Iguanidae

Green Iguana (Iguana iguana)

The Iguanas ( Iguanidae ) constitute a family of Squamata ( Squamata ). They occur in the Americas from the southern U.S. to Paraguay, to the Caribbean Islands, the Galapagos Islands and the Fiji Islands.

Features

Iguanas can reach lengths of 14 centimeters to two meters. The tail is often longer than the rest of the body. Their heads are often provided with scales combing or dewlap, which are more pronounced than in females and in courtship and rivalry fighting important in the males. The dorsal scales of lizards are usually small, the ventral scales larger, but are not in regular rows.

Way of life

They live terrestrial, on the ground ( Dipsosaurus, Cyclura ), on trees (Iguana, Brachylophus ) or on rocks ( Sauromalus, Ctenosaura, Conolophus, Amblyrhynchus ). The males of most species are territorial iguana. They defend their territory against other male conspecifics, but tolerate females. All iguanas are oviparous ( oviparous ). During mating, the male bites the female usually in the neck. The nests are often quite large, often several females lay their eggs close to each other from. A brood care does not take place.

Juveniles feed mainly on insects and other invertebrates, in adult animals, especially in the large breed types, the plant-based diet is more important. The marine iguanas of the Galápagos Islands feed on algae and seaweed

System

The systematics of the family is subject to frequent changes since 1989. During this time the herpetologists Daryl Frost and Richard Etheridge shared the large, then 700 kinds comprehensive family into a series of smaller families that had the status of subfamilies previously. With the divested families the iguanas are summarized in the group of Pleurodonta that differ from the referents as Acrodonta other iguana -like, the Agamas and chameleons, by the type of tooth attachment. The Pleurodonta as a common feature teeth that sit rootless at the inner edge of the jaw, whereas they are fixed in the Acrodonta on the upper edge of the jaw.

Today, eight extant and three extinct species of iguanas are known:

• Iguanas ( Iguanidae ) Oppel, 1811 Marine Iguana ( Amblyrhynchus cristatus ) ( 1 species )
• Fiji iguanas ( Brachylophus ) ( 3 types)
• Druze heads ( Conolophus ) ( 3 types)
• Black iguanas ( Ctenosaura ) (15 species)
• Wirtelschwanzleguane ( Cyclura ) ( 8 species)
• Desert Iguana ( Dipsosaurus dorsalis) ( 1 species )
• Green iguanas (Iguana ) ( 2 types)
• Chuckwalla ( Sauromalus ) (6 species)
• Armandisaurus ( fossil)
• Lapitiguana ( fossil)
• Pumila ( fossil)

Fiji Iguana ( Brachylophus fasciatus )

Druze head ( Conolophus subcristatus )

Black iguana ( Ctenosaura similis )

Nashornleguan ( Cyclura cornuta )

Desert Iguana ( Dipsosaurus dorsalis)

Green Island Iguana ( Iguana delicatissima )

Chuckwalla ( Sauromalus obesus )