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 Green
iguanas live in the tropical rainforests. They
can be found throughout Central and South
America. You can also find them on the Caribbean Islands. Full-grown iguanas are usually 1.2-1.8 meters long,
including the tail. The tail
can make up about half the body
length! Green iguanas have
long fingers and claws. So they can climb trees easily.
Baby iguanas are a bright green color. As they grow up, they lose
their bright green color and become a dark green. The green color
helps them blend in easily to their
surroundings.
Green iguanas eat both plants and meat. But they prefer to eat leaves and
fruits. Sometimes they eat eggs, insects, and small animals, too.
Iguanas are cold-blooded. They do not produce their own body heat. So, they must heat
their bodies in the sun every day. Each morning, iguanas bask in the sun. Once they
get warm from the sun, they can move more quickly. Later in the day,
iguanas take a nap in the sun. Sometimes
they go for a swim in a nearby river. Then they return
to their safe resting spot high in the trees to sleep.
Green iguanas are amazing. They have good sense of hearing and smell.
They have good eyesight, too. Also, they
are great swimmers. And they are very strong. They can fall 12-15
meters to the ground without getting hurt! Both male and female green
iguanas can store fat under their jaws
and in their necks. They use the fat when there is not much food to
eat.Female iguanas lay many eggs at a time in holes in the
ground.
They lay about 50 eggs!
After they lay the eggs, they leave them and do not return. It takes the eggs
about 8-10 weeks to hatch. When iguana babies
hatch, they grow up without care from their parents. It takes the
baby iguanas about 2 years to become adults. Even though green iguanas
lay many eggs, only 3-10 babies survive to become adults. |
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