

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 ~80% in a week >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 San Lorenzo Protected Forest
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 San Lorenzo Protected Forest
No species of the same family or order lives in San Lorenzo Protected Forest, so these are its closest relatives here: other reptiles.
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Green Iguana in San Lorenzo Protected Forest?
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Green Iguana sighting in San Lorenzo Protected Forest on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a Green Iguana in San Lorenzo Protected Forest?
January
In that month about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Green Iguana in San Lorenzo Protected Forest on a given day, against about 10% in February, May–June and December, the lowest months. That is one of San Lorenzo Protected Forest's driest months, with about 130 mm of rain against 390 mm in July. August and September have too few records to rate.
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 San Lorenzo Protected Forest the best place to see a Green Iguana?
15th of 44
Of the 44 parks where we can rate Green Iguana sightings, San Lorenzo Protected Forest ranks 15th at about 40%. The best odds are in Tortuguero National Park (Costa Rica, about 80%), Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas (Brazil, about 70%) and Tayrona National Natural Park (Colombia, about 70%). 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 San Lorenzo Protected Forest (9 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.