Black spiny tailed iguana - Ctenosaura similis - some interesting facts

Black spiny-tailed iguana as photographed in El Salvador

You'd never know it, looking at one of these lizards as it lazes about in its habitat, but it holds the Guinness Book of World Records as being the fastest lizard species on Earth.  Not only are they fast, they are also exceptionally good climbers and can crawl over rocks, branches, and up trees with relative ease.  

They are large lizards, up to four feet in length, and have sharp claws and a strong tail.  If provoked, they will whip their tail towards an aggressor, claw at them, and even bite.  They are primarily vegetarians but will take invertebrates, small vertebrates, and eggs if available.  

The females are slightly smaller than males and use their sharp claws to dig burrows for eggs.  She may lay up to 25 eggs and protect them from other females or potential predators.  The young are only a few inches long and dig their way out of their burrow, which may be half a meter deep.  It takes them up to a week to do this.

Sometimes called "chicken of the trees", the spiny iguana is both edible and choice, used by rural populations as easy food.  Hunting them involves seeing them, crying like a hawk, and watching them freeze in place, where the animal is just collected from its place.  Some consider the spiny-tailed iguana to be important medicine and may use it to help cure impotence.

They are very interesting lizards.  It was great to photograph them.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com