Iguanas.] 



MUSEUM OF ANIMATED NATURE. 



87 



known. The femoral pores of the male of this 

 species are exhibited at a. 



2150. — Thb Seychelles Gecko 



{Platydactylus Seychellensis). As its name im- 

 plies, this reptile is a native of the Seychelles 

 Islands, and is a rare species in museums. It is re- 

 markable for the thickness of the limbs and the 

 magnitude of the eyes. The suckers of the toes 

 are much expanded, and transversely lamellate. 

 Its general colour is yellovf, with a series of chest- 

 nut coloured spots on each side of the back, which 

 sometimes run into each other. Of its habits no 

 details have been received. 



2151. — The Egtptiax Gecko 



{Platydactylus jEgyptiacus). This species, which 

 is closely allied to the common wall gecko of 

 Southern Europe and Northern Africa, but differs 

 in many minor points, and particularly in having 

 the tubercles with which the skin of the upper sur- 

 face is studded, at great distances from each other, 

 and without any ridge. It appears to be coniined 

 to Esvpt, inhabiting the fissures and holes of ruined 

 buildings, and often intruding itself into the rooms 

 of inhabited houses, coming from its lurking-place 

 at night, and traversing the walls and floors in quest 

 of flies and spiders. 



2152. — Minus's Gecko 

 {Gymnodactyltis Miliusii). This species is a native 

 of New Holland ; but we have no definite account 

 of its manners : its general colour above is chestnut, 

 with white transverse streaks ; the skin is beset with 

 conical tubercles. Femoral pores wanting. 



2153. — The Banded Gecko 

 {Diplodactylus vittatus, Gray). Phyllodactylus vit- 

 tatus, Bibron. 



This reptile is a native of New Holland, and was 

 first described by Mr. Gray in the 'Proceeds. Zool. 

 Soc' 18.32, p. 40. The length of the head and body 

 is two inches, that of the tail one and a quarter 

 inches. On each side of the body there are two 

 rows of rather distant small spots, which become 

 larger on the upper surface of the tail, and scattered 

 on the limbs. General colour brown, with a broad 

 longitudinal fillet of a deeper tint, sides tile-red ; 

 limbs and tail margined with rows of yellow spots. 



Family IGUANID^ (IGUANAS). 



The present family is very extensive, containing 

 upwards of forty-six genera, and one hundred and 

 fifty species. 



The body is covered with scales, or homy plates, 

 or tubercles, often ridged or spinous, but never 

 osseous. As a general rule there is a horny crest or 

 ridge extending along the middle line of the back 

 and tail ; the abdominal plates are large and square. 

 The tongue is thick, spongy, velvety, on its surface, 

 free at its tip. The eyes are defended with movable 

 eyelids. The toes are free, distinct, and armed with 

 nails. The auditory orifice is generally apparent, 

 and often encircled by pointed scales. 



The Iguanidae are divided into two sul)-families 

 by MM.^Dumeril and Bibron; termed Pleurodonta 

 (»x../», aside, and iicU, «3».t«, a tooth), and acro- 

 donta (ix.«, the ridge or summit). The Pleuro- 

 dontous Iguanidoe are, with the exception of one 

 genus (Brachylophus, an Indian group), all restricted 

 to .'Vmerica, and are characterized by the teeth not 

 being implanted in the ridge of the jaw, but in a 

 furrow along the side of the jaw, to which they ad- 

 here by one side of the bony substance of the root 

 without being rooted into the jaw itself. 



The Acrodontous Iguanidse are natives of Asia, 

 Southern Europe, Africa, and Australia; and are 

 distinguished by the teeth being seated on the ridge 

 of the jaws, to which they are soldered, and of which 

 thev appear to be a continuation. „ _, , ., 



these peculiarities of structure, says M. Dum<inl, 

 " present a remarkable concordance with the geogra- 

 phical distribution of the groups ; yet it must be 

 acknowledged that the disposition of the teeth is not 

 to be easily ascertained all at once, for it is almost 

 impossible to open the jaws of the animals while 

 alive, and almost equally so when preserved in 

 spirits after death. Besides, in order to a-scertain 

 the manner in which the teeth are fixed, it is often 

 necessary to cut away a portion of the gum, in order 

 to lay bare the furrow, where it exists, or to become 

 assured of its absence." 



A few of the Pleurodontous Iguanid* will first en- 

 gage our notice ; of these we shall first advert to 

 the true Iguanas, or Guanas. 



The restricted genus Iguana contains but three 

 distinct species, which attain to considerable dimen- 

 sions, and have a fierce and strange aspect, though 

 their flesh is esteemed a delicacy. 



These reptiles are characterized by a cutaneous ex- 

 pansion like a pendent dewlap, or flaccid pouch, 

 under the lower jaw and throat, which is capable of 

 being inflated, and there are cuticular folds on the 



lateral regions of the neck and throat ; the head is 

 stout at the base, moderately long, and of a some- 

 what pyramidal shape ; covered with plates forming 

 a sort of tesselated pavement. The scales of the 

 body are small, almost lozenge-shaped, slightly 

 keeled, and but httle imbricated. A serrated dorsal 

 crest, consistingof elevated, compressed, and pointed 

 scales, runs along the ridge of the back, and also of 

 the tail to its tip. The tail is of great length, and 

 very flexible : it is laterally compressed. The orifice 

 of the ear is covered by a large tympanic membrane, 

 and generally several large scales are about the 

 angle of the lower jaw. The limbs are long, the 

 toes are unequal, rough with elevated points on the 

 under surface, and armed with acute claws. A 

 range of tuberculous pores runs down the outside of 

 each thigh. Fig. 2154, a, b, well displays the general 

 characters of the head and limbs of the Iguana, as 

 seen in the Iguana tuberculata. 



The teeth vary according to the ages of indi- 

 viduals. They are not lodged in distinct sockets, 

 but are fixed along the internal face of the dental 

 bone in a sort of furrow, and adhere by one side of 

 the bony substance of the root; the exposed part of 

 each tooth is somewhat leaf-shaped, with the edges 

 finely dentelated. Fig. 2155 represents the tooth of 

 the Iguana (lower jaw). Besides these teeth, there 

 is a small row along each .side of the vault of the 

 palate. 



The iguanas are arboreal in their habits, and feed 

 principally on vegetable aliment, perhaps indeed 

 exclusively, for M. Bibron observes that in the sto- 

 machs of the numerous specimens examined by 

 himself he found nothing but leaves and flowers. 



Mr. Broderip saw a living iguana about two feet 

 long, in a hothouse at Mr. Miller's nursery gardens 

 near Bristol : it had refused to eat insects and all 

 other kinds of animal food ; but on one occasion, hap- 

 pening to come near some kidney-bean plants that 

 were in the house for forcing, it began to eat their 

 leaves, and was from that time regularly supplied 

 with that nourishment. On the contrary. Dr. Buck- 

 land, who alludes to this fact, states that in 1828, 

 Captain Belcher found in the Island of Isabella 

 swarms of iguanas that appeared to be omnivorous, 

 feeding voraciously on eggs, on the intestines of 

 fowls, and on insects. 



These animals haunt the borders of water, into 

 which they often plunge, swimming with great ce- 

 lerity; they place the fore-limbs along each side, 

 throw back the hind-limbs, and vigorously lash the 

 water from side to side with the tail, and dart rapidly 

 forwards. 



We have had many opportunities of seeing the 

 guanas in captivity, and have observed that though 

 they become tolerably tame, they still preserve a 

 considerable degree of fierceness ; on one occasion 

 we approached a very large specimen, at large in a 

 ' room, which immediately made several determined 

 snaps at us, though it permitted its owner to lift it 

 up, and carry it about, without demonstrating any 

 signs of anger. The male iguana, during the pair- 

 ing season, is very savage, and jealously watches 

 over his mate, attacking the intruder with ferocity ; 

 his eyes glaring, his dewlap inflated, and his whole 

 appearance indicating the utmost fury. 



The female visits the borders of rivers and sa- 

 vannahs, and also the shore of the sea, in order to 

 deposit her eggs, which she buries in the sand. Both 

 these and the flesh of the animals are in great re- 

 quest, so that in some of the islands where they 

 were once abundant, they have become exceedingly 

 scarce. They are generally taken by means of a 

 noose thrown over their heads, while resting on a 

 branch, from which they are forcibly pulled ; and 

 this is the more easy, as they seldom retreat when 

 discovered, but glare on their assailants, inflate their 

 throat, and assume as threatening an aspect as pos- 

 sible They are also taken in traps and nets, and 

 sometimes are hunted by dogs. They are very te- 

 nacious of life ; and as they struggle violently, snap- 

 ping at every person, they are generally despatched 

 at once by means of a sharp instrument plunged 

 into the brain. 



2156.— The Commok Iguana 

 (Iguana tuberculata). Iguana delicatissima, Dau- 



fhis species is a native of Brazil, Cayenne, the 

 Antilles, and the Bahamas, &c., and attains to a con- 

 siderable size, measuring in total length sometimes 

 six feet We have seen many specimens upwards of 

 four, biit it must be remembered that the tail sur- 

 passes the body. Its flesh is accounted a great lux- 

 ury being white and delicate, but it does not agree 

 with some constitutions. In some of the Bahama 

 islands these iguanas or guanas are still common, but 

 much more so formerly, the race having been greatly 

 thinned. Catesby, in his ' Natural History ot Caro- 

 lina' ( 1743), informs us that it is an article ot trattic in 

 the Bahamas, being carried alive from place to place, 

 till required for the tables of the wealthy. Ihese 

 reptiles, he says, "nestle in hollow trees ; their eggs 



have not a hard shell like those of alligators, but * 

 skin only like those of a turtle, and are esteemed 

 good food. They lay a great number of eggs at a 

 time in the earth, which are hatched by the sun's 

 heat. The guanas furnish a great part of the sub- 

 sistence of the inhabitants of the Bahama islands ; 

 for which purpose they visit many of the remote 

 kayes and islands in their sloops, to catch them, 

 which they do by dogs trained up for that purpose, 

 and which are so dexterous as not often to kill 

 them. If they do so however the guanas serve only 

 for present use ; if otherwise, they sew up their 

 mouths to prevent their biting, and put them into 

 the hold of their sloop, until they have obtained a 

 sufficient number, which they either carry alive for 

 sale to Carolina, or salt and barrel up, for the use 

 of their families at home. These guanas, feed wholly 

 on vegetables and fruit, especially on a particular 

 kind of fungus growing at the roots 6f trees, and on 

 the fruitsof the different kinds of Ananas; their flesh 

 is easy of digestion, delicate, and well tasted : they 

 are sometimes roasted, but the more common mode 

 is to boil them, taking out the fat, which is melted 

 and clarified and put into a dish, into which they 

 dip the flesh of the guana as they eat it. Though 

 not amphibious they (the guanas) are said to keep 

 under water above an hour. They cannot run fast, 

 and their holes are a greater security to them than 

 their heels. They are so impatient of cold that they 

 rarely appear out of their holes but when the sun 

 shines." 



In Jamaica this lizard is now nearly if not quite 

 extinct; formerly it was tolerably common. Brown, 

 in his History of that island (1756), says that the 

 guana lives for a considerable time without food (as 

 indeed do most reptiles), and changes its colour with 

 the weather, or the natural moisture of its place of 

 residence. " I have kept," he adds, " a grown 

 guana about the house for more than two months : 

 it was very fierce and ill-natured at the beginning, 

 but after some few days it grew more tame, and 

 would at length pass the greatest part of the day 

 upon the bed or couch, but always went out at 

 night. The flesh of this creature is liked by many 

 ])eople, and frequently served up in fricassees at 

 their tables, in which state it is often preferred to 

 the best fowls. When taken young the guana is 

 easily tamed, and is both a harmless and beautiful 

 creature in that state. 



The general colour of this species is dark green, 

 more or less tinged with olive, sometimes with 

 blue ; generally a few brown bands are observable 

 on the sides ; the tail is alternately ringed with 

 brown and greenish, or yellowish-green ; the sides 

 of the neck are covered with tubercles ; a large 

 circular scale is conspicuous on the lower jaw 

 below the tympanic membrane of the auditory 

 orifice. 



2157. — ^The Smooth-Necked Iguana 



(Iguana nudlcoUis). Iguana delicatissima, Lau- 

 rent i. 



This species, which is a native of Brazil, Marti- 

 nique, Guadaloupe, &c., differs from the preceding 

 in the absence of tubercles on the neck, and of the 

 great circular plate beneath the tympanic mem- 

 brane ; it has a range of large strong scales along 

 each branch of the lower jaw. Its general colour 

 is of a uniform green, or rather bluish green, paler 

 beneath. Its habits and manners are the same as 

 those of the Ig. tuberculata, and its flesh is equally 

 esteemed. 



A third species, more nearly allied to the Iguana 

 tuberculata, is a native of Mexico, and also of St. 

 Domingo or Hayti. It is distinguished by having 

 the muzzle surmounted with three or four scales 

 elevated in the form of compressed horns, and 

 placed in a series. There is a large circular plate 

 below the tympanic membrane. 



These three species have been till recently con- 

 founded together, and the title " delicatissima" has 

 been applied equally to them. 



2158, 2159, 2160. — Remains of Iguanodon. 



In the Wealdon fresh-water formation of the South 

 of England, intermediate between the marine 

 oolitic deposits of the Portland stone, and those ot 

 the green-sand formation of the cretaceous series, 

 the remains of an extinct gigantic reptile occur, 

 closely allied to the Iguana of modern days. We 

 owe the discovery of them to Dr. Mantell. The 

 teeth, which Cuvier at first _regarded as those of a 

 rhinoceros, evidently indicate an herbivorous appe- 

 tite, and were fitted for grinding tough vegetables 

 to a pulp.* The length of this reptile could not 

 have been much under seventy feet, and was perhaps 

 more. 



"The teeth," writes Dr. Buckland, "exhibit two 

 kinds of provision to maintain sharp edges along the 

 cutting surface, from their first protrusion, until they 

 were worn down to the very stump. The first of 



•Tlic fossil remains of Clutliraria and similar Tegetables were fonixl 

 entombed with the relics of the lyuanodon. 



