Green Iguana
A powerful tree-dwelling herbivore that can escape predators by diving from branches directly into water.
Artwork inspired by Djanira
Green Iguanas range from green to gray or orange, with a row of dorsal spines, large throat dewlap, and long banded tail. Adults eat mostly leaves, flowers, and fruit.
Keep distance from large adults, never buy wild-caught pets, and do not block an iguana’s drop route to water. In northern and Amazonian Peru, scan sunlit branches above rivers before looking on the ground. Daytime; often basks in morning sun.
- Best clue
- Large arboreal lizard with a tall crest and striped tail
- Habitat
- river-edge forest, mangroves, dry forest, gardens, and canopy openings
- Typical timing
- Daytime; often basks in morning sun
Quick guide
- Primary field mark
- Tall dorsal crest
- Independent mark
- Waterside basking
Confirm Green Iguana without disturbance
- Shape
- Large arboreal lizard with a tall crest and striped tail
- Habitat
- Concentrate on river-edge forest, mangroves, dry forest, gardens, and canopy openings.
- Seasonal context
- Record the crest, cheek scale, dewlap, striped tail, perch height, and surrounding river-edge vegetation while the iguana remains undisturbed.
- Ethics
- Watch from below without shaking branches or blocking escape. Note basking, feeding, and tail posture; never handle or feed a wild iguana.
Good to know
An iguana threatened high above water may escape by dropping from the branch, so observers should never block the direct route below it.
Notice these
- Tall dorsal crest
- Large dewlap
- Banded whip tail
- Waterside basking