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| Meet Ozzy! Rhinoceros Iguana (Cyclura cornuta cornuta) |
At Animal Magic, we have rescued more than our fair share of Iguanas! Most people don't
realize how large they get or how much damage those nails can do. Iguanas demand respect
and we give them plenty of it!
Our pal Ozzy is no ordinary iguana. He is a threatened species know as the Rhinoceros
iguana. It's the largest of the iguanas, reaching two to four feet in length. Rhino Iguana's get
their name from three horn-like outgrowths on the end of their nose. Like other cold-blooded
reptiles, these Iguanas are diurnal. The Rhinoceros Iguana is only found on the island of
Hispaniola in both Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
Rhinoceros Iguanas eat leaves, flowers and fruit. Although mainly herbivorous, they have
been observed to eat insects, land crabs, eggs and carrion (mostly dead birds and fish.)
They are mostly a ground dwelling lizard, but they will occasionally climb trees to reach fresh
fruit.
The island of Hispaniola has the only native populations of Rhinoceros Iguanas, although
many exist in captivity. They are primarily found near coastlines; however, many have been
forced to relocate inland due to human expansion. They are protected and a threatened
species in the Dominican Republic, but conditions are worse in poverty-stricken Haiti, where
they are often hunted for food or local trade.
Habitat destruction and hunting for food and trade constitutes the largest threat to the
Rhinoceros Iguana.
Adult Iguanas reach sexual maturity in five to nine years. Male iguanas go through elaborate
courtship behaviors of head bobbing and erecting the spines along the back. Normally,
iguanas are quite timid and will flee if approached, but during courtship the males can be
quite aggressive. The female lays between five and twenty eggs in a burrow around 40 days
after mating. The eggs hatch 162 to 187 days later. Infant Rhinoceros Iguanas are around
seven inches long.
As with most Iguanas, Rhinoceros Iguanas have good hearing, smell and excellent eyesight.
| Mark and Ozzy |
| James feeding his buddy, Ozzy |