8 September: Iguana Awareness Day

Today is Iguana Awareness Day. Here are ten things you may not know about iguanas.

1. Iguanas are lizards found in tropical areas of Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. The most common species is the green iguana.
2. Green iguanas aren't necessarily Green. They can be lavender, Black, Pink, Orange or Blue.
3. The word "iguana" is derived from the Taino name for the species, iwana. In some Spanish speaking countries, males of the species are called gorrobo or ministro and juveniles are called iguanita or gorrobito.
4. They have good eyesight and can distinguish shapes, colours and movement. They also have a "third eye" on top of their heads, which looks like a pale scale. This eye can only distinguish light and shade, but it helps the iguana spot predators stalking them from above.
5. When it's cold and wet, they tend to stay on the ground, but when it's warmer, they often climb trees. They can fall up to 50 feet (15m) without hurting themselves, by grabbing at leaves and branches to slow down their fall.
6. They swim well, too, using their tails to propel themselves through the water. They can even survive underwater without breathing for almost half an hour.
7. They are largely vegetarian and eat leaves and fruit. Although they have been known to eat insects and Snails which happen to be on the plant they're eating animal protein is generally thought to be bad for them. They can digest plant material because of microflora in their gut, which they are not born with. To get this vital stuff, the young iguanas need to eat the poo of the adults.
8. Female iguanas don't care for their young - once they hatch they are on their own - but young iguanas stick together for their first year. The males will protect their sisters from predators by shielding them with their bodies. Iguanas are the only reptiles which do this.
9. They are popular pets in the USA. 800,000 iguanas were imported into the U.S. in 1995 alone, but iguanas are not easy to look after and many owners are ignorant about what they should feed them, either giving them meat, or Lettuce which has no nutritional value. Hence many pet iguanas don't live very long. In some parts of America, like Hawaii, it's illegal to keep them, with a penalty of three years in jail and a fine of up to $200,000.
10. In Central and South America, Green Iguanas are still used as a source of meat and are often referred to as gallina de palo, "bamboo chicken" or "chicken of the trees," because they are said to taste like chicken.