The Rhinoceros Iguana is a species of Iguana that is native to some of the Caribbean Islands.
Most notably, they can be found on the island of Hispaniola, which is shared between two nations, the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
This is a very large species of lizard that can grow to around 4.5ft in length including their tail. However, most specimens will be smaller than this.
They get the name Rhinoceros Iguana because they have a bony-plated growth which resembles a horn on their snout, similar to a Rhinoceros.
Rhinoceros Iguana Taxonomy
In the Animal Kingdom, Taxonomy is used as the science and practice of classifying different species and sub-species based on their biological and genetic makeup.
Family
The Rhinoceros Iguana belongs to the Iguanidae family of Lizards. This essentially means that the lizard is an Iguana.
Some species of Iguana are common in the pet trade such as the Green Iguana and the Fijian Iguana but there are actually 9 different genera and almost 50 species in the family.
Genus
The genus that the Rhinoceros Iguana belongs to is called Cyclura and the lizards in this genus are commonly known as Rock Iguanas.
The lizards in this genus are all native to the West Indies and most species or sub-species are restricted to a single Island.
There are currently 10 recognised species in the Cyclura genus as well as a further 8 sub-species that are recognised.
Some of the other species in the genus include the Cuban Rock iguana and the Jamaican Iguana.
Species
The scientific name for the Rhinoceros Iguana is Cyclura cornuta and there are currently no recognised sub-species.
The Mona Ground Iguana (Cyclura stejnegeri), which is now classified as its own distinct species, is still sometimes referred to as a sub-species of Rhinoceros Iguana in some literature.
The species was first described in 1789 by a French Zoologist named Pierre Joseph Bonnaterre.
Rhinoceros Iguana Description
The Rhinoceros Iguana is a very large species of lizard that can grow to around 4.5ft in length including their tail.
Unlike many species of reptiles, males are actually much larger than females but even males rarely reach a length of 4.5ft. Many specimens will only reach around 2ft in length.
Their most notable feature is a a bony-plated growth which resembles three horns on the top of their snout.
This looks similar to the horns of a Rhinoceros which is where these lizards get their name from.
They typically have a brownish-grey to olive green coloration which helps them to blend into their surroundings.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Rhinoceros Iguana is native to the island of Hispaniola, which is an island located in the Caribbean between Cuba and Puerto Rico.
The island is made up of two nations. Haiti, which makes up the Western half of the island and the Dominican Republic which makes up the Eastern half.
The Rhinoceros Iguana can be found in both of these countries but the majority of these lizards seem to be concentrated around the coast as opposed to further inland.
They can be found in a range of different habitats but prefer rocky terrain that is quite barren with little rainfall.
When threatened by predators such as feral cats and dogs or even humans, these lizards will flee into rock crevices.
Rhinoceros Iguana Behaviour
The Rhinoceros Iguana can often be seen bobbing their head as a form of communication. They will do this to assert their dominance over their territory when other males approach.
They will also use head bobbing to try and attract a female during the mating season.
A captive bred Rhinoceros Iguana can be very docile and sometimes even seem to desire human attention. Some iguanas will even head bob when they see their owners, seemingly greeting them.
These lizards are primarily herbivores and will eat a wide range of food such as fruit, plants, flowers, berries and leaves.
They are one of the largest herbivores on the island of Hispaniola, making them a very important distributor of seeds in the ecosystem.
However, these lizards are opportunistic and are known to occasionally eat insects or even small snakes and lizards when food is scarce.