The kingdom Animalia includes all the diversity of animals that are found dwelling on the surface of the earth as wells as in the depths of world's largest & deepest ocean Pacific Ocean. Some of these living creatures have certain outstanding characteristics, related to their physique and behavior, which make them very interesting for the human beings. One such organism is called iguana that inhabits the Central America, tropical areas of Mexico and different Polynesian islands, like Tonga, Fiji and the Caribbean. For diet, this member of the lizard family Iguanidae usually depends on herbs growing in its natural habitation. Based on the binomial nomenclature, the species of iguanas comprising green colored lizards is known as Iguana iguana. The second of the only two iguana species, commonly known as Lesser Antillean iguana, has been declared endangered due to decrease in its population resulting from the wide scale destruction of its natural habitat on the Lesser Antilles. Josephus Nicolaus an Australian naturalist was the first ever person to identify and describe these animals in his famous 'Specimen Medicum'.

Python Pictures

If you want to witness the deadly and brutal nature of pythons with your own eyes, just have a look at the python pictures and videos available all over the internet. In this way, you can see how a large living animal is quickly engulfed by this horrifying creeper. You will be amazed to see their extra large body which may often reach upto the length of up to 50 feet, while measuring nearly 980 pound, or 70 stone in weight. If you have a look at one of the world's largest snakes, African rock python (Python Sebae), you will come to know that it has a thick body with colored blotches, which often join in a broad irregular stripe. Fading to white color on the underside, the body markings usually vary between, chestnut, olive, yellow and brown. Its triangular head is marked, on the top, with a "spear head", that is colored dark brown and is outlined with the buffy yellow shade. In addition, you will also be able to make distinction between the males and the females on the basis of their size, as the former are smaller than those of latter.

Funny and Cool Iguana Facts

If you go for the detailed and in depth study of these beautiful reptiles, you will come to know of various iguana facts which will not only serve as a source of entertainment but also make a great deal of contribution to your existing knowledge about these creatures. In order to get acquainted with the compelling realities about this product of the Mother Nature, go on reading the remainder of the post.

• The green iguanas can grow up to the length of 6.5 or even 7 feet, and measure from 10 to 17 pound in body weight.
• The average lifespan of these living beings usually extends for up to 20 years in the wild habitat.
• It is considered as one of the favorite pet animals, but if the owners do not take proper and timely care of their diet and environment, their lifespan gets much shorter.
• Interestingly, they can drop themselves from the height of 40 to 50 feet onto the solid ground without getting hurt!
• The binomial name of the Lesser Antillean Iguana (also known as West Indian iguana) is Iguana delicatissima, where the second name literally means "extraordinary".
• Though iguanas spend most of their time on the ground, they can easily survive under water for as long as 28 minutes!
• The females lay up to 71 eggs during the course of the year which are incubated for about 15 days.
• The mothers lay the eggs underground and leave them, so they won't be meeting or feeding their babies after they are hatched.
• The newborns, after hatching from the eggs, dig themselves out and have to survive on their own without getting help from their mothers.
• Owing to the capability of regeneration, if their tail is cut, they can grow another one.
• The vertebral column of the tail of iguanas is relatively weak. So, in case of getting caught by the tail, they break it and escape the danger, as the same can be grown again.
• It has been found that their tail extends as long as half of the length of their body.
• One of the very painful iguana facts is that if their owner is not tending them properly, they feel disappointed and end their own life.
• Visible on the top of their head, there is a 'third eye' in green iguanas, which contains a retina like structure and a lens.
• The retina like structure of the 'third eye' develops a connection with the pineal gland in the brain, but it is incapable of producing images. So, its primary duty is to govern and regulate the production of hormones in relation to the time spent for basking.
• During the El Nino conditions, some of the marine iguanas have been found to shrink up to 20% less than original length of their body.
• As soon as the food becomes plentiful again, they expand their body and regain the original size.
• In case of floods, the Turk and Caicos rock iguanas inflate their body and float on the flood water to reach a safe place.
• As observed in Godzilla's underwater scene, Godzilla moves pretty much like a marine iguana does underwater.
• Along with being the most common type to be taken as pets, the green iguanas are also among the most common to be eaten by the humans.
• They are served to the people as a special delicacy that is also known as "Bamboo Chicken".
• Being cold blooded animals, their body temperature relies on the external environment.
• These herbivorous organisms consume leaves, flowers, fruits and the growing shoots of as many as 100 species of the plants.
• They have also been found to change their color (appearance) depending on their mood and the prevailing circumstances.
• Resembling the penis in human males, the male members of iguanas are said to have three hemipenes, one of which is used at a time for the sake of sexual intercourse.
• In Puerto Rico, the common green iguanas have got a special colloquial name, that is, "Gallina De Palo".
• You can have an idea about the popularity of this pet animal from the fact that the whopping 800,000 iguanas were exported to the United States alone in the year 1995.
• Green iguana has been serving as one of the delicious food sources for the inhabitants of Central and South America for previous 7000 years.
• Those, who eat the meat of these animals, say that it tastes like the meat of a chicken.

What do Iguanas Eat?

If you intend to keep this beautiful creature as a pet animal, you need to have the proper knowledge of what do iguanas eat. In case of inadequate information about their diet, behavior, breeding and environment, your experience won't be successful. It may also result in the premature death of the newborns and the disappointingly shortened lifespan of the adults. For their diet, the iguanas usually rely on leaves, flowers, fruits as well as the shoots of about 100 plant species. You can also feed them with meat, but it should not exceed the balanced quantity, as the excess may give rise to kidney problems and other diseases. Surprisingly, in order to acquire the essential micro-flora to digest low quality and hard to process vegetables, the young iguanas eat the feces of their adults.

Iguana Pictures

If you want to know the secret of iguanas being considered as one of the most favorite pet animals, just log on to the World Wide Web and have a look on the all amazing iguana pictures. The fascinating color patterns of their body infatuate the onlooker at the very first sight. Depending on their particular mood and prevailing circumstances, they can also change their appearance. While viewing their photos, you will come to know that their tails extend as long as half the length of their body. It can also be observed that the longest iguanas may acquire the overall body length of up to 7 foot or nearly 2 meter. In order to have an idea about their underwater movement, just watch Godzilla's underwater scene for it is much like the same.