General Description:
Webpage by: Justin
General History:
When the ancestors to the marine iguanas came to the Galapagos Islands, they weren't marine iguanas as they were actually land iguanas from South America. Most of the land iguanas died off about 15 to 20 million years ago as they probably were not suited for living in that environment.
Habitat:
The marine iguanas live in groups on the rocky shores of the Galapagos Islands. They live near the shore because marine iguanas eat mainly algae which are found underwater near the coast. Since the water is usually freezing, the black rocks absorb the sun and help warm them up when they are in need of it. Marine iguanas also live nearby sand as they bury their eggs there.
Food:
Marine Iguanas usually eat plant such as algae. They use their ability to hold their breath to swim underwater and scrap the algae that grows on the rocks. Their sharp claws help them grip onto the rocks when eating algae. Including their sharp claws, they also use their sharp teeth and round snout when looking for food.
Reproduction:
Marine Iguanas usually mate during winter all the way to spring. Male marine iguanas can reproduce with females when they are about 6 years old, and females can reproduce when they are about 3 to 5 years old. After the male and female iguanas mate, the female iguana looks for the best spot for the eggs to hatch. These places are usually in the sandy areas. After guarding the chosen place for about 16 days, the female marine iguana leaves the spot. When about 89 to 120 days go by, the eggs finally hatch with the newborn iguanas.
population:
Adaptations:
Since arriving to the beautiful Galapagos Island chain, the marine iguanas has evolved and adapted to its habitat. For example, the marine iguanas learned to hold their breath, which inevitably helped them swim to get food as all the food was underwater. Their dark, black skin also helped them survive as the dark skin absorbed sunlight when the iguanas needed to warm up. Not only that, but their rounded nose were also a great help for survival as it made it easier for the marine iguanas to eat the food off the rocks. Finally, the one of the most important adaptions they evolved into was their sneezing ability. This was and still is a must-have because these iguanas got their food from underwater, thus consuming a large amount of salt. But with this adaptations, the marine iguanas are able to sneeze all the salt from their blood.
Our Team:
Sources:
Website Sources in hyperlinks:
- http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/marine-iguana/
- http://www.redmangrove.com/blog/11-curious-facts-about-galapagos-marine-iguanas/
- http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=165
- http://online.sfsu.edu/bholzman/courses/Fall99Projects/miguana.htm
- http://www.arkive.org/galapagos-marine-iguana/amblyrhynchus-cristatus/
- http://www.theanimalfiles.com/reptiles/lizards/marine_iguana.html
- http://online.sfsu.edu/bholzman/courses/Fall99Projects/miguana.htm
- http://w3.shorecrest.org/~Lisa_Peck/MarineBio/syllabus/ch9vertebrates/reptilesandbirds/repbirdwp/jesse/reproduc.html
- http://www.sustainabletrip.org/blog/index.cfm/2013/7/23/5-Unique-Creatures-of-the-Galapagos
- http://w3.shorecrest.org/~Lisa_Peck/MarineBio/syllabus/ch9vertebrates/reptilesandbirds/repbirdwp/jesse/adapt.html