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Reptile. An adult desert iguana is large for a lizard, measuring head-to-tail 25-40 cm (10-16 in). The tail makes up 3/4 of the iguana's length! Active in daylight, desert iguanas change color to regulate body temperature. They are darkest in the morning to absorb more heat from the sun, and they will turn nearly pure white by early afternoon to reflect sunlight. These lizards can stand hotter temperatures than most, remaining active in up to 46º C (115º F). In extreme heat they seek the shade of a creosote bush. During breeding season, their bellies turn pinkish. They lay 3-8 eggs in early summer that hatch in a couple of months. |
| Scientific
Name |
Lifespan |
| Dispsosaurus dorsalis |
8 to 10 years |
| Diet |
| Omnivore. The yellow flowers of the creosote bush, occasionally insects. |
| Predators and Threats |
| Snakes, avian predators, coyotes, and foxes. |
| Habitat |
| Scrub. By night, in a burrow at the base of the creosote bushes. By day, basking on the sunny side of the creosote bushes. |
