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.

In contrast, the green iguana is at home high in the trees of a tropical rainforest, while still other iguanas have adaptations that allow them to live successfully in the dry, hot desert or rocky areas.

With an emerald green body and bands of white or blue, more prominent on the males, Fiji’s iguanas inhabit a multitude of habitats, from coastal swamps and lowland forests to rainforests on Fiji’s volcanic slopes. Highly arboreal, they have long toes with sharp claws and long tails for balance in the treetops. Rarely seen on the ground, banded iguanas move from tree to tree by using the overlapping branches. They are omnivorous, feeding on leaves, flowers, fruits, and small insects.

Adult banded iguanas may reach a length of 21 inches (53 centimeters)—more than half of which is the tail. When fully mature, they weigh between 3.5 and 7 ounces (99 to 199 grams), and males tend to be larger and heavier than females.

The Caribbean islands are rich in reptiles, with more than 500 reptile species, 94 percent of which are found nowhere else on Earth. Several Caribbean iguana species are known collectively as rock iguanas, and some are found on just one or two islands. Female rock iguanas lay a clutch of 5 to 20 relatively large eggs each year; the larger eggs result in large hatchlings that evolved in response to the lack of native predators. Unlike their mainland counterparts, such as green iguanas, the island-dwelling iguanas do not need to produce a lot of offspring as a hedge against predators.

The smallest of the rock iguana group are the Turks and Caicos iguanas. All eat a wide variety of fruits and serve as important seed dispersers for many native plants.

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

At the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park, our iguanas are offered a fruit salad that includes dark leafy greens and a variety of fruits, while some also receive crickets, mealworms, and wax worms. But because wax worms are high in fat, they are considered the “dessert” part of the menu!

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. Young iguanas are particularly vulnerable to predation by feral cats, and no iguana is safe from a pack of dogs. The iguana’s whiplike tail can be used for defense, and many species have tails with sharp “spines” that pack an extra “punch.”