By: JL One of the Longest Reptiles

 Iguanas are in the reptile family Their scientific name is iguana iguana iguana. It is one of the best known reptiles It is popular in zoos and with private reptile keepers

 It has spikes on its back for it to look tough.  Its tail is twice the size of its head.  It is one meter tall.  They weigh 8 pounds  In mating season they change color  It has a bright green scaly body with black stripes on its tail.  They can be between four and six feet long (including the tail)  Long fingers and claws

Habitat Green iguanas live in: rainforests, drier, costal areas. lower regions, where temperatures are warm Iguanas spend most of their time in the rain forest canopy they blend in very nicely with their surroundings They are mostly found from Mexico to Brazil

Since Iguanas live in rainforests, They like warm climates with temperatures of 80 to 90 degrees. They need high humidity The climate of south Florida is perfect In their climate it rains 9 to 30 feet of rain fall each year Climate

Iguana Food Iguanas are omnivores because they eat birds They eat insects They eat bugs They eat berries And they also eat leaves off of trees

predator Hawk human prey squirrel Bird Mouse Insects

 There are four levels in the rain forest  Iguanas live on two of the levels  Their landform is mostly all trees

The female digs a tunnel in the ground They don’t get taken care of when they are babies Female iguanas have eggs The record is 19 years in captivity

It smells and tastes with it’s tongue It has a third eye to see shadows of predators It can sleep under water for more than an hour It has no internal temperature control It stores fat under it’s neck and jaw

It has thick skin to keep moisture in They can run and swim fast They can loose their tail when they are caught Their tail grows back when caught Long claws to help grab things. Long tails snap as a defense Green color helps it camouflage

lies in the sun to warm it’s body temperature stays in the canopy to be safe from predators it uses camouflage to hide in the trees it has a dewlap to make it look it bigger Iguanas stare at your eyes to determine how to behave When they are relaxed they lay down, blink, and lick

It’s nickname is called chicken of the tree It can fall forty to fifty feet without getting hurt It communicates by hissing They can dive forty to fifty feet in the water They can lose a tail and grow one smaller They stop eating when they start to shed