There are many different kinds of iguanas. The common or green iguana is the type of lizard found in a tropical rain forest. The green iguana can grow from ten inches at birth up to six feet.

This lizard has a large head and a rounded snout or nose. It has a long tail. It has four thick legs with clawed feet. Under the chin and neck hangs a loose flap of skin. A row of spines runs from its neck to its tail. The iguana is bright green in color with dark stripes on the tail.

An iguana will rest on tree branches during the day. It will pick a branch near water. If danger appears, the lizard can drop into the water for safety. The iguana is a fast runner, a good climber, a good swimmer, and a good diver. It hunts for food during the day. It sleeps in a tree or a crack in a rock at night.

The female iguana digs a shallow trench in moist soil. It may lay 20 to 70 eggs. After covering the eggs with soil, the mother leaves. When the eggs hatch, a young iguana lives in trees and eats insects that it catches by itself.