December 2010 Editor's Note

Many herpers have dreams of looking for reptiles in exotic lands. I’ve been fortunate enough to have had an opportunity to look for them in Amazonian Peru and Costa Rica (where I got to see not just some cool reptiles, but also an anteater as it entered some bushes by the side of the road where a group of us were night cruising). One place I would very much like to visit someday is the Galápagos Islands. What reptile fan would not want to visit the land of giant tortoises and marine iguanas?

Nature author Cathy Crandall got to go, and she’s written an article about her experiences in the Galápagos. The tortoises and marine iguanas are featured, of course, as are the land iguanas and other reptiles. The land iguanas in the Galápagos don’t seem to get as much “air time” as the marine iguanas when people are discussing the islands, but they are striking lizards, too.

I think marine iguanas are one of the most fascinating reptiles on the planet. If I ever visit the Galápagos Islands, I could spend hours sitting among the marine iguanas. That would probably be possible, too, because they typically are not fearful of humans.

Sitting among the marine iguanas of the Galápagos Islands — can you think of a better way to spend an afternoon?