Marine Iguana

Amblyrhynchus cristatus

Habitat

Found on volcanic Galápagos islands, especially rocky cliffs, low ledges, intertidal flats and coastal areas with ocean access; females also need sandy or volcanic-ash nesting sites.

Diet

Feeds almost exclusively on marine algae from intertidal and submerged algal beds.

Facts

• Its diet is unusually specialized: it feeds almost exclusively on marine algae, including algae growing in intertidal and submerged beds.
• Females bury their eggs in sand or volcanic ash, using nesting burrows that may be 30–80 cm deep. The young hatch after approximately 95 days of incubation.
• Males defend mating territories during an approximately three-month breeding season, while nesting generally takes place from January to April, depending on the island.
• The species is gray to black, with pyramid-shaped dorsal scales, a short blunt snout and a slightly laterally compressed tail. Juveniles may show a lighter stripe along the back.

Research sources

• GBIF Backbone Taxonomy
• ReptTraits — Amblyrhynchus cristatus
• Amblyrhynchus cristatus (Marine Iguana) | Animal Diversity Web