The Cuban iguana is distributed throughout the rocky southern coastal areas of mainland Cuba and its surrounding islets. The wild population is in decline because of predation by feral animals and habitat loss caused by human agricultural development. captive-breeding and other conservation programs have boosted the numbers of the species in the Caribbean. It is one of the most endangered groups of lizards.
About Cyclura nubila in brief
The Cuban iguana is distributed throughout the rocky southern coastal areas of mainland Cuba and its surrounding islets with a feral population thriving on Isla Magueyes, Puerto Rico. The species is sexually dimorphic: males are much larger than females, and males have enlarged femoral pores on their thighs, which are used to release pheromones to attract mates and mark territory. The skin of male Cuban iguanas ranges in color from dark gray to brick red, whereas that of females is olive green with dark stripes or bands. The closest relatives of Cyclura nubila are the Grand Cayman blue iguana and the Northern Bahamian rock iguana. The iguana’s eyes have a golden iris and red sclera, and it has a white photosens organ on the top of their heads, called the parietal eye. It has a rudimentary retina and cannot form images, but it is sensitive to changes in light and can detect movement. The wild population is in decline because of predation by feral animals and habitat loss caused by human agricultural development, but captive-breeding and other conservation programs have boosted the numbers of the species in the Caribbean. It is one of the most endangered groups of lizards. Like all Cyclura species, the Cuban iguran is primarily herbivorous; its diet consists of flowers and leaves, as well as many plant species, including mangrove, prickly pear, olives, and grasses.
A subspecies is found on the Cayman Islands of Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. Females guard their nest sites and often nest in sites excavated by Cuban crocodiles. As a defense measure, theCuban iguana often makes its home within or near prickly-pear cacti. A high-cellulose colony of nematodes occupy 50% of the contents of the iguana’s intestines, including large animal matter and scavenging corpses, including those of birds and other reptiles. A species of highcelluline nematode has been observed scavenging the carcasses of Cuban iguans, including the red-bellied red-crowned guinea fowl and the black-crested black-footed guinea guinea pig. It can eat up to 30 species of plants, including plants, flowers, mangroves, and other plants that are high in Vitamin D. It also eats insects and other small invertebrates such as snails, spiders, frogs, and toads. Its diet is largely composed of leaves, fruits, and flowers, including many species of seaside shrubs, thistle, black pear, and thistle shrub, and prickly black mangroVE. It eats the leaves of the seaside rock shrub, thistle pear, black black manGrove, olives and olives. It will eat anything it can get its hands on, from leaves to grasses, and even small insects. The largest of the West Indian rock iguanos is the Cuban ground iguana, which has red eyes and a thick tail.
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This page is based on the article Cyclura nubila published in Wikipedia (as of Nov. 07, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
