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Iguana
 
 
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Iguana is a genus
Genus

A genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The taxonomic ranks are domain , kingdom , phylum, class , order , family , genus, and species....
 of lizard
Lizard

Lizards are a large and widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 5,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains....
 native to tropical areas of Central
Central America

Central America is a central geography region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmus portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast....
 and South America
South America

South America is the southern continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere....
 and the Caribbean
Caribbean

The Caribbean is a region consisting of the Caribbean Sea, its islands , and the surrounding coasts. The region is located southeast of the Gulf of Mexico and Northern America, east of Central America, and to the north of South America....
. The genus was first described by Austrian naturalist
Naturalist

Naturalist may refer to:* A scholar or student of natural history, the science of the natural world; see also natural science. It may also refer to a Wildlife enthusiast or a Conservationist....
 Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti
Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti

Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti was an Austrian natural history.Laurenti was the author of Specimen Medicum, Exhibens Synopsin Reptilium Emendatam cum Experimentis circa Venena on the poisonous function of reptiles and amphibians....
 in his book Specimen Medicum, Exhibens Synopsin Reptilium Emendatam cum Experimentis circa Venena in 1768. The genus Iguana includes two species
Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring....
: the green iguana
Green Iguana

The green iguana or common iguana is a large, arboreal herbivory species of lizard of the genus Iguana native to Central America and South America....
 (a popular pet) and the lesser Antillean iguana
Lesser Antillean Iguana

The Lesser Antillean Iguana is one of two species of lizard of the genus Iguana. Endemic to the Lesser Antilles it is in severe decline due to habitat destruction, feral predators, hunting, and hybridization with its sister species the Green iguana....
.

The word "Iguana" is derived from a Spanish form of the original Taino
Taíno

The Ta?nos were Indigenous peoples of the Americas of the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. It is believed that the seafaring Ta?nos were relatives of the Arawakan people of South America....
 name for the species "Iwana".

two species of lizard
Lizard

Lizards are a large and widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 5,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains....
 within the genus Iguana possess a dewlap
Dewlap

A dewlap is a flap of skin that hangs beneath the lower jaw of tetrapods, that is, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals and their relatives....
, a row of spine
Spine

Spine or Spinal may refer to:...
s running down their back to their tail
Tail

The tail is the section at the rear end of an animal's body; in general, the term refers to a distinct, flexible appendage to the torso. It is the part of the body that corresponds roughly to the sacrum and coccyx in mammals and birds....
, and a third "eye" on their head
Head

In anatomy, the head of an animal is the rostral part that usually comprises the brain, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth . Some very simple animals may not have a head, but many bilateria do....
.






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Encyclopedia


Iguana is a genus
Genus

A genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The taxonomic ranks are domain , kingdom , phylum, class , order , family , genus, and species....
 of lizard
Lizard

Lizards are a large and widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 5,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains....
 native to tropical areas of Central
Central America

Central America is a central geography region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmus portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast....
 and South America
South America

South America is the southern continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere....
 and the Caribbean
Caribbean

The Caribbean is a region consisting of the Caribbean Sea, its islands , and the surrounding coasts. The region is located southeast of the Gulf of Mexico and Northern America, east of Central America, and to the north of South America....
. The genus was first described by Austrian naturalist
Naturalist

Naturalist may refer to:* A scholar or student of natural history, the science of the natural world; see also natural science. It may also refer to a Wildlife enthusiast or a Conservationist....
 Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti
Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti

Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti was an Austrian natural history.Laurenti was the author of Specimen Medicum, Exhibens Synopsin Reptilium Emendatam cum Experimentis circa Venena on the poisonous function of reptiles and amphibians....
 in his book Specimen Medicum, Exhibens Synopsin Reptilium Emendatam cum Experimentis circa Venena in 1768. The genus Iguana includes two species
Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring....
: the green iguana
Green Iguana

The green iguana or common iguana is a large, arboreal herbivory species of lizard of the genus Iguana native to Central America and South America....
 (a popular pet) and the lesser Antillean iguana
Lesser Antillean Iguana

The Lesser Antillean Iguana is one of two species of lizard of the genus Iguana. Endemic to the Lesser Antilles it is in severe decline due to habitat destruction, feral predators, hunting, and hybridization with its sister species the Green iguana....
.

The word "Iguana" is derived from a Spanish form of the original Taino
Taíno

The Ta?nos were Indigenous peoples of the Americas of the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. It is believed that the seafaring Ta?nos were relatives of the Arawakan people of South America....
 name for the species "Iwana".

Anatomy and physiology

The two species of lizard
Lizard

Lizards are a large and widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 5,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains....
 within the genus Iguana possess a dewlap
Dewlap

A dewlap is a flap of skin that hangs beneath the lower jaw of tetrapods, that is, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals and their relatives....
, a row of spine
Spine

Spine or Spinal may refer to:...
s running down their back to their tail
Tail

The tail is the section at the rear end of an animal's body; in general, the term refers to a distinct, flexible appendage to the torso. It is the part of the body that corresponds roughly to the sacrum and coccyx in mammals and birds....
, and a third "eye" on their head
Head

In anatomy, the head of an animal is the rostral part that usually comprises the brain, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth . Some very simple animals may not have a head, but many bilateria do....
. This eye is known as the parietal eye
Parietal eye

A parietal eye, also known as a parietal organ or third-eye, is a part of the epithalamus present in some animal species. The eye may be photoreceptive and is usually associated with the pineal gland, regulating circadian rhythmicity and hormone production for thermoregulation....
, visible as a pale scale on the top of the head. Behind their neck
Neck

The neck is the part of the body on many limbed vertebrates that distinguishes the head from the torso or trunk. The scientific term signifying "of the neck" is nuchal....
 are small scale
Scale

Scale can refer to:...
s which resemble spikes, known as tuberculate scales. They also have a large round scale on their cheek known as a subtympanic shield.

Iguanas have excellent vision and are able to see shapes, shadows, color and movement at long distances. Iguanas use their eyes to navigate through crowded forests, as well as for finding food. They also use visual signals to communicate with members of the same species.

They respond to visual stimulus of colors such as orange,yellow,pink, and in rare cases blue as food substances.

An iguana's ear is known as the tympanum
Tympanum

Tympanum or timpanum or thympanon or tympanon may mean:* In biology, tympanum – Eardrums* In classical architecture, tympanum is an architectural element located within the arch or Pediment...
. It is the iguana's ear drum, and is located right above the subtympanic shield and behind the eye. This is a very thin and delicate part of the iguana, and crucial to their hearing.

Gallery


Bibliography