

SCALY REPTILES which may 

 have descended from prehis- 

 toric species are principal in- 

 habitants of the low, flattened 

 and desert - like Galapagos 

 Islands called South Sey- 

 mour and North Seymour on 

 the charts. Conoiophus suh- 

 cristatus is a colorful crea- 

 ture which subsists chiefly on 

 cacti and sparse grasses. 



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VISE-LIKE JAWS of land iguanas are used 

 to crush cactus leaves or throttle enemies. 

 They can inflict serious damage. Menac- 

 ing claws also are lethal weapons. Usu- 

 ally docile and lethargic the reptiles are 

 captured by hand. Once aroused they be- 

 come extremely agile. This one tried to 

 tweak the nose of Cyrus B. Perkins. 



BROAD-LEAF CACTUS is stripped 

 of leaves as high as the land 

 iguanas can reach. A spineless 

 form of Opuntia is found in the 

 Galapagos, too! If Luther Burbank 

 had only known he might have 

 saved himself years of labor in an 

 attempt to produce a similar spine- 

 less plant in his California 

 gardens. 



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