Green Iguana: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Lizards · day 6 of 7

Five facts

1. A green iguana has a third eye on top of its head. It can't form images, but it senses light, dark and movement overhead.
2. Green iguanas can drop from as much as 15 m up and land unharmed, grabbing leaves and branches with their hind claws to slow the fall.
3. In 1995 a hurricane washed green iguanas ashore on Anguilla, showing they can reach new islands by sea.
4. Young green iguanas stay in family groups for their first year. The males often use their own bodies to shield the females from predators.
5. A green iguana is usually 1.2 to 1.7 m long, and most of that is tail. A few have topped 2 m and 9 kg.

The quiz

1. What can a green iguana's third eye do?

• Form sharp images
• See in colour
• Sense light, dark and movement overhead (correct)
• Hear distant sounds

The third eye cannot form images but senses light, dark and movement, which helps spot predators from above.

2. How do green iguanas slow a long fall?

• Grasping branches with their hind claws (correct)
• Spreading skin flaps like wings
• Whipping their tail like a parachute
• Rolling into a ball

They grasp leaves and branches with their hind claws to break the descent.

3. What carried green iguanas to Anguilla in 1995?

• A cargo ship
• A river flood
• Migrating birds
• A hurricane (correct)

A hurricane washed green iguanas ashore on Anguilla in 1995.

4. In a young iguana family group, who shields the females from predators?

• The mother
• Young males (correct)
• Older females
• Nobody does

Young males often use their own bodies to shield the females from predators.

5. What makes up most of a green iguana's length?

• Its neck
• Its body
• Its tail (correct)
• Its legs

The tail makes up much of the iguana's length.

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