Iguana

Iguana
A green iguana (Iguana iguana)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Sauropsida
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Iguania
Family:	Iguanidae
Genus:	Iguana Laurenti, 1768
Species
Lesser Antillean Iguana, I. delicatissima Green Iguana, I. iguana

Iguana is a genus of lizard native to tropical areas of Central and South America and the Caribbean first described by Austrian naturalist Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti in his book Specimen Medicum, Exhibens Synopsin Reptilium Emendatam cum Experimentis circa Venena in 1768. The genus iguana includes two species: the Green Iguana and the Lesser Antillean Iguana.

The word "Iguana" is derived from a Spanish form of the original Taino name for the species "Iwana".

Physical Characteristics

Although all iguana species tend to look alike, they come in a wide variety of sizes, colors, and behaviors. An iguana looks like a very generic lizard, except for they all have a dewlap, spines going down their back to their tail, and a third eye on their head. This eye is known as the Parietal eye, which looks just like a pale scale on the top of their head. They also have a large round scale on their cheek called a Subtympanic Shield.

There are roughly 40 recorded species of iguana, of which 12 are endangered. The most common iguana is the Green Iguana, which lives high in the trees of jungles. However the Blue Iguana lives only on the island of Grand Cayman.