Eastern Casquehead Iguana
General Information
The casque headed iguana, also known as the cone headed iguana or basilisk, is a species found in the tropical rainforests of Central America.
This species has evolved a prominent crown on the top of the head and bright green colouration, with brown stripes running the length of the body and tail. They have a very long and thin tail that can stretch to almost three times the length of the body!
This tail is used to aid balance, perfect for life high up in the canopy where they must be very stable and agile to move between the trees and plants.
They are insectivores, hunting a variety of insects high up in the trees. Their average lifespan is thought to be between 7-10 years.
Latin name - Laemanctus longipes
Class - Reptilia
Family - Reptilia
IUCN Status - Least Concern
Habitat - Tropical and seasonally dry forests
Distribution - Southern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua
Fun Fact
This species is capable of an incredibly unique method of reproduction - parthenogenesis! This is the process by which young are produced from unfertilised eggs! Essentially females are able to produce genetic clones of themselves.
Parthenogenetic lizards appear to live in areas that are ecologically marginal for representatives of their genera.
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