The Exotic Green Iguana

When full grown, the green iguana with black stripes is usually between four and fix feet, including the tail, which makes up about half the body length. Their skin is rough, with pointy scales along its back. Iguanas have long fingers and claws, which help them grasp while climbing. It takes a baby iguana about two years to become mature adults.

The green iguanas long tail is very sharp, and as a defense mechanism, will snap it's tail in the air. The iguana has superb vision, good hearing and smell. If an iguana needs to quickly escape, they can dive from trees into water and are great swimmers. They are very sturdy, and can fall 40-50 feet to the ground without hurting themselves. The iguana can store fat under their jaws and in their necks for times when they are unable to find food. Green iguanas eat both plants and meat, meaning they are omnivorous. They mostly eat plants, leaves and fruits.

The green iguana likes the tropical rainforest, rivers and streams. They stay awake during the day, and sleep at night. Since they are cold blooded reptiles, they do not produce their own body heat. To stay warm, they bask in the sun, lying on warm rocks as they soak up the sun.

The green iguana is being threatened by habitat destruction, like a lot of tropical species. Many people want an iguana for a pet, so there is a demand for their capture. Some populations, such as South America, hunt the green iguana for food.