The rhinoceros iguana, scientifically known as Cyclura cornuta, is a large lizard with a flat vertical tail and strong legs. It is covered in scales with pointed horns from the nape to the tail. It is usually dark brown, grayish brown, dark gray, or black in color; but can also be olive green with barely visible cross bands. It can grow up to four feet long and weigh up to nine kilograms.
This creature has no distinctive patterns, but it does have a pseudo-horn on its snout that makes it look like a rhinoceros. It is typically found on Hispaniola, a major island in the Caribbean. It is also found in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. However, it can also be found in dry forests, rocky areas, thorny scrub forests, and subtropical moist forests.
A male rhinoceros iguana is usually larger than the female. He has a large jowls and a fat pad on his head. It also has a more prominent dorsal crest and larger femoral pores on the thighs. It uses its horn to protect itself from sharp rocks and escape the clutches of aggressors like other male iguanas. This horn is also used to perform elaborate movements during the mating season in which the male tries to impress the female.
Although generally shy, a rhinoceros iguana displays aggression when threatened. In addition to using its horn, it also bites and strikes with its tail. During the day, it usually eats and basks in the heat of the sun; but when night comes, he retreats to a cave or hollow log. It is also a herbivore, feeding mainly on flowers, leaves, seeds, fruits, and berries. However, some rhinoceros iguanas were reported to feed on small mammals, invertebrates and birds.
Male and female rhinoceros iguanas are sexually dimorphic in nature. Aside from their physical differences, they also reach sexual maturity at different times. Males mature after four or five years, while females mature after only two or three years. However, both can live up to thirty years. Male rhinoceros iguanas are also territorial. They defend their territories as well as their favorite places to sunbathe. They communicate with each other through a movement of the head.
Mating season for rhinoceros iguanas takes place in the spring before the rainy season begins; and usually lasts two to three weeks. The females dig a hole in which they lay from two to thirty-four eggs and then incubate them for about eighty-five days. After hatching, the young iguanas become fully independent. However, they are mostly arboreal and often follow their parents.
Unfortunately, rhinoceros iguanas are considered an endangered species. Therefore, it is not allowed to hunt and sell them. Their number has drastically decreased due to the capture and sale of people. Most of these reptiles are hunted for food or as pets. In addition, clearing and deforestation have greatly contributed to endangering them. Today, there are only approximately ten thousand to sixty thousand rhinoceros iguanas left in the wild.