The Green Iguana Easter Egg Collection

We've got big news just a short walk away from the hotel! We call it our Green Iguana Project. This past Easter weekend eggs were collected from along the riverbank and brought to the habitat. These eggs were about one week old at that time and will take about 3 months to hatch. We estimate that there will be many little green lizards born around the 8th of July.

We keep the eggs protected and warm by placing them into tubs and covering them with the same earth from the ground they were found in. The eggs are then carefully monitored by our efficient and caring staff. If the temperature gets too hot, the area around the eggs is sprayed with water until the air is cooled down to a safe 80 - 85 degrees.

When hatched these babies will be let into the iguana habitat where several more of various ages will be waiting for the new arrivals. When the babies are 1 to 1-1/2 years old, they'll be released back onto the riverbank. Most of them go on their way and become the proud parents of the next generation of eggs for our project. A few find their way back to the only home they they've ever known but soon adapt to the wild on the outside of the screened enclosure.

One older resident still comes back occasionally and sits on the roof observing the activities inside. He's quite big now and about 4 years old. We're pretty sure he's one of our adopted iguanas like Buddy, George, Goliath or Jimev.

Buddy from the adoption program

Meet Buddy! He's a favorite of the project and loves human company, especially when he's being hand fed. The perfect meal for Buddy (and most iguanas) is papaya, chaya, apple bananas, sweet potato leaves, okra leaves, zucchini, carrots and sweet peppers. They also eat figs, grass, bay cedar leaf, trumpet tree bark and regular bananas.

You can adopt one of these adorable green iguanas. It not only entitles you to name your lizard, but also gets you a signed certificate of adoption. Your guide will be delighted to tell you more about this program or you can e-mail us for adoption info.

Don't forget to check back with us in June when our babies will be out the egg and into their tropical home!

* Did you know? *
If the temperature of the eggs is kept below 85 degrees most of the babies will be females. If the temperature is kept around 85 to 95 degrees, most babies will be male.