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Common Land Iguana
Conolophus subcristatus
Silhouette: SeismicShrimp · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassSquamata
- FamilyIguanidae (Iguanas and Chuckwallas)
- GenusConolophus (Galápagos Land Iguanas)
- SpeciesConolophus subcristatus (Common Land Iguana)
In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%
1,674 Verified sightings at Galápagos Islands From 2019 to 2026
1,674 In 1 park
January Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted
About the Common Land Iguana
The Galápagos land iguana (Conolophus subcristatus) is a very large species of lizard in the family Iguanidae, and one of three species of the genus Conolophus. It is endemic to the Galápagos Islands off of Ecuador's Pacific coast, inhabiting the dry lowlands of Fernandina, Isabela, Santa Cruz, North Seymour, Baltra, and South Plaza islands.
The land iguanas of the Galápagos islands (genus Conolophus) vary in morphology and coloration among different populations. In addition to the relatively widespread, well-known Galápagos land iguana (C. subcristatus), there are two other species within Conolophus: the Galápagos pink land iguana (C. marthae), of northern Isabela Island; and the Santa Fe land iguana (C. pallidus), of Santa Fe Island. Based on mtDNA, the ancestors of today's land iguanas and marine iguanas (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) separated about 8–10 million years ago (MYA). Within the land iguana genus, the oldest split (based on mtDNA—about 5.7 MYA) is between C. subcristatus and C. marthae. A more-recent study, which included both mtDNA and nuclear DNA, indicated that the marine iguana split from the land iguana about 4.5 MYA; among the land iguanas... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Common Land Iguana in Galápagos Islands
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Galápagos Islands | 🇪🇨 Ecuador |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Closest Relatives at Galápagos Islands
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Common Land Iguana in Galápagos Islands?
Likely
About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Common Land Iguana sighting in Galápagos Islands on a given day, based on 1,674 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 3rd most-seen of the 31 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a Common Land Iguana in Galápagos Islands?
June–August and November–January
In those months about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Common Land Iguana in Galápagos Islands on a given day, against about 50% in February–May and September–October, the lowest months. Those are among Galápagos Islands's driest months, with about 10 mm of rain a month against 50 mm in March.
What time of day is best to see a Common Land Iguana?
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Land 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.
Where else can you see a Common Land Iguana?
Only Galápagos Islands, in our data
Galápagos Islands is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Common Land Iguana sightings: about 60% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Where does the Common Land Iguana sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Common Land Iguana is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Galápagos Islands (1,674 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.
