Iguanas are herbivorous lizards found in tropical regions of Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. In his work Specimen Medicum, Exhibens Synopsin Reptilium Emendatam con Experimentis circa Venena, Austrian scientist Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti named the genus for the first time in 1768.

The genus contains two species: the green iguana, which is widely distributed throughout its range and a popular pet, and the Lesser Antillean iguana, which is native to the Lesser Antilles; genetic analysis suggests that the green iguana may be made up of multiple species, some of which have only recently been described, but the Reptile Database treats all of these as subspecies of the green iguana.

The word “iguana” comes from the Taino word iwanana, which refers to the species. Several additional genera in the same family have common names for the species that include the word “iguana,” in addition to the two species in the genus Iguana.

Iguanas may grow to be between 1.5 and 1.8 meters (5 and 6 feet) long, including their tail. The two lizard species in the genus Iguana have a dewlap and a row of elongated scales that runs from the midline of their necks to their tails. Iguanas have a variety of scales covering different parts of their bodies; for example, amid the smaller, overlapping scales on the lateral region of the neck are several big spherical tuberculate scales.

The scales on their body’s dorsal trunk are thicker and more densely packed than those on the ventral side. These scales can come in a range of hues and aren’t always apparent from afar. They have a subtympanic shield, which is a big circular scale on their cheeks.

Iguanas have excellent vision and can detect forms, shadows, colors, and movement from afar. Their visual acuity allows them to travel through densely forested areas and find food. They communicate with other members of the same species through visual cues.

The tympanum, or eardrum, of an iguana is placed above the subtympanic shield (or “ear shield”), which is located behind each eye. Iguanas are difficult to notice because they blend in with their environment and use their color to conceal themselves from larger predators.

Iguanas have a three-chambered heart with two atria, one ventricle, and two aortae with systemic circulation, similar to other reptiles. Because of the large number of rapid glycolytic muscle fibers, the muscles of an iguana are quite bright in color.

These fibers have a pale appearance due to their lack of vascularization and low myoglobin levels. Iguanas can move very swiftly for a short amount of time because of their high density of fast glycolytic muscle fibers, which is useful for brief bursts of movement but inefficient for long-term movement since fast glycolytic muscle fibers’ cellular respiration is anaerobic.

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