Iguanas are colorful animals that live in tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas and some islands. When iguanas appear on your property, you may have to call an iguana control company to help end the invasion of your backyard by these creatures.
Some Interesting Facts About Iguanas
- Iguanas are among the largest lizards, ranging from 5 inches to over 6 feet in length.
- Iguanas have good eyesight, sharp teeth, strong jaws, and powerful tails that can be used as weapons or shed to escape predators.
- They can change color to regulate their body temperature or to see ultraviolet wavelengths.
- Some iguanas are aquatic and have flattened tails for swimming.
- They are mostly herbivorous, eating fruits, flowers, leaves, and sometimes insects and snails.
- They bask in the sun to warm up their bodies and aid their digestion.
- Iguanas lay eggs in burrows or nests that they dig or find. They can produce dozens of eggs per clutch.
- Some iguanas have a flap of skin called a dewlap on their throat that helps with temperature regulation and communication.
Habitat and Behavior
Iguanas are generally herbivores, preferring fruits, flowers, and young leaves for their diets. Some of them also eat insects, and others can dive into the ocean waters and eat algae. Some hoard bacteria in their digestive systems to help ferment the plants they consume.
When green iguanas are young, their diet consists of insects and snails almost entirely, but as they grow, they shift to a completely vegetarian diet, focusing on fruits, leaves, and flowers.
Green iguanas can rapidly climb up trees, and they like to make the high tree tops their dwellings. If an iguana loses their tail in an unforeseen situation, they can regrow it later.
Reproduction
After 2 or 3 years, iguanas have reached their sexual maturity. At that time, they can lay more than 50 eggs in a single clutch. Male iguanas establish their mating pairs during the rainy season, leaving their tree tops to fertilize the eggs as the dry season begins.
Iguanas will dig burrows in sunny areas in preparation for their eggs. Eggs do well when temperatures range between 75 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. After three to four months of incubation, the eggs hatch all at the same time.
The mother iguanas leave the eggs to hatch on their own, so the young iguanas dig out of their burrow and are ready to start life on their own.
Iguanas and Your Property
If you have iguanas on your property, it could be because you have the vegetation they crave and the sunny spots they look for to dig their burrows. If you want to make your property less attractive, consider swapping out your landscaping for plants they do not eat.
Iguanas will not bother you unless they feel threatened, but they can transmit salmonella, which means you and your loved ones should be careful when iguanas are around.
