Desert Iguana

The Desert Iguana is a small Iguana in comparison to its rain forest cousins, and is found living in the Mojave and the Sonoran Deserts, both in California. The Iguana can also be found in Utah, South Central Arizona and parts of Nevada.

Desert iguanas are medium-sized lizards with a blunt heads that are about 10-16 inches long including their tail. The tail is about 1 ½ times the length of the body.

The Desert Iguana

They are brownish in color on their dorsal side with tan/gray spots that move all the way to the tail, which is encircled with rows of dark spots.

Both male and female have a pinkish coloration to their sides when it is mating season, which usually occurs in springtime, anywhere from April to may, when they come out of hibernation.

The females will lay anywhere between two and ten eggs, which will hatch in late July.

Given the right conditions and environment the desert iguana may produce two litters, or clutches of offspring each year.

The Desert Iguana is a vegetarian, eating flowers of the creosote bush as well as other vegetation, but will also eat insects when vegetation is scarce.

The Desert Iguana can tolerate high or extreme heat far better than may other lizards, even those who live in the desert.

They have been seen quite active even in temperatures that were above 115, spending their time on large rocks or sand mounds when other lizards are hiding below ground.

The Desert Iguana has been observed and recorded to have lived up to 17 years in the wild.

They are not endangered, however there may be problems for them in some areas where the habitat is being destroyed.