10 Iguana Facts For Kids
These tropical lizards are very fast and agile. Their physique is evolved to look like a mix between a reptile and dinosaur, which makes them seem like attractive heroes and cool pets featured in movies like Terminator. These cool and quirky animals are also pets to inhabitants of the countryside in the continent of America.
They have many interesting Iguana facts for kids and will surely grab your attention. These facts will definitely tempt you to have them as pets. Please read about them and sense the amazement that they elicit.
Basic facts related to Iguana
Scientific classification
Genus- Iguana and Iguana delicatissima (West Indian Iguana, Lesser Known Antillean Iguana),
- Phylum- chordata, Kingdom-Animalia
- Latin names – With different types of Iguana, there are different names for them in Latin. Let’s learn the names of a few important ones.
- Iguana -Iguana spp
- Land Iguana– conolophus
- Common Iguana– Iguana Iguana
Appearance:
Unlike the other reptiles, these herbivores are very large and have stout backs. They have turquoise blue spines that run down their bodies; females have less spines on their backs. Iguanas are of various colors: blue, yellow, and blue-green, but green is the most common one. The dusty brown eyes add to sharp features and make them look like mendacious forest inhabitants.
Physical characteristics
Iguanas, with a stout body, have compressed teeth; either deep cups or serrations. They have fleshy tongues that help them catch their prey. The juveniles have grey to moss green bands, male adults have yellow turquoise bands, and like the female peacock, even the female Iguana is not as colourful as the male Iguana. The differentiation factor about the Iguana is that they have four ribs attached to their breastone, and their tail has two pairs of side flanges.
Size and weight
The average weight of a male Iguana is 4 kg, and the female Iguana is 2.9 Kg. Their length is about 45 cm for males and 41 cm for females. This length is from stout to vent. The most common Iguana is the largest lizard in America. Their average length is 6-5 feet long, and the tail makes up half of their body length.
Type of Iguanas
Green Iguanas are the most common and the largest lizards in America. They are known as the territorial Iguana because they fight for their territory. These beautiful lizards are also the most commonly used as house pets because they can eat whatever you give them. The next type is the turquoise blue Iguanas which are very rare and found in the Guinea Islands. Their male predator is a snake, making the female lay eggs hiding from the predator.
The most endangered iguanas found in Mexico are the black spiny-tailed Iguana. They are the fastest lizards and eat fruits, vegetables, plants, and actually everything found in the forest. They also prey on small insects. The Galapagos Land Iguana has a different physique as they look like dinosaurs from the cartoon Dragon Tales. They are herbivores and carnivores feeding on bugs. They look so cute that you cannot take them seriously.
The other rare types of Iguanas are the Yellow Stud Iguana, Galapagos Pink Iguana, Rhonchorous Iguana, Jamaican Iguana, Laun Banded Iguana, Cyclura Pinguis, and the Northern Bahamian Iguana etc.
Habitat
Their niche is the tropical regions, mostly central and southern parts of America. Some of the rare Iguanas are also found in desserts, swamps, and lowlands. These home buddies get comfortable in moist and humid environments.
The various species of the Iguana also determine their terrain. Desert Iguanas are found in the Southern USA and Mexico; the two marine genres of Iguanas: the Galapagos Land Iguana and the Galapagos Pink Iguana, are marine Iguanas found in the islands; the most common green is prevalent in the American continent and found in Central America, Brazil, and the famous Caribbean Islands. The scarce species are the rock Iguanas in the Caribbean Islands.
Diet
Being a herbivore is the ubiquitous diet of Iguanas, making them eat young leaves, fruits, and flowers. Some of them also eat wax worms and bacteria. The marine Iguanas feed on the algae present in the water.
Green Iguana is an omnivore in childhood, feeding on insects and snails. They become herbivores as adults feeding on leaves, plants, and branches with the help of their sharp teeth. The lesser-known Antillian Inuga are mostly herbivores from childhood, feeding on 100 different plant species.
LIfe expectancy
Being a herbivore is the ubiquitous diet of Iguanas, making them eat young leaves, fruits, and flowers. Some of them also eat wax worms and bacteria. The marine Iguanas feed on the algae present in the water.
Green Iguana is an omnivore in childhood, feeding on insects and snails. They become herbivores as adults feeding on leaves, plants, and branches with the help of their sharp teeth. The lesser-known Antillian Inuga are mostly herbivores from childhood, feeding on 100 different plant species.
10 Interesting Iguana facts for kids
Those mentioned above were some mundane information about the Iguana. Let’s explore some riveting and lesser-known facts.
Iguanas can communicate with each other
Language can be verbal and non-verbal. Communication has no limits; non-verbal communication can be communicated through body language, expressions, and body movements. Our very own house pet, Iguana, is a master of communicating without making noise. The various body gestures are: bobbing their heads to fight for their territory and greeting their counterparts, flapping their dewlaps as a sign of being flirtatious to their female counterparts.
Humpty- Dumpty fall from trees:
They are very flimsy and usually lose their grip while climbing trees. This usually happens in a cold climate in which they find it hard to adapt. They crumble together like a stone and seem to be hibernating, but they exhibit some movements, unlike the snail. Because of the stout found when they fall, they look very adorable.
They have a long life Span
These crocodile-looking creatures used in the terminator movie have a very long lifespan if provided a suitable environment. They can live up to around 50 to 80 years which is in comparison to the human lifespan. One reason that gives them a long lifespan is their sharp eyes which help them spot a predator.
Also Read: Cool Crocodile Facts For Kids
Can swim like any other reptile
These versatile creatures are evolved to adapt to different kinds of terrain; land, water, deserts, swamps, etc. Their versatility and ability to hold their breath for 20 minutes make them excellent swimmers in freshwater and saltwater.
Sharp teeth of the green Iguana
They are quite savage because of their capability to shred human skin and branches. Usually, they are very docile and a perfect home pet in America, but they require appropriate conditions. If not, they get frustrated and express their anger by nudging their teeth on literally everything, be it human skin.
These green herbivorous animals run away from cold
These reptile species prefer hot environments and find it hard to move when the environment gets very cold. This is the reason they are mostly found in southern and central America, like the Caribbean Islands, Mexico, and Brazil, and their rarest of the rarest species is found in Northern Florida.
Shed their skin like a snake
They do this to protect themselves from predators. When young, they can regenerate the tail very easily, but when they grow up and the tail is fully developed, unlike the snake, it’s next to impossible to get their tail back, and they have to survive without it.
They also shed their skin, similar to how human beings regenerate cells. This protects their body from various interactions like poisonous plants, animals, insects, etc. The younger ones are less immune, so they shed several times a year, and the older ones shed it once a year. After they shed, their body becomes opaque and duller. The shredding process becomes faster if they are in a dry environment and are surrounded by rocks.
Also Read: Snake Facts For Kids
They battle for the territorial position and fast as a horse
As aforementioned, the green Iguanas battle for their territory by bobbing their head and sharp eyes to ward off the enemies. They catch their prey as fast as a horse and run after enemies who try to take their territory, just like dogs do.
Sun worshippers
They need to be in direct contact with the UV layers to help them extract calcium from the food. The iguanas kept indoors develop a metabolic deficiency because they extract calcium from their body.
With these so many interesting facts, I am sure at least some of you would want to have them as pets. But remember how happy they are in their natural habitat like you would be and how depressing it’s when someone even asks you to move to a new place and start from scratch. If you decide to get them as your pet, please be cautious about their needs and requirements.
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