The Blue Iguana

The blue iguana is also known as ‘Grand Cayman Iguana’. Blue iguanas are classified in genus of ‘Cyclura’. They are also known as the western India rocking iguanas. Blue iguanas are found in the parts of central and South America.

The blue iguana is considered to be the rarest lizard on earth and also endangered. They have blue-gray color on their body. Eyes of iguanas are orange in color. The back of iguana contains spines starting from the neck to tail.

Highlights on the blue Iguana :

1. Size of blue iguana: Blue iguanas grow to the length of about 20-35 inches including the tail. Male blue iguanas grow to length of five feet and weighs around 25-30 pounds. Female blue iguanas remain 30% smaller than male.
2. Food of blue iguana : Blue iguanas are mainly herbivores lizard. They prefer to eat fruits, flowers, mushrooms, leaves etc in the food. Occasionally iguanas try to have insect larvae, crabs, carrion, and slugs. Nasal gland in their digestive systems helps them to discharge the excess salt and potassium from the body.
3. Habitat of blue iguana : The blue iguana is most commonly found on the island of Grand Cayman. They are also found in dry forest, shurbland, clearings, road, and gardens. They prefer to stay in rock wholes and on the top of trees.
4. Life span of blue iguana: Mostly the blue iguana can survive for decades in their natural environment. Blue iguana is one of the longest living reptile/lizard in the world. The highest record life span of blue iguana is about 69 years.
5. Male and female body parts description of blue iguana: Blue male iguanas have a large, blocky head with jowl .Males have fatty deposit on forehead, above the ear and behind eyes. They also have spikes on back from neck to tail and large pores along the inner thigh.

   These pores are called as femoral pores which are found in male with waxy thing. Males are heavier in size. The body of a male iguana is swollen near the base of the tail, i.e where the hemipeness is located.

   Female heads are smaller than the male and lacks with a fat deposit behind the eyes and also less jowl. Femoral pores of females are small and not too waxy. Female blue iguanas have a longer and slimmer body than the male. The hermipenal bulge is absent in female.

6. Mating, Incubation and hatching process : During the mating process/season, the color of the blue iguana changes to brighter blue. Blue iguana bobs their head to indicate a signal of mating.

   When the copulation ends, female blue iguana lays about 1 to 24 large eggs in the month of June or July. They dig a burrow in the ground which is exposed to the sun. Temperature in burrows is maintained around 32-34 ° C.

   The mother protects the burrow by putting leaves and debris over it. After incubation, hatching of eggs take place. Hatchlings emerge from burrows on the soil one by one and get scattered in near by vegetation. These hatchlings are often prayed by snakes, rats or other predators.