Facts About The Desert Iguana

Have you ever gone to the desert? If so, you have probably spotted a very common animal - the desert iguana. Those who live in that area claim they have seen those iguanas in their yards, hiding from people behind large rocks.

Iguanas love to eat flowers and the leaves of many bushes. The iguana will change its color from gray an almost white hue. This is usually done from the early morning hours because temperatures are lower to midday when the temperatures are much higher. Iguanas do this to avoid getting too hot.

Where to locate Desert Iguana
This type of iguana thrives in the Southwest and Western United states and also Mexico. They include the states of: Utah (southwest corner), Nevada (southern pars), Baja, California, Arizona (southern central parts), Mexico (northwest corner) and lastly the California mainly the areas of the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts. They have also been spotted in some of the gulf islands of the California.

The desert iguana, known by its scientific name dispsosaurus dorsalis, loves the sandy, arid habitats that are found in the desert. Creosote bushes and rocks are used by these iguanas for shelter. They also may use the burrow holes of kangaroo rats that have been abandoned to find peace. In its southern habitats, the iguanas can be seen in the deciduous forest and subtropical places.

What the Desert Iguana Looks Like
This iguana grows between ten and sixteen inches long. Its body will be round and large and its tail will grow long. The iguana's head will become brown in color while some parts of it have a reddish brown hue to it. The neck and trunk of the body have tan and grayish spots to them while the tail has some white or even grayish spots.

When the weather gets really hot, the iguana seeks bushes to get cooler. However, despite the fact that temperature reach 115 degrees or higher, the iguana is still active.

What do Iguanas eat?
The refuge from heat and would be predators is also their food. This makes the iguana vegetarians. Classified as herbivores, they eat fruits, buds and leaves of the desert perennial and the annual plants. It is much fond for the yellow flowers that bloom on the creosote bush. They will also eat insects and lizard feces. These iguanas are not endangered despite the predators they have.

Iguana Movements
When people spot these reptiles crossing the road they often cross at a very quick pace which means that move swiftly at other times as well. How? Their back legs are very powerful that it allows them a movement of such. Their predators are: foxes, birds of prey, weasels, rats, snakes and of course human beings. Unfortunately, the desert iguana's eggs are often bothered and then devoured by these animals.

Breeding Season of the Desert Iguana
The iguana will begin to make its presence known by the middle of March. This is when it comes out of its long hibernation period. When does the mating season occur? It actually happens between the months of April and May. During the May and June months, it is expected that the desert iguana will lay anywhere between two to ten eggs that is supposed to hatch during the latter half of July until the month of August. During the breeding season, adult iguanas in the desert have a pink color that is at their bellies' side.