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| SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION |
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| COMMON
NAME: |
rhinoceros iguana, rhino iguana |
| KINGDOM: |
Animalia |
| PHYLUM: |
Chordata |
| CLASS: |
Reptilia |
| ORDER: |
Squamata |
| FAMILY: |
Iguanidae |
| GENUS
SPECIES: |
Cyclura (round tail) cornuta (horned) |
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| DESCRIPTION: |
Large,
heavy-bodied lizard with a uniform gray body; males
have 3 horn-like protrusions on their head |
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| SIZE: |
Total
body length of up to 1.2 m (4.5 ft.) |
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| WEIGHT: |
4.5-9 kg (10-20 lb.) |
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| DIET: |
Omnivores,
will eat a wide assortment of vegetable matter,
invertebrates, small mammals and birds |
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| INCUBATION: |
75-100 days |
| CLUTCH
SIZE |
15-20
eggs |
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| SEXUAL
MATURITY: |
2-3 years |
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| LIFE
SPAN: |
Up
to 20 years or more |
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| RANGE: |
Haiti
and adjacent islands |
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| HABITAT: |
Dry
rocky areas and savannas |
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| POPULATION: |
GLOBAL |
No
data |
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| STATUS: |
IUCN |
No
data |
| CITES |
Appendix
I |
| USFWS |
No
data |
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| 1. |
Rhino
iguanas are much more terrestrial than the green
iguanas which allows them to live in rockier and
drier areas. They are rarely found in trees or even
forested areas. |
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| 2. |
Rhino iguanas get their name because of horn-like
structures that are found on the heads of males.
It is not known if these structures serve any purpose,
but may aid in courtship. |
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| 3. |
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. |
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| 4. |
The
rhino iguana is not as long as the more common green
iguana, but can be over twice the weight. |
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Because their populations are restricted to islands,
rhino iguanas are especially vulnerable to environmental
as well as manmade disturbances. Iguanas are often
eaten as food because their accessibility and the
relatively poor economic status of the people in
these islands. The iguanas are protected from wide-scale
release in the pet trade and zoos are playing an
integral role in the conservation of this species. |
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|
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Mattison, Chris. Lizards of the World. New
York: Facts on File Publications, Inc., 1989. |
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Rogner, Manfred. Lizards. Vol. 2. Malabar,
Florida: Krieger Publishing Co., 1994. |
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Wynne, Richard H. Lizards in Captivity.
New Jersey: T.F.H. Publications, Inc., 1981.
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