14 Unique Animals of the Galapagos Islands
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of 14
Marine Iguana
pink, teal, blue, and yellow marine iguana with salt encrusted skin on rocks on Espanola Island, one of the Galapagos Islands
Vince Smith / Flickr / CC BY 2.0
This incredibly unusual species of iguana found on all Galapagos islands is the only extant (or still existing) marine lizard on Earth. The coloration, shape, and size of marine iguanas vary significantly between islands. The ones found on Espanola are the most colorful and are nicknamed "Christmas Iguanas" because of their red and green coloration.
These iguanas likely evolved an aquatic lifestyle because of the sparsity of nutritious vegetation on land, opting instead for seaweed. To get rid of the excess salt that it consumes, this iguana has specialized nasal glands that filter the salt and expel it from the nostrils. When there is scarce food, the iguanas don't just get thinner; they become shorter. These lizards are listed as vulnerable and undergoing population decreases by the IUCN Red List. Factors that may lead to eventual extinction include marine plastics and climate change, the latter which decreases the available seaweed stocks on which they rely.
of 14
Marine Iguana
pink, teal, blue, and yellow marine iguana with salt encrusted skin on rocks on Espanola Island, one of the Galapagos Islands
Vince Smith / Flickr / CC BY 2.0
This incredibly unusual species of iguana found on all Galapagos islands is the only extant (or still existing) marine lizard on Earth. The coloration, shape, and size of marine iguanas vary significantly between islands. The ones found on Espanola are the most colorful and are nicknamed "Christmas Iguanas" because of their red and green coloration.
These iguanas likely evolved an aquatic lifestyle because of the sparsity of nutritious vegetation on land, opting instead for seaweed. To get rid of the excess salt that it consumes, this iguana has specialized nasal glands that filter the salt and expel it from the nostrils. When there is scarce food, the iguanas don't just get thinner; they become shorter. These lizards are listed as vulnerable and undergoing population decreases by the IUCN Red List. Factors that may lead to eventual extinction include marine plastics and climate change, the latter which decreases the available seaweed stocks on which they rely.
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31 August 2023
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