Ctenosaura similis, commonly known as the common spiny-tailed iguana or black iguana, is a lizard native to Mexico, Central America, and some Colombian islands in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. It has been introduced to the United States in the state of Florida. It is the largest species in the genus Ctenosaura.
Black Iguanas (Ctenosaura) - the genus of the Lizards of the Iguanov family (Iguanidae). There are 18 species.
The total length reaches 1.4 m, from which a little more than half is tail. There is a sexual dimorphism - males more females. Males have big throat bags. The iguana of this kind have a characteristic color - gray with black stripes. From here and their name occurs. The head of them is a little stretched, the torso is a native with almost homogeneous scales. The crest stretches from the nape to the tail. Limbs strong.
Love rock and stony terrain. Frequently closed to the height, where they warm in the sun. Males are located on the highest points. On the territory of one male can be found up to 10 females. Female female, many with broken tails (the tail will grow smooth, brown, without scales). The males let the person take a distance of 1 meter, then hastily removed, without showing the aggression. Black Iguan has the highest speed of moving on land among reptiles - 34.9 km per hour. Feed insects, vegetable food.
These are egg-standing lizards. Pairing occurs in February.
A large number of black iguan is common in Mexico, they can be seen even on the ancient Pyramids of the Maya Indians. There are also in the southwestern and southeastern states of the United States, Honduras, Costa Rica, Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, Colombia.
