Introduction
Intertidal Life
Sea Turtles
Land Iguanas
Marine Iguanas
Sea Lions
Fur Seals
Birds
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Quite possibly the first endemic inhabitant you will meet in the
Galápagos -- aside from the local variety of sea lion --
is the Land iguana (Conolophus subcristatus) found
on the island of South Plaza, a couple hours sail from Baltra.
These yard-long, 25-pound lizards with their spiky crest and tough,
reptilian skin, are fearsome in aspect but lazy and herbivorous.
Once wide-spread, the usual gang of introduced predators -- especially
cats, dogs and humans -- have reduced their numbers drastically
and eliminated them altogether on Santa Cruz, Baltra and Santiago.
They are still considered a delicacy, by those "whose stomachs soar above all prejudice," as Darwin put it, and are considered highly
endangered throughout the Galapagos. The Charles Darwin Research
Station is sponsoring a land iguana breeding program, to assure
their survival.
Larger and more brightly colored than the marine iguanas, the
land iguana's skin can be gray, yellowish, rust or black. The
land iguana is found farther from the shore, feeding on Opuntia
cactus (including the flower, the fruit and even the spine-covered
pads) and other plants. They are territorial animals, the male
vigorously defending his area against other male aggressors.
Displays involve rapid head nodding and, sometimes, biting and
tail-thrashing battles between males.
The iguanas reach maturity between eight and twelve years of age;
their mating period varies from island to island. Following
aggressive mating initiated by the male, the female find a suitable
area to nest, digging a burrow about half a meter deep, and laying
two to 25 eggs in the nest. Young iguanas hatch three to four
months later and take up to a week to dig their way out of the
sand-covered nest. These tiny, speckled iguanas can easily fit
in the palm of a hand. If they survive the first difficult years
of life, when food is often scarce and native predators such as
hawks and owls are a danger, land iguanas can live for more than
sixty years.
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