Belize Iguana Facts

Common Name: Guana, Bamboo Chicken, (Creole)Garobo, Iguana (Spanish)

English Name: Green Iguana, Iguana

Scientific Name: Iguana Iguana

Family Name: Iguanidae

In Belize the Green Iguana is commonly called “guana”, and has for many generations been an important symbol of life for the rivers and the Tropical Rain Forests.  The Ancient Maya also incorporated the iguana to the level of a God and it was known as “Itzamna”, who was related to water and the underworld.

Presently the Green Iguana can still be seen basking in the sun along the jungle-rivers or high in tree-tops. Their numbers have been declining due to loss of habitat and over-hunting for food.

Iguana Behavior

During the early morning Iguanas are very slow-moving, almost lethargic. This is because the Green Iguana is cold-blooded and requires warm temperatures of over 80 degrees F. If the temperature does not get warm the Iguana will stay hidden in a dry place where it can conserve energy. They will also only consume food when the temperature is warm, since the food will then be better digested. Iguanas can withstand several days without feeding if they are stressed or if temperatures are not suitable.

Iguanas always choose some of the tallest canopy trees along the rivers to sun themselves, which may lead to some physical or territorial rustling, especially with the larger or alpha males. This dispute is sometimes settled by vigorous head bobbing and extending the large loose skin folds along their chin line which is called dewlap.

The young or juvenile iguanas do not demonstrate any type of territorial or aggressive behavior towards each other, even at feeding time. Therefore they are able to live in larger numbers during this early stage of their development.

Iguanas seem to have keen senses of smelling and seeing since they are able to find their favorite fruits, berries, flowers and leaves with ease. They are known to be herbivorous.

It has also been noted that iguanas, finding themselves sharing the same habitat with humans, will gradually become more docile. This is of course if there are no major disturbances made by humans or threats by dogs. In some cases iguanas may even become a bit of a nuisance to farmers who have their vegetable gardens growing near the river. The iguanas quickly discover the young, succulent leaves or flowers and take as much advantage as possible while it lasts.

Defenses

In the world where the rule is either eat or be eaten, the iguana has some special defenses that will surprise the unwary attacker or intruder, and it is not a matter of using fangs with venom or powerful jaws.

Living high up in the tree tops, where they are hard to reach by some but an easy catch for others, the iguana risks threats from all directions. One of the first defenses is to remain motionless and lie low as possible, relying on their dark coloration to camouflage themselves. If this defense does not work, the iguana may use its highly flexible, long, strong tail to swirl after its attacker. A hit may surely discourage it from being eaten. Sometimes these tactics may not work and so the iguana’s final option may be to leap from its perch and dive straight down, belly first into the cool, green waters of the rivers that flow below. The iguana’s silhouette may be visible only for a few seconds, but then completely disappears into the watery world where it may remain for almost an hour, only to appear head first along the river bank and slowly crawl back up into the trees.

The iguana has one of the most unique sensory devices which it uses to detect incoming attacks by hawks and eagles. This device is commonly referred to as a “third eye” or parietal region, called the third eye since it is located above the centre of its head. The “third eye” appears as a semi-translucent scale and is about 5mm across. It becomes more defined in the adult stage. The parietal membrane is not able to make sharp or defined images, but rather is able to collect the shadows of flying predators as they get within several feet from their target. Given the first alert, the iguana will direct its vision towards the incoming attacker and will quickly make a decision to escape or fight.
 
Another unique sensory organ is the Jacobson’s Organ which is found in the mouth of the iguana, with the help of a moist and slightly split tongue, the iguana collects scent molecules from the air which is then taken to Jacobson’s Organ to be quickly identified. The iguana is a reptile that is completely aware of its entire surroundings and relies on all these sensory organs for its survival.

Adult Stages and Reproduction Cycle

The male iguana becomes mature between ages 2 and 3. This is normally indicated in the young adult since they begin to change from the normal green and dark brown into light shades of orange. The young adult may have a slim chance of finding female mates since the much larger adults becomes highly territorial and will defend his harem. Large adult males are very alert and any intruder will be fought off. Iguana has razor sharp teeth and will bite and grip into the neck and shoulder of its intruder. The fight may end up bloody and major injury may even cause death.

Once the male is full grown, his body length will extend over 5 feet including its tail. The tail alone may measure 3 feet and normally is the first option of use in a fight or defending itself from predators. The tail if broken or ripped off, will re-grow to its normal length in less than one year. The tail is also used for balance and swimming besides using it to defend itself and when broken makes the iguana more vulnerable. An adult male may weigh over 8 lbs. and the female may weight over 6 lbs. when carrying eggs.

The female iguana as adult will measure over 4 ft. and will develop cryptic coloration such as a combination of green, brown and black. This makes the female camouflage perfect on woody branches. The female iguana comes in estrus during the month of December and February. This is also the time when the male would have changed into bright orange in color, to be attractive to the female. Besides developing bright color, the male adult iguana will also produce a form of sexual pheromones or scents to entice or attract the female. The pheromone is oil-like and is released from along the area below the hind legs, where there are a series of glands that appear wart-like.

Juvenile Iguana and the development into adult

The new iguana hatchling is light, lemon green with dark strips or bands along the length of the body, and may have some light turquoise blotches to the side of its head and shoulders. As the week passes, the green becomes deeper and the blue disappears. The juvenile iguana in Belize will remain with shades of green for almost 3 to 4 years but by the 5th year will lose the green color completely.

At the beginning of mating season, the mature male iguana will change from the dark brown or black tones to ginger orange in color. It will begin to defend the sunniest perching sites and will exhibit more aggression. This period normally starts from late November, and may continue into late February. Most male iguanas will lose their bright orange color and will return to their dark color after this period. The female will take approximately 60 days for her eggs to become fully developed. At that time, she will leave the sanctuary of the trees and search along the river bank where the soil is soft and warm. She will spent several hours over a period of about 3 days digging a narrow tunnel which will wind underground for almost 5 to about 10 feet and will be some 2 to 4 feet deep. At the end of the tunnel she will deposit between 20 to about 60 eggs. The eggs may measure 1.5 inches long and 1 inch in circumference. These eggs are not guarded by the female, but the entrance of the tunnel is blocked off with sand and dirt; she returns to trees immediately. The temperature of the underground tunnel will determine the sex and the duration of the incubation. The eggs will take close to 90 days to complete incubation, and they all have to hatch before the heavy rains begin at the end of June.

The new hatchling iguana is highly vulnerable to predation, especially from forest falcons, hawks, vine snakes, and other carnivorous lizards such as the Basilisk. The new hatchling will remain out of sight for several days as it gradually becomes familiar with its new world. It will find the young leaves of vines and shrubs, and any colorful flower it is able to reach. It will not climb high into the canopy of the giant river trees, but rather stay hiding under the dense riverside vegetation. This is important, since they will quickly slide into the safety of the river to elude predators. At the age of 2 years, the iguana is more developed and is able to better defend itself from predators. It is at this point that the animal will begin to climb higher into the trees.

Why are Iguanas becoming threatened?

It has been a part of our cultural tradition to hunt iguanas during the months of March and April, especially the females that are caring for developing eggs. The eggs are considered a delicacy especially when made into a stew and served with coconut rice. The little bit of meat found on this reptile is also cooked and eaten by locals.

One of the most serious threats to this species has been brought about by the destruction of their natural habitat, as development for farms and homes take the place of these ancient nesting sites. Pollution is also another factor that may become even more destructive in the future.

We need to continue educating our community and especially our young generation to preserve and protect this beautiful creature and ensuring its future in Belize. 

 

 

Contact us today to learn more Belize Iguana facts