Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus)

The marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cirstatus) is a large iguana that reaches lengths of 2ft-3ft. It is gray to black in color and has prominant dorsal scales.The marine iguana is a unique species. It is thought that they are the ancestors of land iguanas that arrived to the Galapagos millions of years ago after floating from mainland South America on rafts of vegetation or debre. Some of the land iguanas that made their way to the Galapagos later gave rise to the marine iguana.Marine iguanas feed on marine algae and they must swim in the cold waters surrounding the Galapagos to forage. Because these iguanas rely on the environment to maintain their body temperature, they must bask in the sun to heat up before diving. Their dark gray-black color helps them absorb sunlight quickly and thus warm their bodies.The marine iguana's natural predators include hawks, snakes, short-eared owls, hawkfish and crabs and also faces threats from introduced predators such as cats, dogs, and rats (Source: Roy).

Classification:

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum Chordata
• Class: Reptilia
• Order: Squamata
• Suborder: Iguania
• Family: Iguanidae
• Genus: Amblyrhynchys
• Species: Amblyrhynchys cristatus (Source: Roy)

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Habitat and Range:

Coastal rock ledges, intertidal flats, and sandy areas of the Galapagos Islands (Source: Roy).

Diet:

Marine algae.

Status:

Red List Category & Criteria (ver 2.3, 1994): VU B2ac(iv). Vulnerable. Declining area of occurrence and habitat quality (Source: Nelson).

Sources:

• Nelson, K., Snell, H. & Wikelski, M. 2004. 'Amblyrhynchus cristatus' (On-line), IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Accessed June 21 2006.
• Burnie, D. and D.E. Wilson. Animal. Dorling Kindersley. London. 2001.
• IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
• Roy, K. 2000. 'Amblyrhynchus cristatus' (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed June 21, 2006.