Iguana Drama

There is a site with iguanas native to the island of Hispaniola here so we took a field trip to observe their behavior. They are huge compared to the typical bright green iguana one usually imagines. Each pair of us was assigned a male to watch and note his actions towards the other males. Everyone agreed we should name then Spanish names, so my partner, Casey (my usual snorkeling partner also), named ours Jose Cuervo. Jose was quite inactive and lame compared to the other males who would defend their area. We deduced Jose was in fact just a large female, so we appropriately changed her name to Josefina.

Some of the others in my group got a little daring and walked farther into the walled habitat. They had a lot of action to follow, as their iguanas, Alfonso, Ignacio and Chollo, chased each other back and forth. At one point, an iguana went a little loco and ran around the side towards a couple students as another was coming from the other direction. Stuck between the oncoming iguanas, the students were little nervous, to say the least, and leapt onto a nearby bench where they stood for the rest of the 30-minute exercise. (The iguana is at the bottom..)

Another interaction that occurred a few minutes later left a particular impression on me. Ignacio got a little more daring than usual and ventured across the little dried-up creek. Alpha-male Alfonso had a little something to say about another dude entering his quarters. As soon as he noticed, he moved his little legs so fast to attack Ignacio. Alfonso chased Ignacio (over the dried leaves noisily cracking beneath them) back towards the creek. Just as Alfonso was about to take a bite out of Ignacio’s tail, Ignacio leapt for the other side of the creek. I watched in awe, then…THUD. Ignacio slammed his thick scaly neck right into the slightly elevated stonewall of the other side. He then quickly picked himself up and continued scurrying away. I had truly believed in Ignacio’s ability to clear the wall and make it back safely. In my shock, I swallowed my gum as I died laughing/choking at what I had just witnessed.