Dec. 21, 2014 - Costa Rica - Iguanas

I was one of the photographers in our Costa Rica group who especially wanted to see and photograph Iguanas. At Hacienda Baru, we got our wish. This Iguana and the next two were together sunning themselves on the lawn.

IguanaHaciendaBaruDominicalCostaRica20141022

Iguanas can be 5 to 6 feet long including the tail. I didn’t actually measure them but I would say these Iguanas were at least 3 feet long. They just ignored us as we crowded around taking pictures.

IguanaHaciendaBaruDominicalCostaRica20141022

I think these are Black Spiny-tailed Iguanas. This photo has an especially good look at the tail and it does show rings of spiny scales along the entire length of the tail.

IguanaHaciendaBaruDominicalCostaRica20141022

This is another Black Spiny-tailed Iguana that we saw near Hacienda Baru. Iguanas are mostly herbivores; flowers, leaves, and fruit make up the biggest part of their diet. This photo also has a good view of the spiny tail.

IguanaBlackSpinytailedCtenosaurasimilisHaciendaBaruCostaRica20141021

This Iguana was on the lawn in front of my bungalow. It was resting on a row of bricks that surrounded a small tree.

IguanaBlackSpinytailedCtenosaurasimilisHaciendaBaruCostaRica20141021

I’m quite sure this is a Green Iguana, probably the most common species in Costa Rica. I’m not saying that because of the color but because the tail is smooth. Green Iguanas are green when they are young but turn to gray or tan as they get older. It has some white material wrapped around its right rear leg. Reptiles often shed their skin so I wonder if this is old skin that hasn’t been rubbed off yet.

IguanaGreenjuvLapaRiosNatureReserveCostaRica20141022

This profile shot shows the length of the Green Iguana’s tail. It looks almost twice as long as the body. If an Iguana loses its tail, it can regrow it. I took this photo at Lapa Rios Nature Reserve

IguanaGreenjuvLapaRiosNatureReserveCostaRica20141022