Iguanas are some of the largest lizards found in the Americas, with their whiplike tail making up about half of that length. Like other reptiles, iguanas are cold-blooded, egg-laying animals with an excellent ability to adapt to their environment. Find out more!

Different iguana species look and act so differently, you might not recognize them as members of the same family. While some iguanas have colors that are vivid and bright, others have rather dull colors. Because iguanas can be found in a variety of habitats, each species has its own unique adaptations.

The marine iguana of the Galápagos Islands is a skillful swimmer, and its black coloration helps it to warm its body after swimming in the cold ocean.

Most iguanas are herbivores, eating fruits, flower buds, and young leaves. Some species also eat the occasional juicy mealworm or wax worm! The marine iguana dives in the ocean to scrape algae from rocks.

Speaking of food, iguanas themselves are eaten by a variety of natural predators—hawks, owls, snakes—and humans. Green iguanas are bred and raised on farms in Central and South America to be eaten by people.