Galapagos Islands Marine Iguana

Galapagos Islands Marine IguanaA marine iguana regards the photographer in the Galapagos Islands. “Make sure you get my wig in the shot,” it seems to say.

Marine iguanas are herbivores. They’re adapted to swim through salty water and feed on algae. Special glands filter the salt out of their bloodstreams and secrete it above their noses, forming their recognizable salty wigs.

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Galapagos Marine Iguana On Green BackgroundA Galápagos marine iguana poses on a rock. It has darker scales than some of its cousins on other islands, reflecting how this species has evolved in different ways to suit the many environments of the Galápagos.

Marine iguanas are the only lizard in the world that’s adapted for swimming. Naturalists theorize that they all descend from common ancestors who drifted away from the mainland on floating logs.

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Green Parrot Snake PhotographThe green parrot snake is also called the green tree snake; locals sometimes call it a lora. It can grow up to six and a half feet long.

While that might sound intimidating, green parrot snakes are actually harmless to humans. Their main defense mechanism is to mimic other snakes, like the Forest Pit Viper, which have strong venom. If you were a predator, would you take the chance?

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Large Colony Of Marine IguanasMarine iguanas get along well with others, but compared to birds and mammals who live in similarly large groups, they’re not as expressive of their friendship. You’re more likely to see them lying around having a nap than grooming each other.

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Lava Lizard And Marine IguanaIf you’ve ever raised a child, this photo of a lava lizard and a marine iguana in the Galapagos Islands might be something you can relate to.

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Coiled Western Diamondback Rattlesnake PictureIn an attack posture, this closeup rattlesnake picture shows this serpent's rattle alerting all of danger. Whipping its tongue about to sense the surroundings, we get a view of its camouflaged scales. Snake picture taken on our South Texas Photo Tour.

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Galapagos Tortoise On Santa Cruz IslandClose-up on a venerable Galápagos tortoise. This one’s ability to raise its head high is more than just a good photo pose -- it also gives us a clue about its habitat.

Tortoises who live on greener islands with lots of shallow water have broader shell brims that keep their heads closer to the ground. This tortoise, who can lift its head to browse for a wider range of leaves, likely lives on a drier part of Santa Cruz island.

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Sally Lightfoot Crab Close UpSally Lightfoot crabs are one of the symbols of the Galapagos Islands, seen in great numbers on almost any shoreline in the archipelago. As scavengers, they’ll eat just about anything they can get their claws on, from ticks and algae to the young of other species.

The Sally Lightfoot crab’s willingness to eat almost anything makes it a great cleaner. It’s often seen picking bugs off the skin of other shoreline dwellers. On the mainland, Sally Lightfoots are popular as “janitors” for reef tanks.

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Sally Lightfoot Crab Molting And Shedding ShellWhen a Sally Lightfoot crabs grows too big for its shell, it molts and grows a new one. The foam you can see in this picture is a secretion that helps loosen the old shell.

Once it’s free, the soft crab opens the top of its shell like a hinged lid, and crawls out to start growing a new one. Many discarded shells of these colorful crustaceans litter the beaches of the Galápagos Islands.

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Western Diamondback Rattlesnake In South TexasA western diamondback rattlesnake rears up in South Texas, sticking out its forked tongue.

Western diamondbacks spend most of the day asleep, curled up on sunny rocks to warm their cold blood. They can “smell” heat with a special organ in their nose, which they use to find their prey.

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Closeup Of Eyelash Palm Pit ViperEyelash palm pit vipers have a long triangular-shaped head and eyes with vertical pupils. These pit vipers have large needle-like fangs that fold back when not in use.

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Galapagos Giant TortoiseThe endemic Galápagos giant tortoise, the species that gave the Galápagos Islands their name. In Spanish, “galápago" refers to a type of saddle, of which their shells reminded the early colonists.

These giant tortoises are famous for their long lifespans, with 152 being the current record. It’s not impossible that a tortoise hatched when Darwin arrived in 1835 could still be alive.

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Galapagos Islands Land IguanaA close up photo of a Galápagos land iguana, showing off its colorful scales and long, powerful claws. Land iguanas can live for up to 50 years, and this one definitely looks like it has some stories to tell.

The Galápagos land iguana’s population dropped alarmingly on some islands due to introduced predators like dogs. However, the tireless efforts of the Charles Darwin Research Station led to thousands of captive-bred land iguanas being introduced to the wild in 2019.

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Galapagos Land Iguana And Prickly Pear CactusThe Galápagos land iguana is one of three iguana species found nowhere in the world except the Galápagos Islands.

This one is using its strong arms and long claws to gather its favorite food source, the prickly pear cactus. Due to the tough coating inside its mouth, it can eat both the leaves and fruit of the prickly pear without worrying about the spines.

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Galapagos Tortoise Hiding In ShellYou might have heard that the Galápagos tortoise is extinct, but it’s not quite so. The famous Lonesome George was a Pinta Island Tortoise, the last of a species distinct from this one.

However, Galápagos tortoises are still vulnerable to human hunters and feral introduced animals. Strict government protections, and conservation efforts led by the Charles Darwin Research Center, are helping reverse that trend.

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Greater Flamingo And Marine IguanaGreater flamingos have an odd feeding method. They can only eat with their heads upside down, so before dipping their heads in the water, they use one of their legs to kick up a slurry of small crustaceans, plants, and insects. Then they scoop it all up in their beaks.

The marine iguana is scooting on by so it doesn’t get caught up in the disturbance. Photo taken at Bacha Beach in the Galapagos Islands.

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Male Green Basilisk Or Jesus Christ LizardPhoto of a green basilisk, a Central American lizard that can grow up to two feet long. The crests on this lizard’s head, back, and tail indicate that he’s male.

The green basilisk is nicknamed the Jesus Christ Lizard, due to its long toes that let it run across the surface of water for over 15 feet at a time. This adaptation is their main way of escaping predators.

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Marine Iguana In ProfileScientists believe that the marine iguana is descended from mainland iguanas who clung to pieces of driftwood and floated out to sea. These great voyagers have loved the water ever since, and are perfectly adapted to feed on algae and seaweed.

That’s right: they might look like they’re ready to play the Game of Thrones, but these dragons are herbivores. They eat a lot of salt along with their veggies, and secrete it on top of their heads into crystalline white hats.

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Photo Of Two Galapagos Green Turtles MatingThis mating will result in a clutch of up to 200 eggs. The female Galapagos green turtle needs to lay a lot — her babies face a wide range of dangers before coming of age, and not many of them will make it.

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Sally Lightfoot Crab Shell And CameraAfter coming across one of the most intact Sally Lightfoot crab shells we’ve ever seen, we decided to have a bit of fun. While it’s not the most effective photographer, it sure does look cool.

If this was a real crab and not a molted shell, it would probably skitter away before we had a chance to set up this tableau. Like their namesake, said to have been a Caribbean dancer, these crustaceans are exceptionally nimble.

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Galapagos Tortoise In A Grassy FieldThis Galápagos tortoise’s life isn’t too difficult. It’s probably going to spend all day wandering around this field, munching on the grass, and napping in the sun.

However, if times do get tough, this tortoise is prepared. Its metabolism is slow enough that it can go without food or water for a whole year, subsisting entirely on stored fat.

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Galapagos Giant Tortoise Looks At CameraClose-up photo of the famous Galápagos giant tortoise, demonstrating the different scale configurations on its head and limbs.

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Galapagos Giant Tortoise Looks At CameraGalápagos tortoises can easily live to be over 150 years old. This one prefers the term “experienced.”

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Marine Iguana In Tide PoolMarine iguanas, the only living lizard adapted for life in the water, can’t get enough of lounging in tide pools.

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Marine Iguana Salt Crystal WigThis marine iguana’s diet consists mostly of algae, so it swallows a lot of saltwater. It excretes the salt through its forehead, forming its trademark “wig” of salt crystals.

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Photo Of Two Marine Iguanas And A Lava LizardA pair of marine iguanas sun themselves at Punta Espinoza, Galapagos Islands, while a lava lizard runs over one’s head to look for tasty bugs.

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Costa Rica Green Basilisk LizardA green basilisk lizard sits on a rock, displaying the large plumes on his head, back, and tail.

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Costa Rica Green IguanaGreen iguanas aren’t always green; their colors match their home landscape. This one is gray, possibly because it lives on a sandy or rocky beach.

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Galapagos Islands Marine IguanaThe Galápagos marine iguana looks like a fearsome dragon, but it’s actually a herbivore. Along with its diet of seaweed and algae, this marine iguana ingests a lot of salt, which it then secretes into a “wig” on top of its head.

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Galapagos Land Iguana On The MoveThis Galapagos land iguana was photographed in its preferred arid habitat. It’s one of three iguana species on the Galapagos that can be found nowhere else.

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Galapagos Land IguanaThe land iguanas of the Galápagos Islands are bigger and more yellow than the marine iguanas who like to hang around tide pools.

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Green Basilisk Lizard PhotoThe long toes of the green basilisk, pictured here, allow it to run on water for several seconds before sinking. It’s sometimes nicknamed the Jesus Christ Lizard.

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Marine Iguana With Lava Lizard In The GalapagosA lava lizard scampers over a marine iguana. This happens a lot — the iguanas usually just ignore it.

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Boa Constrictor In Costa RicaA Boa constrictor hangs from a tree in the low lands of Costa Rica.

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Galapagos Land Iguana On A CactusWhile most of us would think twice about crawling on a cactus, this Galapagos land iguana is right at home. The leathery skin on the inside of its mouth allows it to eat the fruit of the prickly pear cactus.

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Galapagos Tortoise Looking At CameraThe Galápagos giant tortoise might be the most famous animal in an archipelago teeming with famous animals.

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Group Of Marine Iguana On The Galapagos IslandsA whole crowd of marine iguana gathers at Punta Espinoza in the Galapagos Islands, jostling to be part of the photo.

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Large Western Diamondback Rattlesnake ImageAn aggressive rattlesnake image of a large Western Diamondback. See in detail how the coloring of the scales gives a notable "diamond" patterning. Coiled in a ready position with its sensitive tongue out, we gave this one plenty of room during this photo session. Snake picture from South Texas.

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Marine Iguana Claws Close UpThe marine iguana’s long claws help it grip onto slick rocks while it scrapes the algae off them with its teeth.

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Marine Iguanas On Galapagos BeachMarine iguanas can be found throughout the Galapagos archipelago. On each island, they look slightly different, having evolved to match their home terrain.

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