The Common Iguana (Iguana iguana) or ‘Guana,’ is a large green lizard that grows up to 1.8 m, with a cylindrical body and a high spiky crest of scales running the length of the spine. Iguanas have a large gular fan (dewlap) and a flat round scale below the ear opening that is actually the tympanum of the ear. They inhabit all kinds of forests and are arboreal. If you have sharp eyes you can often spot them basking on high branches in trees as you travel along rivers in the Iwokrama Forest or Rupununi Savannah; their green scaly armour is a perfect camouflage in the surrounding foliage. More often they can be seen and heard dropping into the water from their tree perch in alarm over the river as you pass. They are excellent swimmers and are comfortable in the water.
In the Rupununi, Iguanas lay their eggs in the dry season on exposed sandbanks along the rivers. Mating occurs early in
