Green Iguana

The green iguana is a large, mostly herbivorous lizard native to Central and South America and parts of the Caribbean, though despite its name adults are often a duller olive, brown or greyish-green rather than bright green, with a row of spines running down the back and a large dewlap of skin beneath the chin. It lives mainly in trees near rivers and other water bodies, where it feeds on leaves, flowers and fruit, and it is an excellent swimmer, capable of dropping from high branches into water to escape predators. Green iguanas can grow to well over a metre in length including the tail, and they bask extensively in the sun to regulate their body temperature, as with all reptiles. The species has become popular in the exotic pet trade and has established large invasive populations in parts of Florida and other regions well outside its native range.