South AmericaLeast concern
Green iguana
Iguana iguana
A big green lizard that lives in trees near water and eats only plants.
- Weight
- Up to 4 kg
- Size
- Up to 1.7 m with its tail
- Lifespan
- 10–15 years
- Top speed
- Fast runner and swimmer
- Diet
- Herbivore
How heavy is that?
About 10% of a 40 kg kid
Where it lives
Three things to know
- It has a pale 'third eye' on top of its head that senses light.
- It can drop from branches 12 m high without getting hurt.
- It is a strong swimmer and pushes itself with its tail.
Compare with…
- Weight
- Green iguana4 kgA 10-year-old kid40 kgThe kid weighs about 10× as much as the green iguana
- Size
- Green iguana1.7 mA 10-year-old kid1.4 mThe green iguana is about 1.2× as big as the kid
- Top speed
- Green iguana—A 10-year-old kid20 km/hToo slow to time
- Lifespan
- Green iguana15 yrsA 10-year-old kid80 yrsThe kid can live about 5× as long as the green iguana
