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Common name is the green iguana. Scientific name is Iguana iguana. Iguanas can grow from 4-6.5 ft in length. They are green with scales on their body. They can camouflage to hide from predators. They are reptiles and can live up to 12-20 years or more.

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The native location of green iguanas originates from Central America (Mexico), the tropical parts of South America (Paraguay & Brazil), and some eastern Caribbean islands. The green iguana’s niche in its native ecosystem is being seed dispersers which enables more plant life to grow, prey species to the local predators (domestic dogs, American alligators, & crocodiles), humans (hunting for food), herbivorous insects terms of eating resources (flowers, fruits, tender shoots, and many ornamental plants), competitive (birds, reptiles, and insects), and symbiotically related to birds through commensalism (bacteria and other microorganisms in their gut which are essential for digesting plant fibers).

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The Green Iguana populations have populated along Atlantic Coast, Miami-Dade, Monroe and Palm beach Counties, and along the Gulf Coast in Collier and Lee Counties. They were introduced to Florida from a pet dealer, also from pet releases. Originally, about 300 were released. Since then, they have reproduced and populated to about, several hundred thousand. The Green Iguanas have caused a lot of damage to residential and commercial landscape vegetation. They are attracted to tree with flowers, fruits, and vegetation. Some iguanas cause damage to buildings and sidewalks by digging burrows that can erode or collapse infrastructure. They can also effect the food chain of their environment because even though they are primary consumers, and mostly a herbivore, there has been remains of snails in the stomachs of the iguanas.

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1. https://seaworld.org/animals/facts/reptiles/green-iguana/

2. Victor’s MLA Work Cited:

Iguana Native Distribution image and info:

Animalia. “Green Iguana - Facts, Diet, Habitat & Pictures on Animalia.bio.” Animalia.bio, animalia.bio/green-iguana. Accessed 26 May 2025.

Borcyk, Paige, et al. “WEC440/UW485: Florida’s Introduced Reptiles: Green Iguana (Iguana Iguana).” Edis.ifas.ufl.edu, Askifas, edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/UW485. Accessed 26 May 2025.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. “Green Iguana.” Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 2021, myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/reptiles/lizards/green-iguana/. Accessed 26 May 2025.

Iguana hiding in hole picture:

otmseo. “Iguana Holes: How to Fill Them & Keep Iguanas from Digging in Your Yard.” Iguana Control, 27 Feb. 2024, iguanacontrol.com/iguana-holes/. Accessed 26 May 2025.

3. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. “Green Iguana.” Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 2021, myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/reptiles/lizards/green-iguana/.

“WEC440/UW485: Florida’s Introduced Reptiles: Green Iguana (Iguana Iguana).” Edis.ifas.ufl.edu, edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/UW485.

4. “American Alligator - Big Cypress National Preserve (U.S. National Park Service).” Nps.gov, 2015, home.nps.gov/bicy/learn/nature/american-alligators.htm.

Brown, Daisy L. “Eastern Lubber Grasshopper Facts, Description, and Pictures.” The Insect Guide, 27 June 2022, theinsectguide.net/eastern-lubber-grasshopper/.

Cornell University. “Bald Eagle Overview, All about Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology.” Allaboutbirds.org, 2015, www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bald_Eagle/overview.

“Eastern Indigo Snake.” The Nature Conservancy, www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/animals-we-protect/eastern-indigo-snake/.

Ellis, Mary Ellen. “Firebush Information – How to Grow Hamelia Firebush Plants.” Gardening Know How, 11 Nov. 2017, www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/firebush/growing-hamelia-firebush-plants.htm. Accessed 27 May 2025.

“Heliconius Charithonia.” Wikipedia, 20 Dec. 2022, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heliconius_charithonia.

Homer, Talon. “The Coachwhip Snake Is Nonvenomous but Not a Good Pet.” HowStuffWorks, 22 Oct. 2024, animals.howstuffworks.com/snakes/coachwhip-snake.htm. Accessed 27 May 2025.

“How to Get Your Orchid Plant to Bloom Again—Care Tips to Try.” Sunset Magazine, 9 Mar. 2023, www.sunset.com/home-garden/flowers-plants/how-to-get-your-orchid-to-rebloom.

leaf, Green. “Tree Leaf Images – Browse 68,550,148 Stock Photos, Vectors, and Video.” Adobe Stock, 2025, stock.adobe.com/search?k=tree+leaf. Accessed 27 May 2025.

Northern Cardinal – Indiana Audubon. indianaaudubon.org/portfolio/northern-cardinal/.

Wikipedia Contributors. “Great Horned Owl.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 8 May 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

5. Controlling Methods- https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/reptiles/lizards/green-iguana/

Map: Claunch, Natalie M, et al. “State of Knowledge for Invasive Green Iguanas in Florida Reveals Negative Impacts and Pervasive Research Needs.” Frontiers in Amphibian and Reptile Science, vol. 3, 26 Mar. 2025, https://doi.org/10.3389/famrs.2025.1529065.

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Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission

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Modify their habitat- we can modify their habitat by removing a certain amount of food source and getting rid of possible shelter use. This controls the population by keeping track of their intake of certain foods and will make them move to a different environment. Some pros are that it will safely control the population. Some cons are that the iguanas may not be safe in a new environment.

Report to FWC- if you spot a wild iguana you can report it to FWC. This can control the population by making wild iguanas less common. Some pros are safely relocating the iguanas to a possibly safer environment. Some cons are sometimes harming the iguanas while trying to relocate them

Capturing Iguanas- if a wild iguana is spotted, capture it and remove it from the environment it’s in. This is useful so we can keep wild iguanas off certain property and private land. Some pros are moving them to a safer environment. Some cons are possibly harming the iguanas while trying to capture them

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Modifying the habitat to balance the population is the best choice to control the green iguana. This is the best because we shouldn’t take them away or hunt them, rather put things like limiting factors in food, shelter, and other resources. This will address the problem because it seems to be most efficient to let nature do its thing (happen naturally). The solution would be put to action by cutting some of plants with pruning sheers (creates more competition), reduce hiding places (shelter) by either physical barriers (netting or tree wrap) or taking it down if possible. However, there needs to be permission (special permit) to do this because the green iguanas are not protected in Florida.