If you were in the Galapagos Islands, then you certainly met a marine iguana. The photo of this animal looks intimidating, but it is not without a special severe beauty. Marine iguanas look like dinosaurs that lived many millions of years ago. We want to pay particular attention to these animals in this article.
What does a marine iguana look like?
The Galapagos Islands amaze travelers with a bizarre combination of lace foamy surf, white sands and black heap of basalt. And among this unusual natural beauty, a unique creature lives, which is not found anywhere else in the world. This is a special type of lizard - marine iguanas. This is a solid animal with large strong legs, long formidable claws and a sharp horn ridge. A kind of miniature prehistoric dinosaur, accidentally preserved to this day. The body of the reptile is covered with a dense scaly layer. The wide head is decorated with a protective spiked helmet.
Marine iguanas are chained to the tip of a long tail. Tail scales are larger, quadrangular. It is laid out in transverse rows, but does not prevent the animal from moving its tail while swimming. The tail itself will be flattened laterally. A large marine iguana, about 1.5 meters long, spends a lot of time at sea. An adult lizard weighs 10-12 kg.
The crest on the back of the animal looks very menacing. The skin scales on it are triangular, slightly elongated in shape. The legs, although they look very powerful, are quite short. The fingers are equipped with a membrane that helps to swim. Marine iguanas are painted in brown, greenish-gray or brown.
Lifestyle
Iguanas have keen eyesight, are able to swim and dive perfectly. On land, they have no enemies, so they allow themselves to be slow and lazy. But in the water you often have to escape from sharks, so slowness here can be fatal. Therefore, the marine iguana corrects habits, depending on the environment in which it is located.
A favorite activity of lizards on land is to bask in the sun. This is due to the peculiarities of animal thermoregulation. The temperature of his body depends on the environment, and in order to get enough energy for the normal process of life, you have to accumulate heat and distribute it throughout the body. Overheating of the marine iguana does not threaten. It releases excess heat through the skin of the abdomen.
Family relationship
Darwin called the marine iguanas the fiends of hell, the appearance of these lizards seemed so terrible to him. But in reality they are not too aggressive. For life, marine iguanas create family groups, which include one adult male and up to ten females. Young individuals are kept separate, but also stray into groups. Sometimes several families come together in a large community.
Each male looks after his territory. Extraneous individuals are not allowed on “family” lands. Seeing a stranger, the male warns of violation of the border. He takes a steady pose and begins to shake his head. If the intruder has not cleaned, then a fight begins. Usually strangers enter the occupied territory, having views of the "master" harem, so that the fighting is serious.
Behavior in water
Marine iguanas rarely sail far from shore. In the water they make undulating horizontal movements. Animals dive not for pleasure, but for food or fleeing sharks. Male iguanas are bolder and stronger; they can afford more distant swims than females. Young growth always keeps in shallow water.
What else is able to surprise a marine iguana? Interesting facts related to the blood circulation of these animals were collected by scientists. In order not to rise often to the surface and not to spend excess energy, a reptile while in water saves oxygen. Blood circulation slows down, only vital organs are supplied with blood. Thus, the lizard can survive under water for more than 1 hour.
What the animal eats
Of course, the marine iguana looks very impressive and creepy, but it is not a predator. Marine iguanas are classified as herbivorous reptiles. They eat mainly seaweed. It was for their sake that the iguanas learned to dive. Some species of algae braid around coastal stones, and lizards carefully scrap them.
Breeding
Matrimonial games are not a favorite pastime of the male iguana. Attraction to his harem, he experiences only once a year. During this period, the scales of the male become brighter, brown and reddish spots appear on it, which attract active females.
A fertilized female lays several eggs in a hole. Her masonry is small - 2-3 pieces. From above, the female sprinkles her treasure with warm sand. There are often fights around masonry sites, since there are few sand pads in the Galapagossa, mainly islands are composed of volcanic rock. Sometimes females destroy the clutches of rivals, making room for their offspring.
In warm sand, eggs mature for about four months. Then young growth appears, which joins the parent group. In the diet of young animals there is not only vegetable, but also animal food. This is necessary for kids to grow.
Sea iguanas can hardly be called caring parents. They do not protect their offspring from predators. So most young animals become prey for gulls, snakes or dogs and cats. People try to exterminate stray dogs in order to preserve the livestock of marine iguanas, but this does not help much. Unfortunately, these animals are today classified as vulnerable species.
