altitudes.
Much of the iguana's beginning years they spend at the top of the forest, about 40 to 50 feet high from the ground.
3.
Baby Green Iguana's Adaptations Despite the baby iguana's claws and long fingers, there are other wonderful traits and adaptations they have.
They have a strong sense of senses especially hearing, sight and smell.
Their defense mechanisms are in their tails.
Their tails are sharp and will point high when they sense danger.
If a predator is able to get ahold of their tail and remove it, the tail will grow back as if there was no damage whatsoever.
Since the baby iguana's skin is considered tough, scratches and cuts are able to be avoided.
It is also water-resistant.
Due to its skin pigmentation, the baby green iguana can camouflage itself when it senses predators in the area.
However, if this does not work and predators do find them, the babies are able to jump hurriedly from the trees to water.
Remember, iguanas do live near water so they are excellent swimmers.
Among their wonderful traits, these baby iguanas are quite strong.
Should they fall 40 to 50 feet from a tree to the ground, they can always come away from it unhurt.
The male iguana has what is called dewlap on the skin.
What is a dewlap? It is a special flap used to attract female green iguanas.
It can also be used to intimidate the predators would love to attack them.
The dewlaps help the iguanas appear as if they are much bigger than they really are.
The green iguanas can keep fat under their necks and jaws for some time when times are rough and there is not much food to get.