Galapagos Land Iguana
Conolophus subcristatus
Natural History:
Like all other terrestrial animals on the Galapagos, the Land Iguanas are descendent from transient individuals that came from the South American mainland. Many arrived by rafts or simply by grtting caught in the ocean before ultimately arriving at the Galapagos Islands.
They adapted to their new island habitat by adapting a gut able to better digest cacti, a staple in their desert island habitat and by growing to certain sizes depending on available resources in their immediate habitat.
The females of the species are darker in colour and almost look like a Marine Iguana but easily distinguished by the orange head. The males are bright yellow in colour and in some other species of Galapagos Land Iguana the males are bright pink as in the Conolophus marthae (Galapagos Pink Land Iguana).
Some scientists theorize that the Galapagos Land Iguana and the Marine Iguana came from a common ancestor which would explain how they are able to hybridize due to genetic similarities. Hybrids are often confused with female pure form Galapagos Land Iguana due to their similar dark colouration and land iguana physiology.
Like all other terrestrial animals on the Galapagos, the Land Iguanas are descendent from transient individuals that came from the South American mainland. Many arrived by rafts or simply by grtting caught in the ocean before ultimately arriving at the Galapagos Islands.
They adapted to their new island habitat by adapting a gut able to better digest cacti, a staple in their desert island habitat and by growing to certain sizes depending on available resources in their immediate habitat.
The females of the species are darker in colour and almost look like a Marine Iguana but easily distinguished by the orange head. The males are bright yellow in colour and in some other species of Galapagos Land Iguana the males are bright pink as in the Conolophus marthae (Galapagos Pink Land Iguana).
Some scientists theorize that the Galapagos Land Iguana and the Marine Iguana came from a common ancestor which would explain how they are able to hybridize due to genetic similarities. Hybrids are often confused with female pure form Galapagos Land Iguana due to their similar dark colouration and land iguana physiology.