Rhinoceros Iguana
Cyclura cornuta


Status:Vulnerable

Description

The Rhinoceros Iguana is a large ground-dwelling lizard.

It gets its name from the outgrowths, like horns, on the end of its nose. It is a very powerful lizard with a very long tail. Like other reptiles it is cold-blooded and needs to bask in the sun before it can become active.

Habitat and Location

Dominican Republic, the Caribbean. The rhinoceros iguana is a ground-dwelling species . It lives among rocks and areas of open scrub. Many other iguanas are arboreal . This means they live in trees where they are safe from possible predators.

Threats

Loss of habitat.

Diet

Herbivore . Eats mainly vegetation. Occasionally it may eat some insects

Did you know?

The rhinoceros iguana is one of a large family of lizards, the iguanas. Other lizards in this family can swim in the sea or stand up on two legs and 'walk' on water!

Seasonal activity

Statistics

Size : Up to 120 cm long
Current population : not available



Video by by BBC Natural History Unit Picture Library

Image in page by by Ken King, Planet Earth Pictures

This file last updated Monday, November 3, 1997

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