Iguanas
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1. Mecican spinytail iguana
2. green iguana |
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| juvenile black spinytail iguana (Ctenosauras
similis) at Bill Baggs Park on Key Biscayne, FL, USA. Last
year I only
saw green iguanas at Bill Baggs and they were everywhere. Now I only
saw spinytail iguanas in moderate numbers. I know an eradication effort
was taken to try to get rid of the exotic iguans. I guess that it was
quite successful in ridding the park of green iguanas. I wonder if that
is the reason that the spinytail iguanas are not common. Population
release? |
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| Spinytail iguana (Ctenosaura similis),
Crandon Park, Key Biscayne, Miami, FL, USA. 2007. |
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Spinytail iguana (Ctenosaura similis),
Crandon Park,
Key Biscayne, Miami, FL, USA. 2007. Spinytail iguanas prefer rocky
habitats, while green iguanas prefer trees and water. I have never seen
a spinytail flee to water or climb a tree to escape. They always find
crevices or drains to hide in. Conversely, green iguanas mostly flee by
entering the water or by climbing a tree.
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Green iguana (Iguana
iguana) Key Biscayne, Miami, FL, USA.
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Spiny iguana (Ctenosaura
similis), Crandon Park, Key Biscayne, Miami, FL, USA.
2006. Contrary to past belief, nearly all spiny-tails in the Miami area
are C. similis
and not C. pectinata.
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Green iguanas (Iguana iguana),
Fairchild Botanical Garden, Miami, FL, USA. This coloration pattern
like camouflaging on many of the iguanas at Fairchild was unlike any
others I have seen in Miami.
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| juvenile black spinytail iguana (Ctenosauras similis)
at Bill Baggs Park on Key Biscayne, FL, USA. They are probably
green as juveniles to make it easier to hide among herbaceous plants
than if they are gray. However, they are mostly terrestrial and the
ground as little green cover. |
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Spinytail iguana (Ctenosaura similis),
Crandon Park, Key Biscayne, Miami, FL, USA. 2007.
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A 3-ft spinytail iguana (Ctenosaura similis)
is not what is typically hiding in one's front yard.
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Green iguana (Iguana
iguana) Key Biscayne, Miami, FL, USA
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Green iguana (Iguana
iguana) Key Biscayne, Miami, FL, USA. This large male has
the bronze-orange colorations typical of an old breeding male.
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Green iguanas (Iguana iguana),
Fairchild Botanical Garden, Miami, FL, USA. This old male has the
typical large dorsal spines and spines on the below and above the
mouth. The brilliant green color of the juveniles is entirely
lost in the adults.
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Most place have rats going in and out of the
gutters, but Miami has iguanas.
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