136 REPTILES OF THE WORLD 



dive to a considerable depth to obtain the seaweed form- 

 ing its food, most of which grows below tide line. The 

 single living example in the writer's possession survived 

 but a short time — a few weeks. It refused all food. 

 When approached it would open the mouth and glare 

 in hostile fashion, appearing too indifferent to make 

 further demonstration. 



The Common Iguana, Iguana tuherculata, is well 

 known throughout tropical America, as it is a favorite 

 article of food. The tail is long and compressed. Most 

 remarkable about the animal is the crest of large, lance- 

 olate spines extending from the neck to the basal portion 

 of the tail. These spines are quite soft and leathery, 

 nor are they rigidly attached, sometimes lajdng over on 

 one side or the other. With female specimens the length 

 of the spines is much reduced. This iguana is also pe- 

 culiar in having a large circular shield beneath each ear- 

 drum; the only other species of the genus, I. delicatis- 

 sima, differs in an absence of this round shield. Both 

 species have a much-developed, comb-like throat pouch. 



A phase of the Common Iguana found in Mexico has 

 several erect spines upon the snout; it is technically 

 known as Iguana tuherculata rhinoloplia. 



The Common Iguana is essentially an arboreal ani- 

 mal, delighting to bask on horizontal boughs, even bal- 

 ancing its stout body on quite slender branches while 

 the hind legs sprawl downward in a fashion indicating 

 utter laziness and nonchalance. Here we find one of 

 the two distinctly outlined phases of habits among the 

 iguanas — a desire to live in the trees or lead a strictly 

 terrestrial life; the species of the genus Cyclura, large 

 and active as they are, are examples of the ground forms. 



Inhabiting southern Mexico, Central America, trop- 

 ical South America and the West Indies, the Common 



