Listed as CITES (Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species) Appendix I, is a protected species. This species is at least a foot shorter than the green iguana, growing to a length of about 5 feet. The Galapagos Marine Iguanas is the only Marine Iguana known to be in existence at this time. This species is very difficult to keep in captivity because of their diet requirements. They eat fresh seaweed and ocean algae. They are excellent swimmers, and they have a special gland that allows them to secrete the salt out through their nostrils. They are normally a brown and gray color, although they do display bright red patches during breeding season.
This genera has two species found on the Fiji and Tonga islands. Both species are endangered and on the CITES Appendix I list. They are very small in lenght, with the males rarely averaging over 2 1/2 feet in length, including the tail. The females are even shorter.
"Brachylophus fasciatus (Fiji Banded Iguana)"
These iguanas have some of the most beautiful coloring, the females are entirely green, but the males have colorful alternating bands of green and light blue.
"Brachylophus vitiensis (Fiji Crested Iguana)"
These iguanas are very similiar to the Fiji banded iguanas, but their crest at the nuchal area (just behind the head) is substantially higher and more pronounced.
These iguanas are also listed under CITES Appendix I. Unlike the marine iguana, the land iguana stays solely on land and is an accomplished tree climber. It may get up to four feet in length, with the females being slightly shorter than the males. Currently, the Galapagos Land Iguana is listed as having two species, however; experts argue that they may be the same species. The two names are: Conolophus subcristatus and Conolophus pallidus.
There are nine species of iguana included in this genera, although some zoologists do not recognize Enyliosaurus species as an iguana, but I have listed it anyway since it is under debate. This genera of iguana is found from Mexico to Panama and on some of the Columbian islands. They are commonly referred to as spiney-tailed or black iguanas. These iguanas don't tend to be as brightly colored as other Genera are, but their tale has winding, sharp, raised scales that protrude from it making it quite the intimidating weapon.
"Ctenosaura acanthura (Spiny-tailed Iguana or Black Iguana)"
This species is found abundantly along Mexico's Gulf Coast and in some areas of Central America. They average over 3 feet in length, with the females being slightly shorter than the males, and tend to be more terrestrial than arboreal.
"Ctenosaura bakeri (Isla de la Bahia Spiny-tailed Iguana)"
This species lives on an island off of Honduras, and is extremely rare. Not much is known about this species.
These are very small lizards, averaging less than 1 foot, again the females are slightly smaller than the males. This species is protected by the Mexican government.
This species is found on the Yuctan Peninsula in Mexico. It is also another very small lizard, but very brightly colored with bands of blue, black, red, yellow and orange across its back.
This species can grow up to 3 feet in length, with its tail making up more than half of its length. This species can be found in the northwest region of Mexico, and in the Baja California Sur area. It is darkly colored with a stocky body shape.
"Ctenosaura oeirhina (Roatan Island Spiny-tailed Iguana)"
This small iguana comes from an isolated island off of the coast of Honduras. This is another species that very little is known about.
"Ctenosaura (Enyliosaurus) paleris (Central American Dwarf Spiny-tailed Iguana)"
This species is found in Guatemala and Honduras and is sometimes referred to as the Honduran dwarf spiny-tailed iguana. They only grow to be a little over a foot in length and again the females are somewhat shorter.
This is the largest of the Ctenosaura genera, growing to 4 feet in length. This species is available in the pet trade due to reptile farms breeding them for hobbyists. This species tends to be a dark gray color with either yellow or white bands.
"Ctenosaura (Enyliosaurus) quinquecartinata (Dwarf Spiny-tailed Iguana or the Club-Tailed Iguana)"
This species grows to around 12 to 15 inches in length and is found in southern Mexico and areas of Nicaragua. It also is available to the pet trade.
"Ctenosaura similis (Spiny-tailed Iguana)"
This species can be found from southwestern Mexico all the way to Panama. They average over 3 feet in length and have black, green and yellow markings.
These fourteen species of iguanas are much larger than the common green iguana. This genera has CITES Appendix I status and is protected by international law.
"Cyclura carinata bartschi (Booby Cay Rock Iguana)"
This is a highly threatened species, and is listed as CITES Appendix II. This rare species is only known to exist in a small area known as Booby Cay in the Bahama Islands. Fewer than 300 of these reptiles are known to exist.
"Cyclura carinata carinata (Turks Island Iguana-Caicos Island Iguana)"
These reptiles are found on Turks Island and Caicos Island off the Bahamas. They grow to about 2 feet in length and look very similiar to the rhinoceros iguana, but are smaller.
"Cyclura collei (Jamaican Rock Iguana)"
This species of iguana was thought to be extinct but was rediscovered in 1990. Probably fewer than 100 specimens are alive at this time. They grow to about 3 1/2 feet in length, again the females are slightly shorter than the males, and none are known to exist outside of Jamaica.
This species is the most common and the largest species of the Cyclura genera. The males grow to be about 4 feet in length, and are very stocky animals, being the heaviest of all the iguana family. Some may weigh up to 20 pounds. This iguana gets the name "rhinoceros" from the spikes that grow on top of its snout. Some iguanas of this species have been known to become easily domesticated and accepting of human companionship, but most will not, and they are known for having a nasty bite!
This smaller version of the rhinoceros iguana is native to the small islands off the coast of Haiti, but it is thought to be extinct at this time.
"Cyclura cornuta stejnegeri (Mona Island Rhinoceros Iguana)"
This iguana gets its name from the tiny Puerto Rican island on which it lives. It is thought that fewer than 3000 of this species remain.
"Cyclura cychlura cychlura (Andros Island Rock Iguana)"
This species is unique to a small island in the Bahamas called the Andros Island. These iguanas grow to be around 3 to 3 1/2 feet, with the females growing to be approximately the same length as the males.
"Cyclura cychlura figginsi (Exuma Island Rock Iguana)"
This species is found on the Exuma Cays of the Bahama Islands. They grow to be less than 30 inches. Only about 1,500 are thought to exist at this time.
"Cyclura cychlura inornata (Allen's Cay Rock Iguana)"
This species grows to be a little less than 3 feet in length and has dark brownish-grayish coloring, except on the head. The head is usually a light gray to white.
"Cyclura nubilia caymenensis (Cayman Island Rock Iguana)"
This species grows a little over 3 feet in length, and the males tend to be more docile and slightly shorter than the females. Less than 1,500 of this species exists and they are under CITES Appendix II.
"Cyclura nubila lewsi (Grand Cayman Rock Iguana)"
These iguanas are only slightly shorter than the Cyclura Cornuta (4 feet). They are beautifully colored though as they are a lovely shade of aqua-blue.
"Cyclura nubilia nubilia (Cuban Rock Iguana)"
The Cuban Rock Iguana is the largest of the rhinoceros iguanas, reaching up to 5 feet in length. This iguana originates from Cuba, but was introduced years ago to Puerto Rico. This iguana is also being professionally bred and is available to hobbyists.
"Cyclura pinguis (Anegada Island Rock Iguana)"
The average length of this iguana is thought to be a little less than 4 feet long. They live on Anegada Island in the British Virgin Islands.
"Cyclura ricordi (Ricord's Rock Iguana)"
This iguana lives on the island of Hispaniola. This iguana grows to be around 3 1/2 feet in length.
There are three more Cyclura species, all from the Exuma Cays of the Bahama Islands. All grow to be less than two feet in length. They are the Cyclura rileyi cristata-Sandy Cay Rock Iguana; Cyclura rileyi nuchallis-Crooked-Acklins Island Rock Iguana; and Cyclura rileyi rileyi-San Salvador Rock Iguana.
This genera name is also a species name. This species is commonly known as the desert iguana. It is generally shorter than the popular Iguana iguana and is found mostly in the southwestern United States and Mexico.
This is the most commonly kept iguana in all of the Iguanidae family. They grow to be 6 feet or more in length and can be found from as far south as Brazil to as far north as Mexico and areas of the United States. They are listed as CITES Appendix II, and most of these iguanas that are sold in petstores are bred on farms in Florida and Texas and Central America.
This species, the Antillean green iguana, is losing the battle to remain in its natural habitat. It is found on several islands off the Lesser Antilles and is slightly smaller in size than the green iguana. This species also lacks the large subtympanal scales of the green iguana.
The Chuckwalla is the most easily identifiable of all iguanae; it looks like a fattened version of Iguana iguana. In its native habitat, the Southwestern American deserts, the Chucwalla uses its most recognizable attribute to its advantage. When confronted by an aggressor, the Chuckwalla climbs into the narrowest of cracks and fatttens itself up, lodging itself into the rocks so that it cannot be pulled out. Its tail also tends to be wider, thicker and shorter than that of its cousins. There are 11 varieties of Sauromalus:
"Sauromalus ater ater"
This species is found from northern California to the Gulf of California.
" Sauromalus ater klauberi"
This species is found from Santa Catalina Island down into the Gulf of California.
"Sauromalus ater shawi (Chuckwalla)"
This species is found from the Isla San Marcos, from the Mexican Gulf of California.
"Sauromalus australis"
This species is generally found on the Isla Angel de la Guarda and a few other islands.
This species is generally found in Sonora, Mexico, and a few islands off its coast.
"Sauromalus obesus tumidus (Arizona Chuckwalla)"
Easily found throughout the Arizona and neighboring Mexican countryside.
"Sauromalus sleveni (Chuckwalla)"
This species is from the Islas Carmen, Coronados, and Monserrate. It is extremely rare and very threatened.
"Sauromalus varius (San Esteban Chuckwalla-Painted Chuckwalla)"
This iguana comes from the Islands of San Esteban, Lobos and Pelicanos in the Gulf of California. Measuring more than 2 feet in length, this is the largest of the
