Fauna
Fauna
Lovely Lizards by Susan Campbell You can’t help but run into Aruba’s awesome iguanas as they live all over this island; in fact, they are as common as squirrels are in North America! These fascinating cold-blooded creatures love to sunbathe almost as much as our visitors do, so let’s get to know them better with some iguana insights.
Still called yuana in Papiamento from the original Caiquetio Indian name – green iguanas (Iguana iguana) are fairly abundant all over the island. These dino saurish reptiles are attracted to the very green surroundings typical of hotel land scaping, so you are bound to run into one sooner or later. Though iguanas originated in the rainforests of Central and South America, Aruba’s iguanas have adapted to the less than lush environment and act more like ground lizards than treedwelling ones. According to Gerard van Buurt, author of the book Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire, iguanas were here before humans. He says, “The iguanas living on Aruba differ from those on the mainland; they are already adapted to life on semiarid islands. These adaptations concern differences in behav ior, size, size of the eggs and clutch size. The timing of the reproductive cycle is geared to the normal pattern of rainfall. It seems unlikely that such adaptations could have developed in a time span of only 4,000 to 5,000 years or less. It is thus more likely that the green iguana has been present on these islands for quite a long time and that it reached these islands on its own.” 26 Nights
Aruban iguanas sleep in candelabra cacti and in cave nooks. In populated areas, they find secluded spots on roof tops. They sleep all night, then recharge in the sun’s rays (being cold-blooded they need to adjust their body temperature) and once sufficiently warmed, they for age for food. Their eyesight, hearing, and sense of smell are excellent and they also use their tongues to better identify ob jects. Green iguanas are not always “green.” Like chameleons, they can change colors (though not as dramatically and quickly)
parts of their tail if grabbed, but it never grows back as long. Their teeth are tiny, yet razor sharp and their finger-like toes have trenchant claws for tree climbing and self-defense. They also have a third “eye”, or sensor, on top of their heads to alert them to predators coming from above.
mouth, and the entire show is designed to scare off any competitors. As for the females, they bear eggs whether they have mated or not, burying them in deep holes dug in the dirt. Iguanas aren’t very pro tective parents, however, as the hatch lings are left to fend for themselves.
Survival skills
Breeding behavior
Iguana etiquette
When it comes to self-defense, igua nas have many tricks. They can run sur prisingly fast and are excellent swimmers. In fact, if threatened, they can leap from great heights into the ocean where they can stay underwater for up to an hour. Iguanas use their tails as whips with un canny accuracy and can even discharge
Breeding season is in March and April. During this time, males puff up the flab by skin beard called a dewlap in order to appear larger and impress females. They also become agitated and do a comical sideways, crab-like dance. This bizarre display includes frantic head bobbing, tail wagging, and a gaping ready-to-snap
There is an unwritten law here that gives iguanas the right-of-way on the roads, but unfortunately, it’s not always observed. Though iguanas can become very tame, it is best to resist the urge to feed them by hand, and signs asking you to please not feed them are there for the iguana’s benefit as well as your own. They
to become camouflaged. Aruban iguanas can grow to approximately three feet in length and, under ideal conditions, can live as long as 20 years.
can’t always discern the difference be- tween food and fingers and, like all rep tiles, can carry salmonella bacteria. Also, iguanas are designed to be strictly vege tarian, so a steady diet of leftover fries or bread is bad for their systems, even though they will often eat whatever is offered. If you really want to impress an iguana, just throw it some hibiscus blooms: they are healthy and much appreciated treats. And you might just be rewarded with a happy iguana smile! K
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