#1686 · 🦎 reptiles

Marine Iguana

🇳🇱 Zeeleguaan ·Amblyrhynchus cristatus

VUvulnerable 🦎 Reptiles 📍 outside Europe

10 photos from iNaturalist (Creative Commons) · credits & licences

1. © Simon Pierce · CC BY-NC 4.0
2. © leekelai · CC BY-NC 4.0
3. © trevor_l · CC BY-NC 4.0
4. © María Cristina Córdova · CC BY-NC 4.0
5. © Emma Wynn · CC BY-NC 4.0
6. © patrickc · CC BY 4.0
7. © Josh van der Meulen · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
8. © Reinier Munguia · CC BY-NC 4.0
9. © John Sullivan · CC BY-NC 4.0
10. © Jenn Megyesi · CC BY-NC 4.0

what is it?

The marine iguana ( Amblyrhynchus cristatus ), also known as the Galápagos marine iguana , is a species of iguana found only on the Galápagos Islands (Ecuador) that has the ability, unique among modern lizards, to forage in the sea, making it a marine reptile. This iguana feeds almost exclusively on algae and large males dive to find this food source, while females and smaller males feed during low tide in the intertidal zone. They mainly live in colonies...

base stats

NL sightings 0iNaturalist, research grade
worldwide 11,207iNaturalist observations
threat VUvulnerable

Bars compare against all animals on log scales: up to 300,000 Dutch and 600,000 worldwide sightings (the most-seen species), 150 t (blue whale), 30 m and 400 years (Greenland shark).

fun facts

No confirmed wild sightings in the Netherlands on iNaturalist: you'd have to travel for this one.
11,207 observations worldwide on iNaturalist.
Scientifically named by Thomas Bell in 1825 (201 years ago).
Listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.