Reproductive Biology
Male Green Iguanas have highly developed femoral pores on the underside of their thighs which secrete a scent (females have femoral pores, but they are smaller in comparison to those of the males). In addition, the dorsal spines that run along a Green iguana's back are noticeably longer and thicker in males than they are in females, making the animals somewhat sexually dimorphic.
Green Iguanas are oviparous with females laying clutches of 20 to 71 eggs once per year during a synchronized nesting period. The female Green iguana gives no parental protection after egg laying, apart from defending the nesting burrow during excavation. In Panama, the Green iguana has been observed sharing nest sites with American crocodiles and in Honduras with Spectacled Caimans.
The hatchlings emerge from the nest after 10–15 weeks of incubation. Once hatched, the young iguanas look similar to the adults in color and shape, resembling adult females more so than males and lacking dorsal spines.
Juveniles stay in familial groups for the first year of their lives. Male Green iguanas in these groups often use their own bodies to shield and protect females from predators and it appears to be the only species of reptile which does this.
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