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SPECIES PROFILE
Green Iguana (Iguana iguana)
Iguana
IUCN STATUS
Least Concern
CONSERVATION STATUS
Least Concern
CLASS
Reptilia
GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE
Mexico through Central America to Paraguay and the Caribbean; introduced in Florida; common throughout El Salvador's lowlands
DIET
Herbivore
HABITAT
Lowland tropical forest, gallery forest along rivers, mangroves, and lake margins; highly arboreal but descends to water for escape
🔬 Classification
PHYLUM
Chordata
CLASS
Reptilia
ORDER
Squamata
FAMILY
Iguanidae
GENUS
Iguana
📋 Description
SIZE
1.2–2.0 m (males); 600 g–8 kg; females smaller
COLORATION
Bright green as juveniles; adults turn grey-brown with orange tones; distinctive row of dorsal spines; dewlap under the chin; long banded tail
ADAPTATIONS
Powerful tail used as a whip for defence; drops from trees into water to escape predators; juveniles are arboreal; herbivorous despite carnivore body plan
🌿 Ecology
HABITAT
Lowland tropical forest, gallery forest along rivers, mangroves, and lake margins; highly arboreal but descends to water for escape
DIET
Herbivore
GEOGRAPHIC RANGE
Mexico through Central America to Paraguay and the Caribbean; introduced in Florida; common throughout El Salvador's lowlands
REPRODUCTION
Female lays 9–71 eggs in a burrow dug in sunny soil; eggs incubate for 90 days; hatchlings are 17–25 cm and fully independent
DIET DETAILS
Leaves, flowers, and fruit gathered from forest canopy; one of the few large herbivorous lizards in the Americas
⚠️ Threats & Conservation
PRIMARY THREATS
Hunting for meat (called "gallina de palo" or "tree chicken"); egg collection; habitat loss along riverbanks
💡 Interesting Facts
1
Green Iguanas are known as "gallina de palo" (chicken of the tree) throughout Central America — they are widely eaten and were a critical protein source for pre-Columbian Indigenous peoples.
2
Despite being reptiles classified in the order Squamata alongside snakes, iguanas are almost entirely herbivorous as adults — one of the very few large lizards to feed primarily on leaves and flowers.
🔭 Sighting Guide
📍 BEST PLACES TO SIGHT
Laguna Olomega near San Miguel, El Salvador, has Green Iguanas basking in trees along the lakeshore
Río Lempa valley near Suchitoto, El Salvador, has large Green Iguanas in gallery forest overhanging the river
Los Cobanos marine reserve near Acajutla, El Salvador, has Green Iguanas in coastal dry forest
🗓️ BEST TIME TO SIGHT
Year-round along rivers and lakes in the lowlands; Laguna Olomega near San Miguel and the Río Lempa banks have large iguana populations.
🎯 SIGHTING TIPS
Year-round. Common along rivers and lakeshores throughout the lowlands; easily seen basking in trees overhanging water at Laguna Olomega and Río Paz.
