Introduction

Land iguanas are a fairly common sighting in the Galapagos archipelago and can found in the arid zones.  Hybrids with marine iguanas have been recorded on South Plaza island.  These iguanas are large in size and tend to be yellowy orange in colour with a dark brown back.  They can be easily distinguished from the marine iguana by their pointed nose and from the Santa Fé land iguana by its more restricted row of spines along its back.  The adult male displays a long row of spines along the back of his neck and shorter spines on his head and upper back.  The female is significantly smaller in size to the male, with shorter spines and a less brightly coloured appearance.  Mature males develop some red colouration, particularly during the mating season.  Interestingly, the hatchlings from the land iguanas are not dissimilar in size to those of lava lizards.

Behaviour

Land iguanas generally form small colonies in the arid zones, although they can often be encountered on their own.  Males are highly territorial and defend their territories by engaging in head-butting battles.  The males can take up to 12 years to reach sexual maturity.  The breeding patterns of land iguanas vary on each individual island (January on Isabela, June on Fernandina, September on Santa Cruz and January on South Plaza.

The Beagle - Mary Anne - Cachalote - Sagitta - Amazonia - Samba - Beluga - Galaxy - Princess Grace - Aida Maria - Eden - Evolution - Eclipse - Grand Odyssey - Journey I - Eric - Flamingo - Letty - Odyssey - Athala - Nemo I - Nemo II - Diamante - Alta - Lammer Law - Rachel - La Pinta  - Humboldt Explorer - Parranda - Isabela (Albemarie) - Santa Cruz (Indefatigable) - San Cristobal (Chatham) - Baltra (South Seymour) - North Seymour (Seymour Norte) - Fernandina (Narborough) - Española (Hood) - Genovesa (Tower) - Bartolomé (Bartolemew) - Santiago (San Salvador or James) - Santa María (Floreana or Charles) - Marchena (Blindoe) - Mosquera - Plaza Sur (South Plaza) - Pinta (Abingdon) - Pinzón (Duncan) - Santa Fé (Barrington) - Rabida (Jervis) - Daphne