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Reptiles
Black iguana
Black iguana · Ctenosaura similis
The black iguana is a lightning-fast sun worshipper with distinctive dark markings and prefers to live among ruins and on dry slopes.
Fact file
- Size
- Up to 1.3 metres long, adults weigh between 2 and 5 kilograms
- Males and females
- Males grow larger and have paler throat folds
- Sounds
- Hiss when threatened
- Diet
- Eats mainly leaves, fruit and flowers – more rarely insects
- Offspring
- Lays up to 30 eggs in sand, hatching is usually in the dry season
How to identify Black iguana
The black iguana stands out with its striking, sturdy build and grey-brown to black base colour. The dark stripes across back, legs and tail are conspicuous and often show even stronger contrast in young animals. Its broad head and jaw area in particular make it unmistakable.
It reaches up to 1.3 metres in length, with roughly half of that taken up by the tail. The distinctive dorsal crest with pointed scales runs continuously as far as the base of the tail. Don’t confuse it with the green iguana species, which has smoother skin and less robust head scalation.
More in the app
With Wildful Stories+ you also get in the app:
- general viewing tips
- 4 places where you can see Black iguana
Where Black iguana live
Discover Black iguana on your trip.
The app shows you where and when to see wildlife along your route.
