What Are All the Different Types of Iguanas?

There are eight different types of iguanas belonging to the family Iguanidae. A commonly shared characteristic of the various types of iguanas is a signature elongated, whiplike tail. Habitat usually plays a big role in determining the diverse features of the different kinds of iguanas; these animals are found in varied landscapes, ranging from deserts to oceans.

  1. Genus Cyrclura

    • More commonly known as the rock iguana, this animal is largely found in the Caribbean Islands. These ground dwelling, dinosaurlike iguanas are endangered, and as a result they are rarely bought, sold or traded. They differ from one another physically in terms of coloration and size, but rock iguanas are all herbivores.

    Genus Amblyrhyncus

    • This genus refers to iguanas that can live and hunt for food in marine environments, like the Galapagos marine iguana. These iguanas can dive up to 30 feet into the sea, and they survive on a diet of marine algae; because it is difficult to replicate this food source, marine iguanas are among the most difficult varieties to maintain in captivity.

    Genus Conolophus

    • Also known as the Galapagos land iguana, this type of iguana is a close relative to the marine iguanas. They exist on a diet largely comprised of cacti and plants, and can only be found in the Galapagos Islands.

    Genus Ctenosauria

    • More commonly referred to as the spiny-tailed iguana, this animal is a native of Mexico and Central America. Spiny-tailed iguanas are much smaller than other types which can reach up to 6 feet in length; these iguanas typically only grow from between 5 inches and 35 inches. They consume a diet of plants and small animals.

    Genus Dipsosaurus

    • These desert iguanas are most commonly found in parts of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, especially in the Mojave and Sonora deserts. These iguanas typically grow up to 15 inches in size, and have tails that are twice their body length. They also have cream-colored bellies and are adorned with white or colored spots and stripes.

    Genus Sauromalus

    • This iguana is also known as the chuckwalla, and is typically found in the United States and Mexico. Chuckwallas have very loose skin that hangs away from the body, and they are fiends for heat. Entirely vegetarian, these iguanas subsist on flowers, fruit and leaves.

    Genus Brachylophus

    • This type of iguana is typically found in Fiji and Tonga, and as such is commonly referred to as the Fijian banded iguana. As a result of the islands' rapidly increasing populations of predators like the mongoose and common house cat, this type of iguana is faced with the unfortunate problem of population decrease.

    Genus Iguana

    • These green or common iguanas are the kind that people take home as pets. Native to South and Central America, as well as parts of the Pacific, these iguanas use their bright green coloration as an effective camouflaging technique. This pigmentation begins to fade and become more muted as the iguanas age.