Black Iguana and Green Iguana

In Costa Rica we have two different types of iguanas: The Green Iguana (Iguana iguana) and The Spiny Tailed Black Iguana (Ctenosaura similis). These iguanas come from the same family but are a different genus. They also exhibit different behavior. In the case of the black iguana, it is omnivorous, eating leaves, fruits, flowers, insects, crabs and lizards. This iguana normally sleeps during the night. It spends the day basking in the sun and can normally be found on the ground but can also be observed on tree branches. Black iguanas lay approximately 45 eggs. The size of this iguana is almost 100 cm (39 inches).

In contrast, the Green Iguana just eats leaves and fruits. This Iguana is also diurnal but it spends its time on the top of the trees. In mating season the males turn orange in the head to attract the females. The females lay approximately 70 eggs in the dry season. The green iguana is bigger than black iguana. It has bigger spines on the back and a longer tail; the size is around 150 cm (59 inches). The green iguana is known as the “chicken of the trees”, because the people that live along the coast used to eat it, and the flavor is just like chicken.

Something these two iguanas have in common is that they are both very territorial; males perform ritualized head-bobbing displays to drive off intruders or attract potential mates.

While you can often times see the green iguana at Arenas del Mar, the black iguana is more often found in the northern part of Costa Rica and has been spotted at our sister hotel, Latitude 10.