Species group · Reptiles

Iguanas

WAnimals has 9 species of iguana, all in the family Iguanidae.

9 species
1 family
47 countries
64 parks
Weight
60 g – 14 kg
Length
25 cm – 2 m
Lifespan
6 – 60 years

Ranges calculated from the entries that record the figure, not from all 9.

All 9 species of iguanas on WAnimals

Each one has its own full entry. This group does not replace them: it brings them together.

Conservation status

3 Least Concern3 Endangered2 Vulnerable1 Critically Endangered

6 especies in this group están en alguna categoría de riesgo real según la UICN.

See the global conservation status

Where they live

Recorded in 47 countries. The ones with the most species in the group:

Where to see them

Did you know…

  • Young males shield the females of their group by putting their own bodies in the way.

    From Green Iguana

  • It can stay underwater for up to 4 hours to escape a threat.

    From Green Iguana

  • It is an excellent swimmer despite spending most of its life in the trees.

    From Green Iguana

  • It is the only lizard that feeds in the sea, diving to graze algae, and sneezes the excess salt out through nasal glands.

    From Marine Iguana

  • During the food shortages brought on by El Niño it can temporarily shrink its own skeleton by as much as 20%, reabsorbing bone tissue, and grow back once the algae return.

    From Marine Iguana

  • It is the only lizard in the world that feeds in the sea. Of some 7,850 lizard species, only this one dives to eat algae.

    From Marine Iguana

  • It is documented among the fastest lizards in the world over short distances, topping 30 km/h.

    From Common Spiny-tailed Iguana

  • It is the fastest land lizard in the world: documented records exceed thirty-five kilometres an hour at a run, a speed no other lizard has matched under controlled conditions.

    From Common Spiny-tailed Iguana

Ecosystems

See every species group · Explore the species one by one