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SPECIES FILE
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Iguana iguana

Green Iguana

A row of spines and a hanging dewlap make a familiar iguana silhouette.

Reference photo, not the individual on display. Credits appear below.

Care commitment Plan for adult size
Habitat Branches & cover
Visiting Watch quietly

Meet your new acquaintance

Nickname Leaf-loving Climber
Diurnal and mainly arboreal

Species highlights

A flag beneath the throat

The dewlap resembles a portable flag, changing the visible outline as head position, body orientation and skin extension change together.

A visual signal depends on receiver and setting. Head bobbing cannot automatically be translated as greeting a visitor.

Watch a resting iguana turn or change position voluntarily and follow the changing throat outline. The “flag” opens a view into communication, rather than merely adding decoration to a large green body.

Feature sources:

At a glance

The green iguana is a large, day-active tree-dwelling lizard from tropical parts of the Americas. It uses elevated branches for feeding, movement and basking. A long tail, strong limbs and sharp claws suit this life; the name “green” does not describe every age, sex or captive colour form.

Tree life requires load-bearing perches, secure grips and room for a long tail to turn. Elevated positions can offer food, light or distance from disturbance.

Plant feeding and ground nesting link canopy and soil. Dewlap displays, head movements and posture communicate in context; one gesture is not a complete translation of what the animal experiences.

Common names Green Iguana; IG
Scientific name Iguana iguana
Native rangeParts of tropical Central and South America
Adult sizeOften about 1.2–1.8 m total length; sexes differ
ActivityDiurnal and mainly arboreal
Diet Base the diet on varied suitable leafy greens and other fibrous plants, with appropriate calcium management. Fruit is limited; meat, pet food and protein-rich feeders are not staple foods.

Habitat & care

Plan a large, load-bearing climbing enclosure with UVB, local basking and room to move. Meat is not a substitute for its plant-based diet.

Values guide routine care, not breeding or brumation. Dimensions are length × width × height for one adult unless stated otherwise; larger animals need more space.

TemperatureBasking surface About 50°C Air 24–31°C; night 23–28°C. The broad basking platform must allow free retreat.
Humidity60–80% Measure mid-enclosure away from mist outlets; let leaves dry between mistings and maintain airflow.
LightingUVB UVI 3–4 Measure UVI at the animal’s back height and provide full shade; lamp, distance and mesh all affect the reading.
Space300×150×180 cm Starting adult facility size; reinforce locks and perches, plan drainage and cleaning, and expand for larger animals.

Look a little closer

Locate the eardrum, dewlap and dorsal spines in profile, then estimate how much of the total length is tail. Find the four limb contacts on its perch. If head-bobbing or dewlap extension occurs, note orientation, posture and the surrounding situation together.

Care note: Respect the reach of the tail; ask staff before any interaction.

About this profile

Size ranges are reference values; sex, origin and age affect appearance.

Profile status: Reference profile · Reviewed

References (4)

Photo: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Calango_em_Brejo_da_Madre_de_Deus.jpg CC BY-SA 3.0 · Original image, credit and licence

Behaviour notes describe the species, not a promise about every individual. These care notes introduce its needs; ask our team about the animal on display and any supervised encounters.