

Green Iguana
Iguana iguana
Silhouette: Jack Mayer Wood · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassSquamata
- FamilyIguanidae (Iguanas and Chuckwallas)
- GenusIguana (Typical Iguanas)
- SpeciesIguana iguana (Green Iguana)
In 3 days >90%
About the Green Iguana
The green iguana (Iguana iguana), also known as the American iguana or the common green iguana, is a large, arboreal, mostly herbivorous species of lizard of the genus Iguana. Usually, this animal is simply called the iguana. The green iguana ranges over a large geographic area; it is native from southern Brazil and Paraguay as far north as Mexico. It is highly invasive in many subtropical and tropical environments throughout the world.
A herbivore, it has adapted significantly with regard to locomotion and osmoregulation as a result of its diet. It grows to 1.7 m (5.6 ft) in length from head to tail, although a few specimens have grown more than 2 m (6.6 ft) with bodyweights upward of 9 kg (20 lb).
Although this species is commonly kept as a pet because of its disposition and coloration, it can be challenging to care for properly. Its requirements for adequate space, lighting, and heat can be difficult for hobbyists to meet.
The species was first officially described by Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1758. Since then, numerous subspecies have been identified, but later classified as merely regional variants of the same species. Using nuclear and mitochondrial DNA... Wikipedia →
Sounds
Recording0:22
Costa Rica · 2025
© johnavery · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:17
Venezuela · 2026
© Marco Romero · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:10
Taiwan · 2024
© libertine soup · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recent sightings of Green Iguana in Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
Cities Where Found
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guayaquil | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 2 | Cali | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 3 | Barranquilla | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 4 | Manaus | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 5 | São Luís | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 6 | Valencia | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | |
| 7 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Natal | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 9 | Belém | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 10 | João Pessoa | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
Zoos & Centres Where Found
Closest Relatives at Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas
No species of the same family or order lives in Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas, so these are its closest relatives here: other reptiles.
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Green Iguana in Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas?
Very likely
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Green Iguana sighting in Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas on a given day, based on 89 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 2nd most-seen of the 5 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a Green Iguana in Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas?
May–July, October and December
In those months about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Green Iguana in Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas on a given day, against about 20% in January, April and November, the lowest months.
What time of day is best to see a Green Iguana?
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Green Iguana sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Is Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas the best place to see a Green Iguana?
2nd of 44
Of the 44 parks where we can rate Green Iguana sightings, Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas ranks 2nd at about 70%. The best odds are in Tortuguero National Park (Costa Rica, about 80%). All parks ranked.
Where does the Green Iguana sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Green Iguana is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas (89 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.