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Green iguanas are so photogenic that I can't help posting a set of photos from our recent Belize trip. Here are a few really cool tidbits about these lizards:
Green iguanas have a "third eye." Well, kind of. It's called a parietal eye, and it's on top of their head. It's sensitive to changes in light, which helps them keep track where the sun is and to escape predators from above, such as hawks and eagles.
Green iguanas are great swimmers. They often bask in trees over the water, and when threatened, they launch themselves into the water and swim away. On this trip, when we were in a boat drifting on the Belize river, a large green iguana swam right up to our boat. And this was at night, which was odd because green iguanas are usually only active in the daylight.
Green iguanas can use their long tail as a whip to defend themselves from predators.
And... during the mating season, male green iguanas change from green or brown to a spectacular orange color to attract mates.
Green iguanas have a "third eye." Well, kind of. It's called a parietal eye, and it's on top of their head. It's sensitive to changes in light, which helps them keep track where the sun is and to escape predators from above, such as hawks and eagles.
Green iguanas are great swimmers. They often bask in trees over the water, and when threatened, they launch themselves into the water and swim away. On this trip, when we were in a boat drifting on the Belize river, a large green iguana swam right up to our boat. And this was at night, which was odd because green iguanas are usually only active in the daylight.
Green iguanas can use their long tail as a whip to defend themselves from predators.
And... during the mating season, male green iguanas change from green or brown to a spectacular orange color to attract mates.
Photos by Stan C. Smith
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