Perhaps no other group of modern lizards has such a variety of life forms and the related differences in body structure as iguanas. Among them, we find many forest, shrub, mountain, rock, desert, steppe and semi-aquatic species that have well-defined specialization features. A common feature for all iguanas is pleurodont teeth, which are very different in shape, attached to the inside of the jaws, and therefore a strongly elongated lamellar bone reaches a special development on the lower jaw. As a rule, teeth are also found on the pterygoid, and in some cases on the palatine bones. The size and shape of the teeth largely depend on the nature of nutrition. In herbivorous species, they are multi-vertex and markedly compressed laterally, in those eating mainly ants or termites, they are blunt, without additional vertices, and in lizards eating solid insects, the teeth are pointed in the form of a needle. A broken or lost tooth is replaced by a new one, and this change continues throughout the life of the lizard.

Iguanas have fully developed eyes with moving eyelids; in some species, the lower eyelid is equipped with a transparent window that allows the lizard to be clearly visible with closed eyes. Perhaps this window acts as a "sunglasses", reducing the brightness of the light.

The shape and structure of the body of iguanas can be divided into two main types, connected by intermediate transitions. The first of them is characterized by a relatively high, laterally compressed trunk, turning into a long tail that is noticeably flattened from the sides. A similar form is typical mainly for woody species and finds its extreme expression among representatives of the South American genus Polychrus, who spend almost their entire lives in the crowns of trees. Lizards of the second type have a more or less disk-shaped flattened body and, with some exceptions, live on the ground.

The largest representatives of the family, for example, the South American Iguana iguana, reach almost two meters in length, while the size of the small North American Uma inornata does not exceed 10-12 cm.

The head of iguanas is usually covered with numerous irregularly shaped shields, while the back is dressed in extremely diverse scales, often transformed into various kinds of horny spines, teeth, tubercles and other similar formations. Many species on the body also develop diverse, often very bizarre-shaped skin outgrowths and folds. Representatives of some genera are characterized by a more or less high serrated crest that runs along the back and continues on the tail, usually more pronounced in males. The well-developed iguana legs in all cases are provided with five toes ending in claws, which in woody forms often reach a considerable length. In representatives of the Anolis genus, the fingers, like those of geckos, are extended from below into special attachment plates with transverse rows of tiny tenacious brushes that help the animal to stay and move along smooth vertical surfaces. In some desert species, the fingers are equipped with “sandy skis” on the sides — scallops from elongated horn denticles.

The coloring of iguanas is very diverse. Woody species that spend most of their time among foliage are usually painted in green tones, and their pattern often resembles the transverse veins of leaves, as in the South American Polychrus marmoratus. Desert and iguanas living on the rocks are colored to the color of the surrounding area, and this color is subject to significant variability even in individuals of the same species and depends on the nature of the soil on which they live. Many are able to quickly change color depending on the temperature or brightness of the light. Especially strongly similar ability is developed in some wood iguanas of the genus Anolis, which in this connection received the name of American chameleons.

In many species, males, especially during the breeding season, are colored much brighter than females.

It has long been noticed that iguanas are very similar to the lizards of the agam family, common in the eastern hemisphere. Among the representatives of both families there are entire genera and separate species, surprisingly reminiscent of another friend both in appearance and in lifestyle.

Most iguanas are among the very mobile lizards. Woody species, thanks to their long legs with tenacious clawed fingers, quickly run along the trunks and branches of trees and make rapid jumps from branch to branch. Representatives of the genera Xiphocercus and Chamaeleolis found in the Antilles have a tenacious tail, which helps them to stay on the branches. All terrestrial species are good runners, and some are able to travel considerable distances on their hind legs at high speed. Found in Cuba earthen iguana  Anolis vermiculatus, living along the banks of streams, in case of danger plunges into the water and hides there under the stones. Few desert forms, such as representatives of the North American genus Uma, can sink into loose sand and move quite quickly - “swim” - under its surface. Semi-aquatic forms, such as marine iguana  Amblyrhynchus cristatus, swim well and dive, using a strong, oar-like flattened tail to move in water.

Real burrowing species among iguanas are few in number, and only some of them, like the Brazilian Hoplocercus spinosus, dig quite long burrows with their claws, in which they hide from enemies and bad weather. Other iguanas use burrows of rodents or other animals for this purpose.

Most iguanas are predators that feed on insects, spiders, centipedes, worms, etc. Some, larger ones, also eat small vertebrates, mainly lizards. Only relatively few species, such as common iguana  (Iguana iguana), in their adult state they feed almost exclusively on plant foods. Desert iguana  (Dipsosaurus dorsalis), along with the plants that make up its main diet, also eats insects and small lizards. Some find a narrowly expressed food specialization, feeding almost exclusively on ants, like toad-like lizards (Phrynosoma), or seaweed, like a sea iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus).

The behavior of iguanas is extremely characteristic of a peculiar swaying of the head from top to bottom, usually performed with some kind of excitement, for example, during the fights of males with each other, when guarding the site, meeting with the enemy, etc. The nature of these movements is different individuals of the same species as well as lizards of different sexes, they are able to distinguish each other from a distance.

The vast majority of iguanas reproduce by laying eggs, the number of which ranges from 1-2 (in some anoles) to 35 or more (in toad-shaped lizards). Eggs are laid in the ground, which is also characteristic of woody species descending from trees for this purpose. Relatively few iguanas are viviparous. Egg production is associated with life in harsh climatic conditions, for example, in the mountains, as in representatives of the genus Liolaemus.

The meat and eggs of large iguanas are eaten, and the skin is used to make various crafts. In the United States and Mexico, many species of these lizards are protected by law.

The family unites about 50 genera and over 700 species, distributed almost exclusively in the western hemisphere, from southern Canada in the north to southern Argentina in the south, including some islands off the coast of South and North America.

Only a few representatives of the genera Chalarodon and Oplurus are found off the coast of Africa in Madagascar, and the only species of the genus Brachylophus is on the islands of Fiji and Tonga (Polynesia).

One of the most common and widespread groups of iguanas are numerous species of the genus Anolis. Most of them are characterized by a triangular, widened behind the head, slender, moderately compressed laterally trunk with four well-developed legs, of which the hind legs are noticeably longer than the front ones, and a long, gradually thinning tail. The body is covered with small homogeneous scales, among which along the ridge and upper side of the tail there is often a low ridge of larger triangular scales. In males of many species, the overgrown throat skin sags in the form of a fan-shaped throat sac supported by rod-shaped cartilage. A distinctive feature of the genus is the presence on the underside of the fingers of expanded plates with transverse rows of attachment brushes covered with tiny hook-shaped hairs. Therefore, anoles, like geckos, are easily held on smooth vertical surfaces, in particular on leaves. Most species do not exceed 10-20 cm in length, and only a few reach a size of 45 cm or more. The color of anoles is extremely variable. As a rule, brownish and green tones prevail in it, however, when the animal is excited, as well as under the influence of temperature and lighting, the color can change amazingly quickly, acquiring all the tones from dark brown to bright green. In many species, the throat sac is especially brightly colored, in the color of which yellow, orange or red tones prevail, and in some cases a bright blue spot is located on a general reddish-yellow background.

Most anoles  leads a tree lifestyle, and only a few stick to the earth. Many, like geckos, settle on the walls of buildings and in human dwellings. Each male usually has a relatively small hunting area, which vigorously protects against other individuals, entering into a fight with numerous neighbors if they appear on a occupied territory. It should be noted that anoles are much more intolerant of other iguanas than other iguanas, which especially affects the behavior of males, which are rarely found without a fight. This remark, borrowed from Darwin, refers to one of the South American species, however, it can equally be attributed to most of the other representatives of the genus.

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Anoles feed on various insects and small invertebrate animals, which they capture with amazing dexterity on the leaves and branches of trees, and sometimes in the air, making rapid and accurate jumps. All anoles are oviparous. They lay eggs in an amount of 1-6 in the ground, less often in a hollow or in dense clusters of bromeliads that settle in the forks of tree trunks.

About 200 species of this genus - almost a third of all known iguanas - are widely distributed mainly in Central America, to southern Brazil in the south, and only two species are found in the United States, reaching the northern state of North Carolina.

Bright, changeable coloring, endless fuss and tireless fights, started by anoles in the crowns of trees, on hedges, in bushes and on the walls of buildings, constantly attract human attention and make these lizards one of the attractions of the animal world of the American tropics.

One of the most famous species of the genus is north American red-throated anolis  (Anolis carolinensis). Its color is highly variable: you can observe all stages of transitions from yellow and bright brown to bright green above and brown or silver-white below. The strongly developed throat sac of males is bright red. The red-necked anolis is a small lizard reaching 20–25 cm together with its tail.

During the breeding season, brightly colored green males, inflating the red throat sac protruding forward and squeezing the body strongly from the sides, flaunt their outfit, entering into fierce fights at meetings. At first, they slowly circled for some time in place, trying to stay sideways to the enemy and opening their mouth for intimidation. Further, breaking off, they rush towards each other and, clinging to a ball, soon slide down from a branch to the ground, where they scatter to the sides or, returning to the previous battlefield, continue the battle. More often, however, already after the first fight, the weaker male takes to flight, often without a tail and bleeding. There are cases when such tournaments ended even in the death of one of the opponents.

In June - July, the female, descending from the tree, digs a shallow hole with her front legs, in which she lays 1-2 eggs, filling them with loose soil. Young hatch after 6-7 weeks and, having climbed to the surface, immediately climb the trees, where they hold together for the first time, separately from adults.

Of the many other species of this genus, note that found in Cuba anolis a-knight (Anolis equestris), which is unusually large for these lizards, reaching almost half a meter in length, of which two-thirds fall on the tail.

Brazilian leaf-bearing anolis  (A. phyllorhinus) is interesting in that it has a flat, scaly outgrowth that extends far ahead in front of the muzzle, giving it a very unusual look for these lizards.

Close to Anolis genus of false chameleons  It is represented by the only Cuban species (Chamaeleolis chamaleontides), which really resembles chameleons not only by the variability of its color, but also by the shape of its head, eyes and tenacious tail.

Representatives kind of basilisks  (Basiliscus) are well distinguished in appearance from other iguanas by the presence in males of a kind of leathery jewelry, giving them an unusual and even some kind of fabulous appearance. On the back of these rather large lizards there is, like a flat helmet, a large, posterior skin outgrowth, and a high leathery crest, supported by highly developed spinous processes of the vertebrae, runs along the back and the anterior third of the long oar-shaped tail. On the outer surface of the toes of the hind legs, both males and females have a scaly border. Four famous species  Inhabit the countries of Central America, living in thickets along the banks of tropical rivers. Found in Panama and Costa Rica helmet basilisk  (Basiliscus basiliscus), reaching 80 cm in length, like other species of this genus, excellently swims and dives, and has a remarkable ability to run on water, holding its body on the surface with rapidly alternating blows of its hind legs. An excellent description of a basilisk running through the water is given by the American zoologist A. Karr: “It was a basilisk - green as a salad, with bright eyes, a male about fourteen inches long ... losing balance, he fell into a black river with a stone, immediately plunged into water, but after a moment I found myself on the surface and ran through the water. He carried his front paws in front of him, his tail bent upward, and with his hind legs he pounded the surface of the water with the speed of a machine gun. The speed of the spanking was so significant that the lizard did not sink. Before we could figure out how he was doing this, the basilisk reached the land, climbed up to the shore and whisked through the branches ... ”

Similarly, basing themselves only on their hind legs, basilisks are able to quickly run on land, sometimes at high speed, even flying some distance through the air.

Have mexican striped basilisk (Basiliscus vittatus) in late April - early May, females lay 12-18 eggs, "burying them in a hole somewhere near the roots of trees or in the bush.

Among the most characteristic South American lizards are iguanas of the genus Liolaemus, about 50 species of which are widespread from Peru in the north to Chile and Argentina in the south. Peruvian volatile iguana  (Liolaemus multiformis) is perhaps the only South American species living in a harsh mountain climate at heights of up to 5000 m above sea level. On the high plateaus in the Cordillera, where this small lizard lives, even in the summer months snow often falls and the temperature on the surface of the soil drops to almost zero at night. Life in such unusual reptiles is only possible due to the ability to crawl at this species at a body temperature of only about 1.5 ° above zero, which is completely unthinkable for all other lizards that lose mobility at much higher temperatures. Slowly creeping out of their holes, iguanas reach the sunlit areas of the soil and heat up to 35-37 ° in a short time, and the difference between the temperature of the body and the surrounding air is sometimes 30 ° or more.

They feed on insects not numerous at such heights, and also on juicy parts of plants. Like many mountain reptiles, iguanas of this species are ovoviviparous. About six months after the mating in April - in September - December, the female gives birth to 1-10 young. Due to such a long incubation period, newborn iguanas are born at the most climatic time of the year.

Several types of North American desert iguanas  The genus Crotaphitus is distinguished by its beauty and brightness. In C. collaris, which is widespread in the southwestern United States and in the neighboring regions of Mexico, males are on top yellowish, light orange, or greenish-gray in color with small bright eyes and five to six weakly expressed lighter narrow transverse stripes. At the level of the forepaws, not reaching the middle of the back, on each side of the body is a bright black transverse collar trimmed with whitish or yellowish lines. The head above is light gray or whitish with small dark spots scattered in a mess. The front legs are bright blue-green, the hind legs are bluish-gray with light spots.

It is characteristic that, depending on the direction of the incident light, the general coloring of the body can noticeably change, similar to how it occurs on the wings of some bright day butterflies.

Other species of this genus are just as brightly colored.

The largest group of North American lizards are fence, or spiky, iguanas  genus Sceloporus. All of them are characterized by a blunt, dilated posterior head, a rounded stocky body and a cylindrical, gradually tapering tail. Their relatively large ribbed scales on the loosely adjacent posterior margin are equipped with more or less upturned spines, especially pronounced on the tail. These small and medium sized lizards are very diverse. Some have a rather variegated admixture, especially in males, with bright metallic tones, while others, on the contrary, are modestly colored, and most species have strongly variable patterns on the back and sides of correctly located transverse and longitudinal lines and stripes.

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One of the most beautiful and at the same time the largest species - reaching over half a meter in length Sceloporus clarki - is distinguished by a magnificent greenish-blue color of the lower side of the body and hind legs and metallic-blue scales of the sides. Another species - Sceloporus magister - has bright yellow spots across the brownish-gray back, and a number of large bright blue eyes pass on the blue sides. Thorny iguanas inhabit very diverse, often dry places, found both in open rocky semi-deserts, and on rocks and in shrubbery in forests. They also settle in fences made of stones and thorny bushes, from where their widespread name comes from - fence iguanas. Thorny iguanas to a greater extent than other members of the family have a developed manner of quickly nodding their heads, which is accompanied by simultaneous squatting on the front legs. The frequency and sequence of such bows are very different for different types, which is an important distinguishing feature by which individuals of the same species can recognize each other at a distance. Their food consists mainly of insects and other invertebrate animals, however, some diversify their diet with seeds and leaves of plants, and especially large ones also eat small lizards.

During the breeding season, the males show a brightly colored torso, parading luxurious blue-green stripes and eyes on the sides. At meetings, they lift the body high on outstretched legs and, slowly stepping over, sideways draw closer to each other until the weaker ones "can not stand the nerves" and he does not take flight.

Most representatives of the genus are oviparous, but some give birth to live cubs. So, in one of the most common species - Sceloporus undulatus - the female lays from June to August up to 17 eggs, of which young hatch after 2-2, 5 months. In the mountain species Sceloporus grammicus, in April, after 5-6 months of development, 3-12 young are born. About 54 species of these lizards are widespread in North America, mainly in Mexico and the southern United States.

Among the few, iguanas that have adapted to live on loose sand, are several species of the North American genus Uma. These lizards have a wedge-shaped head shape with a noticeably shortened lower jaw, a wide flattened body, as well as horny scallops along the edges of long fingers, preventing the drowning of feet in loose sand.

Escaping from pursuit, sand iguanas literally before our eyes head first go into the sand and move for some time under its surface. In this case, the nasal passages are tightly clamped by special valves, and the fringed edges of the thick eyelids protect the eyes from clogging with fine sand. The color of these lizards also harmonizes well with the sandy surface of the dunes on which they live. So, in the most common species, reaching a length of 23 cm, the Uma inornata body and tail are covered with a dense network of light gray eyes, sometimes located in fuzzy longitudinal rows.

Three known species of this genus are found in sand deserts  Mexico and California in the southwestern United States.

One of the largest iguanas - marine iguana  (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) reaches 140 cm in length, of which more than half fall on the oar-shaped tail flattened from the sides. Her body is covered with small ribbed scales, passing on the tail into large quadrangular keeled scales, located, like on the back, in regular transverse rows. A short and wide head, like a mosaic, is covered by polygonal scales of various sizes, the largest of which are located on the forehead and are noticeably thickened in the form of cone-shaped horny tubercles directed forward.

Along the entire back, continuing to the tip of the tail, a low, laterally compressed crest of elongated triangular scales stretches, especially strongly developed behind the head. The fingers of the relatively short and strong legs of the marine iguana are armed with large curved claws and connected by a short swimming membrane. Adult animals on top are brownish-brown, olive-gray or almost black in color with irregular shape with large blurry spots.

Marine iguanas live only on the Galapagos archipelago off the coast of South America, where they inhabit a cliff-covered narrow coastal strip without penetrating deep into the islands.

The first reliable observations of these reptiles belong to Darwin, who visited the Galapagos Islands in 1835 while traveling on a Beagle ship. “Sometimes it was possible to see,” Darwin writes, “how they swim a few hundred steps from the shore, and Captain Kolneth assures us that they swim up to the sea in whole herds for fish or to bask in the sun on the rocks. I believe that he is mistaken in determining their purpose, but the fact itself cannot be disputed. In water, the animal swims extremely easily and quickly with the help of snake-like movements of the body and flat tail, without using at all, however, legs that are firmly pressed to the sides and remain motionless ... I opened the stomachs of many of them and each time I found them filled with chewed sea algae growing in the form of thin leaf-shaped plates. As far as I remember, these algae have never been found in significant numbers on coastal cliffs, and I have reason to think that they grow a short distance from the coast at the bottom of the sea. If they are not near the coast, then the reason is clear, forcing the animals to go some distance to the sea. " It has now been established that adult iguanas, swimming in the sea, do dive for food, keeping their claws at the bottom. They bite algae with long three-vertex teeth, and their teeth act in this case like garden scissors. Young lizards, unlike adults, along with plant foods also eat small animals.

Regular feeding of salt-saturated seaweed has led to the emergence of a special salt-releasing mechanism in these iguanas associated with the function of the so-called nasal glands, the ducts of which open on each side of the head into the nasal cavity. The salt dissolved in the blood is absorbed by the glands and periodically removed in the form of droplets of fluid released from the nose. Swimming and diving excellently, iguanas in case of danger nevertheless always try to take refuge on land, where they have practically no enemies, while in the sea they are often attacked by sharks. According to the latest data by A. Aible-Eibelfeldt, these lizards are kept in large herds, consisting of smaller groups of 5-10 females and young individuals, located in close proximity to each other on the shore. At the same time, iguanas often even climb one on top of another, forming a multilayer heap. Each group of females constitutes a “harem”, guarded by an old male, who settles down a little further, closer to the water. The male protects the occupied territory from the invasion of rivals and, if one appears, enters into a stubborn struggle with him. Both of them, arching their backs, collide their heads, trying to force each other out of the territory.

Iguanas breed by laying 1-3 eggs, which the female buries in a shallow pit, torn out by her front legs in soft sand. Since there are comparatively few suitable places on the rocky coast, each female, having occupied a suitable site, expels new rivals from it.

Another species of iguanas that are common exclusively in the Galapagos Islands is konolofs (Conolophus subcristatus) - in appearance it differs from sea lizards by an elongated head, a short clumsy body with a weakly pronounced dorsal crest and a shorter tail, almost round in cross section. In accordance with the terrestrial way of life, the short fingers of the Konolof are deprived of swimming membranes. In length, these iguanas do not exceed 100-110 cm, of which about half fall on a massive tail with a weakly outlined longitudinal crest. Their head is a bright lemon-yellow color, and the central part of the back is brick red, and this color gradually changes to dark brown towards the sides. Unlike the previous species, konolofs are found only on some islands of the Galapagos archipelago, where they live as if on their moist elevated ones. parts, and in lower areas near the coast. “I can’t give a better idea of \u200b\u200btheir multiplicity,” Darwin wrote, “as if I say that for a long time on James Island we could not find a suitable place for camping, as everything was occupied by their holes ...” Konolofy eats juicy while cacti and do not depart far from their holes.

Representatives of the South American genus Iguana are characterized by a large tetrahedral head and an elongated, noticeably flattened body from the sides, gradually turning into a very long tail compressed from the sides. Along the middle of the back and further to the tip of the tail is a well-defined dorsal crest. The males developed a strongly sagging flat throat sac equipped with a crest of toothed scales along the front edge.

Common in Central America common, or green, iguana  (Iguana iguana) reaches 180 cm in length and is the largest representative of its family. This lizard got its second name for its bright green, like a leaf, body color, across which dark stripes are located, limited, as a rule, by narrow bright borders.

Green iguanas lead a predominantly arboreal lifestyle, spending most of their time on tree branches growing along the banks of water bodies. In case of danger, they hide in the water, where they swim and dive perfectly, using a long and very strong tail.

They feed mainly on fruits and juicy leaves, although they often also eat insects and other invertebrates.

“If you calmly and slowly sail in a boat,” writes Geldy, who observed green iguanas in Brazil, “you can see them at almost every turn. One sits high on a fork in the siriub aerial tree, the other among the magnificent garlands of the Arribidaea shrub. A novice in these places is likely to notice old large specimens covered with dark skin. A more experienced look is needed to distinguish between young or recently faded lizards when they sit motionless in their magnificent outfit on a pillow of succulent leaves of climbing plants and bask in the sun. Usually they wait until you come close to them, but if they take flight, then they have to be surprised at their unexpected agility. An iguana swims and dives expertly, and if it is not mortally wounded, then, falling into the water, it usually disappears for the hunter ... Since September, female iguanas leave the banks of the rivers and go along streams that flow into them, further into the interior of the country. From there they go to sand chalks and dunes, where they dig shallow holes and lay eggs in them, then pouring them with sand and remarkably well leveling the masonry ... The masonry contains 12-18, at most 24 eggs ... they have the shape of a wide ellipsoid. Their white shell is quite soft and lends itself under the lightest finger pressure. Nevertheless, it is very durable, and immediately it can be cut only with a sharpened knife. ”

Several females can lay their eggs in one common nest, where they are sometimes found in several dozen. The meat of iguanas, as well as their eggs, is widely consumed by the local population for food, and therefore iguanas are the subject of regular fishing. In this case, specially trained dogs are usually used or other hunting methods are used, one of which is described by the modern German geographer and traveler Karl Gelbig: “Indians can hunt leguans even without firearms. Everyone had a harpoon with him ... This is a three-meter-long stick with a hooked tip, fortified in such a way that, having stuck into something, it immediately separated from the pole. A long rope is attached to the tip, equipped with a float at the other end. Someone from the team constantly peered at the trees on the shore - a favorite location of legans. There they catch insects, pluck young leaves and sleep on the branches, warmed by the sun. Sensing danger, they simply wallow in the water ... If the leguan lay so that it could be easily hit with a harpoon, then the conversation with him was short ... But if it was impossible to use this weapon, then one of the hunters silently climbed onto the tree hit with a club on the bitch on which the animal was lying ... With the swiftness of the cannonball, the leguan fell down, flopped into the water and seemed to be like that. But even at the moment when he fell, another hunter threw himself upside down to the place where the leguan is supposed to dive ... In almost all cases, the hunter soon appeared above the water, holding with both hands the smooth tail of a furiously wriggling lizard ... With live it is not easy to cope with the leguan; he has tremendous strength, and he bites dangerously. ”

Large South American lizards of the genus Cyclura differ from real iguanas in the structure of their teeth, underdeveloped throat sac and a less high crest, usually somewhat interrupted in the shoulder and sacral region. Their teeth, unlike those of representatives of the genus Iguana, are not jagged

•   - iguanas are a family of lizards. Includes approx. 650 species distributed by ch. arr. in the Americas ...

  Biological Encyclopedic Dictionary

•   - taxonomic category in biol. taxonomy. S. unites close births having a common origin. The Latin name C. is formed by adding to the base of the name of the type genus endings – idae and –– asea ...

  Dictionary of Microbiology

• - family - .One of the main categories in biological systematics unites genera having a common origin; also - a family, a small group of individuals related by blood relationship and including parents and their offspring ...

  Molecular biology and genetics. Explanatory dictionary

•   - family, taxonomic category in the taxonomy of animals and plants ...

  Veterinary Encyclopedic Dictionary

•   - A highly productive group of breeding queens, descending from an outstanding ancestor and descendants similar to her in type and productivity ...

  Terms and definitions used in breeding, genetics and reproduction of farm animals

•   - taxonomic. category in biol. taxonomy. In S. combine close birth. For example, S. squirrel includes labor: squirrels, marmots, ground squirrels, etc.

  Natural History. encyclopedic Dictionary

•   - Taxonomic category of related organisms, rank below the order and above the genus. usually consists of several genera ... Scientific and technical encyclopedic dictionary

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  Chapter 8 Virtuosos with Lesser Arnaut Caviar, gold, two trunks. - Iguanas, geckos and other exotic. - Mona Lisa on her knee. - Single handicraftsmen against the global automobile industry. - Falshaki for household plots

     From Book 151 Threat to Your Wallet   the author    Khodorych Alexey

  Chapter 8 Virtuosos with Lesser Arnaut Caviar, gold, two trunks. - Iguanas, geckos and other exotic. - Mona Lisa on her knee. - Single handicraftsmen against the global automobile industry. - Fakes for homesteads Counterfeit (fakes) and the black market - twin brothers. By

  bb) The whole family

     From the book Inscription of Christian Morals   the author    Theophan the Recluse

  bb) The whole family Under the head and the whole family are all members of it. First of all, they should have a chapter, not remain without it, not allow it to be two or more. This requires simple prudence and the benefit of themselves is otherwise impossible, p) Then, when

  FAMILY ZIL / BAZ-135

    the author    Kochnev Evgeny Dmitrievich

  ZIL / BAZ-135 FAMILY The basis of the first production military program of the Bryansk Automobile Plant was the ZIL-135 family of four-axle all-wheel drive vehicles in several versions, which were primarily used to install medium-weight rocket weapons

  FAMILY MAZ-543

     From the book Secret Cars Soviet army   the author    Kochnev Evgeny Dmitrievich

  A true iguana among connoisseurs is also known as green - due to the predominant color in the body color - and ordinary. However, it is unlikely anyone will be able to characterize the second name of the appearance and other signs of this animal. This large herbivorous lizard has a calm character and easily takes root in captivity, so it is quite popular among exotic lovers. And yet it cannot be said that keeping a real iguana at home is simple and easy. Like any other exotic lizard, it needs to create suitable conditions, at least a specially equipped terrarium and an appropriate climate with lighting. A real iguana, like other members of the family, is distinguished, for example, from agam and chameleons by the structure of its teeth. In iguanas, teeth are attached to the jaw not with an expanded apex, but with a side. The body color of a real iguana is bright enough, so this lizard is beautiful in its own way. It takes its origin from Central and South America. In size, a real iguana can be called average, but large two-meter and eight-kilogram individuals are also found.

  Classification

  Kingdom: Animals
    Type: Chordates
    Class: Reptiles
    Order: Scaly
    Suborder: Lizards
    Family: Iguanas
    Genus: Real Iguanas
    Species: Common Iguana, Iguana iguana

  Appearance

  The body sizes of a real iguana are directly related to the conditions of its habitat. Standard characteristics - the body is 1, 5 meters, weight 5-7 kg. But in the humid South American forests rich in plant foods, the aforementioned giants are also found. But in arid conditions, for example, on islands, the size of a real iguana is 30% less than that of mainland individuals. Newborn true iguanas in length reach only 15-25 cm, and weigh no more than 12 g. Moreover, the green color of the skin cannot be called characteristic for all representatives of the species, it can also vary depending on the living conditions and lizard's life span. Southern real iguanas are predominantly bluish with black spots throughout the body. Among the island reptiles there are green, black, lilac and even pinkish iguanas, northern lizards can be reddish or orange, and Central American iguanas are bright blue in their youth, but change color with age.
    The body shape of these iguanas is narrow, the body continues with a long and flattened tail on the sides. A horn ridge extends along the entire ridge, and a leathery bag is present on the throat. The legs of real iguanas are not long with sharp claws to cleverly climb trees. There are leathery shields on the head, and transverse rows of scales on the body. By the way, the tail of real iguanas, like many other lizards, has the ability to fall away, for example, if some opponent grabs it, but then grows back.
    Sexual dimorphism in lizards is not particularly pronounced, but in males the prickly scales on the tail are longer than in females, as well as a more developed crest. In general, males are larger, massive and bright. Because of its sharpness, the teeth of a real iguana could become a dangerous weapon, however, it rarely lets them go, using it only for cracking plant food. In shape they resemble a leaf and are as if hidden behind the jaw bones. Like sea iguanas, real lizards can also sneeze, removing excess salt from the body with moisture. Some Mexican individuals have small horns in their eyes and nostrils.
    Young iguanas are often bright green, this color is camouflage, so the iguana is not easy to see on a tree. And dark stripes over the body allow lizards to become invisible when they hide in different vegetation. Sometimes iguanas change their skin color, for example, from stress, changes in temperature or lighting, but only in some parts of the body.

  Distribution and habitat

  Among other iguanas, the real one is perhaps the most common on South American mainland. It is mainly found in the tropics, for example, in southern Mexico. Further, the range continues to central Brazil and countries such as Paraguay, Bolivia, and in the eastern part of the continent it even covers the nearest islands - Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago, Guadeloupe, Aruba, Saint Vincent and others. B North America  the real iguana was imported artificially, but today it can be found in the southern and coastal parts of the mainland, for example, in Florida, Texas, Hawaii, as well as in the Antilles, American and Virgin Islands. In general, a real iguana settles wherever there is woody vegetation and enough moisture. It can be found in the rainforest, and in the open coastal space or in thickets near river ponds. And almost all the time the lizard spends on the trees, closer to the crown, where most of the sun. Only in cool weather do real iguanas descend to the ground. And sometimes a lizard uses the nearest pond to swim freely, and it does it amazingly deftly.

  Behavior and lifestyle

  Real iguanas climb trees perfectly and are not afraid of great heights, falling from which they almost always survive, and in flight they try to cling to branches or leaves with their claws. The main activity of lizards manifests itself during the day, as they see poorly in the dark. But the daytime vision of real iguanas is simply fantastic. Researchers noticed that lizards generally avoid the dark and try to get out into more illuminated spaces if, for example, they are moved to the darkened part of the room. And whether the proper amount of light is around, these iguanas are determined using the "third eye" located on the very top of the photosensitive rudimentary organ, which today is able to respond only to lighting and sudden movements - with its help iguanas manage to avoid sudden attacks of a predator. Iguanas also have excellent hearing, so they immediately respond even to the lightest sounds. True, with jumps in body temperature up or down, the hearing of lizards deteriorates. Real iguanas have a good sense of smell. So all the senses allow her to quickly recognize the danger and hide from it in the water. Although moisture is not so important for adults as it is for young people, that is why young animals live much lower on trees, closer to moist ground.
  And iguanas swim in a very peculiar way, vibrating their tail in different directions. Even lizards are able to quickly move on land, but if they did not manage to escape from the enemy, then they will defend aggressively and with remarkable strength, trying to hit with their tail, bite or scratch. Real iguanas spend the night not very high in the trees, but at dawn they climb higher to sunbathe or search for food. Males of lizards often arrange fights for territory or demonstrative battles for females. And for the local population, real iguanas are an object of hunting, since they have quite tasty meat. But to catch a lizard, and even more so to take it in hand is not so simple. Sometimes the nutrition of real iguanas has a harmful effect on the environment, as they can destroy rare species  plants or occupy burrows of rare and protected animals, for example, rabbit owl. And the lizards' life expectancy is known that in captivity they live much longer - up to 20 years, while in the wild they rarely survive even up to 8 years.

  Nutrition

  In terms of nutrition, true iguanas are absolute vegetarians. Their food is various tropical vegetation - leaves, shoots, flowers and fruits. Among the most beloved delicacies is Jamaican plum, frankincense and other exotic plants. Young iguanas are characterized by the coprophagy they need to digest plant foods and get the missing calories. Real iguanas do not know how to chew, they only tear off parts of plants with sharp teeth and swallow them whole, and water is obtained either from the nearest body of water or by licking moist greens. Sometimes insects and small invertebrates are found in the stomachs of lizards, from which scientists concluded that iguanas also feed on animal food. However, in the end it turned out that these creatures are swallowed by lizards by chance along with the plants in which they hide. But in captivity, real iguanas are sometimes fed rodent meat, though in very small quantities, since a protein diet adversely affects the health of lizards.

  Breeding

  Sexual maturity occurs in real iguanas at the age of 3 or 4 years. But sometimes they are able to breed earlier. The breeding period in lizards usually begins in winter monthsbut varies in different places. For example, in arid territories, mating games of real iguanas begin at the very beginning of a drought, and clutches are made closer to the end. Offspring are born in the rainy season, when there is more available food. When the breeding season is right, males of real iguanas begin to actively search for females, and when they find them, they arrange show fights, which for some lizards end in tears. But if there is a escape route, the defeated enemy runs away.
    The place of future mating is also chosen by males, and then they mark the selected territory with a special secret from the pores on their paws. And finally, courtship begins, or rather, “demonstration performances” of males, when they become brighter and widen their throats. For real iguanas, as well as for marine iguanas, harems are characteristic, moreover, with both several females and several males. There are special caresses when males sniff their chosen ones and bite their neck.
    The gestation time for females of real iguanas is about two months, and when it comes to masonry, the females go upstream of the reservoirs near which they live and look for dry sandbanks or hills. The masonry settles down in a deep hole, which the female digs herself and where she lays a lot of eggs for three days. They can be from 20 to 70 pieces - in a white leathery shell, soft, but strong enough. Real iguanas are also characterized by common incubators, when several females lay their eggs in one hole, and then they dig it in and leave it, no longer returning to this place. Real iguanas have no concern for their offspring. The eggs are in the ground for about 3-4 months. In order for small iguanas to be born, they need to break through the shell with the help of a fleshy "horn" on their forehead, and only then they get out to the surface.
  In color, the cubs of these iguanas are similar to adults, although their scallop is much less developed. Nature arranged for the young iguanas to survive for the young and did not require parental care. Newborn lizards often carry a yolk sac with nutrient reserves for the first time. Young growth prefers to grow together, since in this case real iguanas are more likely to survive, and young males even cover females from predators with their own torso - an amazing and unique feature that is unique to real iguanas. But not all masonries manage to "realize" their mission. Many of them are destroyed by the local population, who consider iguana eggs to be a special delicacy.

  July 21st, 2013

  The common iguana was scientifically described by the Swedish physician and naturalist Karl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Nature System. In subsequent years, at least 17 more species and subspecies belonging to the common iguana were identified, but all of them, with the exception of the Caribbean green iguana, were invalidated.

  In the first half of the 2000s, the staff of the American University of Utah Valley (English Utah Valley University) conducted a study of the phylogenetic origin of the iguana using methods for comparing the nuclear and mitochondrial DNA of animals brought from 17 countries. Analysis showed that the species originated in South America, from where it spread to Central America and the Caribbean Islands. Despite the variety of colors and other morphological features, the study did not find unique mitochondrial haplotypes of DNA, but showed a clear evolutionary discrepancy between populations of South and Central America.

  The name "iguana" originally comes from the word iwana - the name of an animal in the Taino language (the people who inhabited the islands of the Caribbean and disappeared with the arrival of the conquistadors). The Spaniards began to name the reptile in their own way - iguana, and then from Spanish the word migrated both to scientific terminology and to all modern European languages.

  
  
  

  The largest representative of the family: the length of an adult iguana usually does not exceed 1.5 m with a weight of up to 7 kg, although in the forests of South America some individuals can reach a length of 2 m with a weight of 8 kg. Conversely, on semi-arid islands of the Curacao type, the size of lizards is usually 30% smaller than that of animals that live on the mainland.

  At birth, the length of the cubs varies from 17 to 25 cm and weighs about 12 g. Despite its name, the color of the iguana is not necessarily green, and largely depends on age and area of \u200b\u200bhabitat. In the south of the range, such as in Peru, iguanas look bluish with black spots. On the islands of Bonaire, Curacao, Aruba and Grenada, their color varies from green to pale livine, black and even pink.

  In the west of Costa Rica, ordinary iguanas look red, and in the more northern regions, such as Mexico, orange. In El Salvador, young individuals often appear bright blue, but their color changes significantly when the lizards grow older.

  

  The green iguana is one of the most common lizard species whose original range covers tropical regions of the western hemisphere from southern Mexico (Sinaloa and Veracruz) to the south to central Brazil, Paraguay and Bolivia, east to the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean - mainly Grenada , Curacao, Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Lucia, Guadeloupe, Saint Vincent, Utila and Aruba. In addition, in the second half of the 20th century, lizards were introduced to Grand Cayman Island, Puerto Rico, the US and British Virgin Islands, the continental states of Florida and Texas, and also to Hawaii.

  Habitats - diverse biotopes with dense woody vegetation, mainly tropical rain forests, but also semi-moist forests, mangroves and dry, open zones of sea coasts. He spends most of his life on trees, usually growing along the banks of slowly flowing rivers. Iguanas are active only during daylight hours.

  

  They spend cool nights on thick branches in the middle and lower tiers of trees, however, with sunrise they try to climb higher, where they warm for a long time - the sun baths increase body temperature, and ultraviolet radiation produces vitamin D, which helps digestion. Only after a few hours of genius reptiles go in search of food down in the crown. In inclement or cool weather, the animal keeps on the surface of the earth - in this way it better retains internal heat.

  An excellent climber, a lizard is able to fall from a height of 15 m to the ground and not crash (in this case, iguanas try to cling to the leaves with their claws of their hind limbs). The lizard also swims well, while the body keeps it completely immersed in water and extends its legs along the body, and moves with the help of twisting movements of the tail.

  

  In Florida, where iguanas live in the coastal zone, they are considered an invasive species that violates the ecology of this region. Some of the animals fell on the peninsula, along with hurricanes from Mexico and the islands of the Caribbean. Another wave of “immigrants” traveled in the holds of ships carrying fruit from South America.

  Finally, some animals were thrown into the street or fled from the owners, or are descendants of such lizards. Iguanas often harm gardens and green spaces. AT wildlife  they eat leaves rare wood  Cordia globosa and seeds of native Caesalpinia species - plants, which are the main food of extremely rare species and which are under the protection of the international Red Book of the butterfly Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri. On the island of Marco (Eng. Marco Island) off the west coast of Florida iguanas are occupied by burrows of a rabbit owl - an owl, whose status in the Red Book is listed as vulnerable (category NT).

  

  In the wild, most iguanas begin to breed, starting at the age of three or four years, although some of them are ready for breeding much earlier. The start of the breeding season most often occurs in January or February, however, it can vary depending on the habitat: during the seasonal cycle of humidity fluctuations, mating takes place in the first half of the dry period, laying eggs in the second (at this time, the soil temperature is quite high, and there is less risk death of masonry from problems associated with water), and hatching at the beginning of the rainy season, when young growth gives an abundance of food for posterity.

  AT mating season, which lasts about two weeks, the males select a place for future mating, mark the territory with the help of secretions from pores in the lower part of the limbs, and become aggressive towards rivals nearby. In the wild, direct collisions between them are quite rare, in the event of a threat, the weaker lizard in the event of a conflict prefers to leave someone else's territory rather than enter into battle.

  If the possibility of escape is limited (in particular, when kept in captivity), then animals can bite each other. The male’s demonstrative behavior is frequent shaking of the head, inflating of the throat sac and changing the color of the body to a brighter, more saturated one.For a species, a combination of polygyny with polyandry is typical, that is, often one male takes care of several females at the same time, and the female cohabits with several males. During courtship, males sniff and slightly bite females by the neck.

  

  Pregnancy lasts about 65 days, at the end of which the females leave their traditional habitats along the banks of the rivers, and along the channels of the streams flowing into them, go upstream to dry sandbanks and dunes. A hole is dug in the sand from a depth of 45 cm to 1 m, where the female lays for three or more days a large number of, 20 to 71, eggs.

  Eggs are white, 35–40 mm long, about 15.4 mm in diameter, with a leathery and soft, but durable shell. In the event of a shortage of suitable places in one pit, several lizards can take advantage at the same time. In Panama, cases of the sharing of one pit by an iguana and an American crocodile are known, and in Honduras, an iguana and a crocodile caiman (Caiman crocodilus). Having laid eggs, the lizard carefully digs a hole and leaves the place, no longer caring for the offspring.
  
  

  Incubation lasts from 90 to 120 days at a temperature the environment  30-32 ° C. Cubs are usually born in May, breaking through the shell with the help of a special fleshy outgrowth on the forehead - caruncles, and getting out to the surface of the earth. By their color and shape, they almost do not differ from adults, but they have only a weakly pronounced crest.

  Young lizards are completely independent, although when they are born they can carry a small yolk sac containing the nutrient mixture for the first one to two weeks. The brood holds together for the first year of life. In the group, males cover females with their bodies from predators - a feature noted only in this species among all other reptiles.

  In the wild, iguanas live on average about 8 years. In captivity, with proper care, the green iguana can live for more than 20 years.

  

  Unlike most other species of the family, green iguanas are exclusively herbivorous, eating about 100 species of leaves, shoots, flowers and fruits tropical plants. So, in Panama, one of the favorite delicacies of the lizard is the Jamaican plum (Spondias mombin).

  Other species of woody vegetation, the iguanas most often feed on greens and fruits of nature - frankincense tree (Bursera simaruba), upright tecoma (Tecoma stans), pointed acupuncture (Annona acuminata), panicled amphilophium panicum (Amphilophium paniculatum), merremia ambelella ) and etc.

  Young lizards often eat the excrement of adult animals in order to meet their microflora requirements for digesting low-calorie vegetarian foods. Animals are not able to chew food, they only cut large enough pieces with their small teeth and immediately swallow them whole. Occasionally, iguanas drink water, immersing part of their heads in a pond and swallowing it, or lick drops from greenery.

  Sometimes in the reference literature there are reports that iguanas in the wild also feed on insects. Another source claims that lizards also eat bird eggs and carrion. However, not a single published academic study confirms that animals absorb proteins of animal origin.

  Moreover, all publications say that all the components of a lizard necessary for development are obtained from animal feed only of plant origin, and a protein diet is harmful to their health. Insects and other small invertebrates can actually appear in the stomachs of lizards, however, experts believe that they are swallowed only by chance with plant food: for example, an iguana can swallow an insect sitting on a flower bed, along with a flower.

  In addition, a hungry lizard can eat an animal for lack of other food. On the other hand, observations in the Miami Seaquarium and Key Biscayne Island in Florida recorded iguanas eating dead fish. In his book, Philippe De Vozoli asserts that in captivity, without any harm to their health, lizards can eat rodent meat.

  

  In ancient times, the inhabitants of the Mayan civilization believed that the world was located inside a giant house, and four iguanas, which the Indians called itzam, play the role of its walls. Each iguana symbolized a certain side of the world and had its own special color. In the sky, the tails of the iguanas converged, thus forming a roof. This Mayan house was called "itzam-na" (Itzam Na, literally "iguana-house").

  In the classical period, in some cities, itzamna was revered as a god, personifying not only the iguana, but everything else. God was so great and comprehensive that he was rarely depicted in the drawings. At the end of the classical period, the use of the image of the iguana as a deity gradually ceased, however, in the 16th century, the Spanish missionary Diego de Landa observed how the Indians sacrificed the green iguana to the gods.

  The Indians of the Moche culture, developed in the west of Peru, also worshiped many animals, including the green iguana.

  Multiple figures and images of this lizard have been preserved, including at the Larco Museum in Lima. Also one of the most common characters in the figures is a humanoid deity with the head, crest and tail of an iguana. This deity, often in company with another deity in the form of a person with a strongly wrinkled face and round eyes, is one of the key figures in the funeral procession.

  

  Scientific classification

  
  
  • Kingdom: Animals
  
  
  • Type: Chordates
  
  
  • Class: Reptiles
  
  
  • Order: Scaly
  
  
  • Suborder: Lizards
  
  
  • Family: Iguanas
  
  
  • Genus: Real Iguanas
  
  
  • Species: Common Iguana
  
  

  
  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
  

  Contract: Lacertilia Owen \u003d Lizards Family: Iguanidae Gray, 1827 \u003d Iguanas, Iguanas

  

  Genus: Iguana Laurenti, 1768 \u003d (Real) iguanas

  View: Iguana delicatissima Laurent, 1768 \u003d

  Genus: Iguana Laurenti, 1768 \u003d (Real) iguanas

  Representatives of the South American genus Iguana are characterized by a large tetrahedral head and an elongated, noticeably flattened body from the sides, gradually turning into a very long tail compressed from the sides. Along the middle of the back and further to the tip of the tail is a well-defined dorsal crest. The males developed a strongly sagging flat throat sac equipped with a crest of toothed scales along the front edge.

  Common in Central Am the common, or green, iguana (Iguana iguana) reaches 180 cm in length and is the largest representative of its family. This lizard got its second name for its bright green, like a leaf, body color, across which dark stripes are located, limited, as a rule, by narrow bright borders.

  Green iguanas lead a predominantly arboreal lifestyle, spending most of their time on tree branches growing along the banks of water bodies. In case of danger, they hide in the water, where they swim and dive perfectly, using a long and very strong tail.

  They feed mainly on fruits and juicy leaves, although they often also eat insects and other invertebrates.

  “If you calmly and slowly sail in a boat,” writes Geldy, who observed green iguanas in Brazil, “you can see them at almost every turn. One sits high on a fork in the siriub aerial tree, the other among the magnificent garlands of the Arribidaea shrub. A novice in these places is likely to notice old large specimens covered with dark skin. A more experienced look is needed to distinguish between young or recently faded lizards when they sit motionless in their magnificent outfit on a pillow of succulent leaves of climbing plants and bask in the sun. Usually they wait until you come close to them, but if they take flight, then they have to be surprised at their unexpected agility. An iguana swims and dives expertly, and if it is not mortally wounded, then, falling into the water, it usually disappears for the hunter ... Since September, female iguanas leave the banks of the rivers and go along streams that flow into them, further into the interior of the country. From there they go to sand chalks and dunes, where they dig shallow holes and lay eggs in them, then pouring them with sand and remarkably well leveling the masonry ... The masonry contains 12-18, at most 24 eggs ... they have the shape of a wide ellipsoid. Their white shell is quite soft and lends itself under the lightest finger pressure. Nevertheless, it is very durable, and immediately it can be cut only with a sharpened knife. ” Several females can lay their eggs in one common nest, where they are sometimes found in several dozen. The meat of iguanas, as well as their eggs, is widely consumed by the local population for food, and therefore iguanas are the subject of regular fishing. In this case, usually specially trained dogs are used or other hunting methods are used, one of which is described by the modern German geographer and traveler Karl Gelbig :. “Indians can hunt leguans even without firearms. Everyone had a harpoon with him ... This is a three-meter-long stick with a hooked tip, fortified in such a way that, having stuck into something, it immediately separated from the pole. A long rope is attached to the tip, equipped with a float at the other end. Someone from the team constantly peered at the trees on the shore - a favorite location of legans. There they catch insects, pluck young leaves and sleep on the branches, warmed by the sun. Sensing danger, they simply wallow in the water ... If the leguan lay so that it could easily be hit with a harpoon, then the conversation with him was short. .. But if it was impossible to use this weapon, then one of the hunters silently climbed a tree and hit the bitch on which the animal was lying ... With the swiftness of the cannonball, the leguan fell down, fell into the water and seemed to be like that . But even at the moment when he fell, another hunter threw himself upside down to the place where the leguan is supposed to dive ... In almost all cases, the hunter soon appeared above the water, holding with both hands the smooth tail of a furiously wriggling lizard ... With live it is not easy to cope with the leguan; he has tremendous strength, and he bites dangerously. ”

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  Abstract on the topic:

  Real iguanas

  
  
  

  Plan:

    Introduction
  
  • 1 Description
  • 2 Value for man
  • 3 Classification
     Literature
  
  
  

  Introduction

  Real iguanas  (lat. Iguana) is a genus of large tree lizards of the iguanas family.

  
  

    1. Description

  Real iguanas are very large lizards, in rare cases reaching a length of more than 2 m. They are characterized by a large head, a body noticeably flattened from the sides, long strong limbs and a very long tail. On the back and front half of the tail along the ridge there is a high crest, a hanging flat throat sac developed under the lower jaw, also equipped with a crest along the front edge.

  Distributed in America from Mexico south through Central and South America  to Paraguay and southern Brazil, as well as to the Lesser Antilles.

  They live mainly in tropical forests, where they lead mainly a tree lifestyle. Most of the time spent in the crown on tree branches. Usually they settle near water bodies and when in danger hide in the water, sometimes jumping from a great height. Swim and dive well.

  Herbivorous. They feed on leaves, shoots and fruits of various plants. Only occasionally can they eat animal food - invertebrates and small vertebrates.

  Oviparous. In clutch 20-70 eggs. The incubation period lasts 65-115 days.

  
  

    2. Value to humans

  The meat and eggs of iguanas are used by the local population, and the skin is used to make various crafts. In this regard, iguanas are subject to fishing. The common iguana is often kept as a pet.

    3. Classification

  There are two species in the genus:

  • Caribbean Green Iguana ( Iguana delicatissima)
  • Common Green Iguana ( Iguana iguana)

  Literature

  • Darevsky I.S., Orlov N.L. Rare and endangered animals. Amphibians and reptiles: Ref. allowance. - M .: Higher. Shk., 1988 .-- S. 258.
  • The life of animals in 7 tons / Ch. Editor V.E. Sokolov. T. 5. Amphibians and reptiles. / A. G. Bannikov, I. S. Darevsky, M. N. Denisova and others; under the editorship of A. G. Bannikova - 2nd ed., Rev. - M.: Education, 1985 .-- S. 188.
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  This essay is based on an article from the Russian Wikipedia. Synchronization completed on 07/13/11 15:09:23
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