GALAPAGOS - The Iguanas

Marine Iguana
The endemic marine iguana is the only true marine lizard in the world and is common on all Galapagos coastlines.  It feeds on marine algae and can dive to a depth of 10 metres to graze the underwater rocks. These iguanas will spend cool nights clustered together to gain advantage from the warmth of other bodies.  During the day, when not feeding, they will bask on the rocks, lying flat so as to expose as much of their black bodies as possible to the sun’s rays.   Colonies of iguana will all sit together in identical postures – facing the sun with the front of their bodies slightly raised to maximise the heat.  This is required before plunging into the cold Galapagos waters.

Land Iguana
The endemic land iguana now lives on only six of the main islands and is much rarer than its marine counterpart. However, it was clearly much more populous when Darwin visited the islands as he complained that he couldn’t pitch his tent because there were so many iguana burrows.  As with giant turtles, the main problem has been the introduction of goats, pigs and dogs that will complete with the iguana for food. The capture of young hatchlings by hordes of predators also keeps numbers down. Land iguanas are much larger than marine iguanas and have a bright reddish-orange colour. 

Lava Lizard
There are seven distinct endemic species of lava lizards in the Galapagos. A number of islands have their own species that will live only on that particular island. A further variety is found all over the islands.