Marine Iguana
Amblyrhynchus cristatus
Family: Iguanidae
Adult Size: Up to about 30 inches
Range:
Galapagos Islands
Habitat: Rocky seashores
Captive Lifespan: Not Applicable
Care Level: Not Applicable
Overview:
No one has ever successfully kept these ultra-specialized lizards outside their native turf. They are dependent on living in a unique maritime habitat and eating algae in the ocean that can’t be duplicated in a captive situation. They actually dive beneath the surface to rasp algae from rocks the sole food item that sustains them. Plan a visit to the Galapagos Islands some time in your life if you wish to see these living dinosaurs.