As best I can tell iguanas have called St John their home longer than any other critter! There are three types of lizards found on St John. The iguana, which is not a true lizard, are vegetarians and are often found in trees. While the large ones might look 'scary' they are actually quite friendly, and even shy. Please do not try to get too close for they have strong jaws with razor-sharp teeth and sharp tails, which make up half their body length and can be used as whips to drive off predators. Iguanas range in size from 2 feet to over 6 feet in length. They can also detach their tails if caught and will grow another without permanent damage.
Primarily herbivores, iguanas are active during the day, feeding on leaves, flowers, grasses and fruit. They generally live near water and are excellent swimmers. If threatened, they will leap from a branch, often from great heights, and escape with a splash to the water below. They are also tough enough to land on solid ground from as high as 40 feet (12 meters) and survive. They love to bask in the sun and are often found on sunning themselves on roads, pool surrounds, or, in the case of our St John villa Great Expectations, sometimes on our tennis court!
Here are a couple of fun shots of our iguana friends:
