Lesser Antillean Iguana

The Lesser Antillean Iguana (Iguana delicatissima) is a large arboreal lizard endemic to the Lesser Antilles. It is one of three kinds of iguanas, and because of habitat destruction, feral predator introductions, poaching, and hybridization with its invasive sister species, the green iguana, it is suffering from a catastrophic decrease. Successful captive breeding of this species has been limited to only two instances, as most captive-laid eggs tend to be infertile.

The Lesser Antilles iguana lacks the unique stripe pattern found along the green iguana's tail and has a blockier, shorter face than the latter. The larger, spherical scale that the green iguana has below each ear hole but the Lesser Antillean iguana does not possess is the characteristic that most readily distinguishes these two species. Varying island populations of the Lesser Antillean iguana have different color patterns, but the base hue is often gray with green splotches on the underbelly. On their heads, they have broad scales that are ivory-colored and pale. Males have pink jowls, and the scales around their eyes are blue. Additionally, males have femoral pores on the inside of each thigh, which secrete pheromones during the breeding season. Males are larger than females and are 40 cm long, with an 80 cm tail when full-grown. Females are two-thirds this size.