The Smaller the Creature the Bolder its Spirit
Male Green Iguana
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Green Iguanas are initially from Central and South America and some of the eastern Caribbean islands. However, they were found to be in Florida in the 1960s. Miami-Dade's southern coast have a large population that has spread throughout most of Florida.
By and large, green iguanas are herbivorous. They may eat insects or dead meat on occasion, but it's fruits and leaves that make up the bulk of their diet. But to green iguanas, vegetation isn't just a food source. This is a tree-loving animal that spends most of its time basking in forest canopies.
Scaling branches comes easily to the lizards; with their long fingers and hooked claws, these guys are first-rate climbers. Of course, you don't spend a lifetime in the treetops without taking the occasional spill. Green iguanas have been known to withstand 50-foot (15.2-meter) falls and walk away uninjured.
This species is also perfectly at home in the water. Much like alligators, the animals swim by undulating their tails from side to side. A frightened iguana might also choose to seek refuge below the surface if a predator's lurking about.
Hatchling Iguanas are born in underground nests — sometimes in the vicinity of crocodilians. Baby iguanas stick together, forming social groups with their siblings for mutual protection. Such units can last for months, during which time the young lizards groom one another and sleep side-by-side.
Full-grown males put on elaborate mating displays. Iguanas are sexually dimorphic, with females looking visibly different from their masculine counterparts. Both sexes have dewlaps: folds of loose skin that dangle below the neck. Yet these are proportionately larger in males — and an important communication tool.
Come breeding season, a male iguana will defend a huge territory. (And ideally mate with a harem of females, whom he'll guard for an extended period.) To scare off rivals, males aggressively bob their heads up and down, dewlaps flapping all the while. Doing so from a naked tree branch high in the canopy helps broadcast machismo.
Not all "green" iguanas are literally green; they also come in shades of brown, blue, red and gray. Besides, males often turn orange or bronze when it's time to court potential mates.
(Nikon D500, 80-400/5.6, 1/1000 @ f/8, ISO 450)
The Smaller the Creature the Bolder its Spirit
Male Green Iguana
_______________________________________________
Green Iguanas are initially from Central and South America and some of the eastern Caribbean islands. However, they were found to be in Florida in the 1960s. Miami-Dade's southern coast have a large population that has spread throughout most of Florida.
By and large, green iguanas are herbivorous. They may eat insects or dead meat on occasion, but it's fruits and leaves that make up the bulk of their diet. But to green iguanas, vegetation isn't just a food source. This is a tree-loving animal that spends most of its time basking in forest canopies.
Scaling branches comes easily to the lizards; with their long fingers and hooked claws, these guys are first-rate climbers. Of course, you don't spend a lifetime in the treetops without taking the occasional spill. Green iguanas have been known to withstand 50-foot (15.2-meter) falls and walk away uninjured.
This species is also perfectly at home in the water. Much like alligators, the animals swim by undulating their tails from side to side. A frightened iguana might also choose to seek refuge below the surface if a predator's lurking about.
Hatchling Iguanas are born in underground nests — sometimes in the vicinity of crocodilians. Baby iguanas stick together, forming social groups with their siblings for mutual protection. Such units can last for months, during which time the young lizards groom one another and sleep side-by-side.
Full-grown males put on elaborate mating displays. Iguanas are sexually dimorphic, with females looking visibly different from their masculine counterparts. Both sexes have dewlaps: folds of loose skin that dangle below the neck. Yet these are proportionately larger in males — and an important communication tool.
Come breeding season, a male iguana will defend a huge territory. (And ideally mate with a harem of females, whom he'll guard for an extended period.) To scare off rivals, males aggressively bob their heads up and down, dewlaps flapping all the while. Doing so from a naked tree branch high in the canopy helps broadcast machismo.
Not all "green" iguanas are literally green; they also come in shades of brown, blue, red and gray. Besides, males often turn orange or bronze when it's time to court potential mates.
(Nikon D500, 80-400/5.6, 1/1000 @ f/8, ISO 450)