Facts about the Marine Iguana

Welcome to another episode of Natural World Facts!
This fact file is all about Penguins in the series Birds.

- Brief Overview:
The Galapagos Marine Iguana is a marine reptile native only to the Galapagos Islands. They have a natural ability to swim and move through the water with speed. This reptile can dive down to 30 feet to find food, holding its breath for over an hour. Male Marine Iguanas are larger than the females, and can grow up to 5 ½ feet long. The Galapagos Iguana evolved from its land-based cousin in order to become better suited to a marine lifestyle. As plant life here is rare, this iguana has adapted features such as webbed feet to allow it to forage for food out in the sea. The water is too cold for them to remain in it all the time, so they must bask on the rocks in order to regulate their body temperatures.

- Appearance:
Galapagos Marine Iguana’s have stocky bodies, a long tail, and webbed toes to propel themselves forward. In the water they are fast and agile but move very clumsily on land. The colouration of this Iguana ranges from black to a light shade of gray. Their darker colours help absorb the heat of the sun when basking. They have short spikes running down their back to deter predators and rivals.

- Diet:
The Marine Iguana is a herbivore, using its sharp teeth not for tearing meat but for scraping algae and seaweed from the rocks. Their flat snouts enable them to get into cracks and crevasses for algae too. As seaweed is more plentiful in warmer temperatures, this Iguana eats heavily in the spring and summer to store up fat for the winter, when food is scarce.

- Habitat:
The only location where this Lizard can be found is the Galapagos Islands. They tend to stay close to the shore, foraging for food in shallow waters or basking in the sun on the rocks.
- Breeding:
Galapagos Marine Iguanas are territorial, and mate during the summer months. The females must lay their eggs in as safe a place as possible, to avoid them being eaten by predators. Once laid, she will be gone. The young must take care of all their own needs from the moment they are born. Males of this species reach sexual maturity at around 6 to 8 years.

- Status:
The Marine Iguana is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species due to getting tangled up in fishing nets and plastic debris that humans leave along the beach. Luckily, this species is completely protected.

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Видео Facts about the Marine Iguana канала Natural World Facts