| As its name suggests, the marine iguana is set apart | | | | largest marine iguanas in the entire island of |
| from the rest of its relative mainly because it has a | | | | Galapagos. Meanwhile, the smallest marine iguanas are |
| unique attribute of being capable to forage and live in | | | | to be found in Genovesa. |
| the seawater. The marine iguana is in truth only to be | | | | As said to be poikilothermic animals, the marine |
| found thriving within the Galapagos Islands that is | | | | iguanas can only spend very little time out in the cold |
| why its existence in the island has branded the reptile | | | | sea whenever they dive for their algae food. Thus, |
| the name "Galapagos marine iguana". The natural | | | | they commonly swim within the very shallow water |
| habitat of the marine iguana is on the rocky shores | | | | of the island. After swimming, they proceed to bask |
| of the Galapagos Island but they can likewise be | | | | under the sun to have their bodies warmed up again. |
| seen in the mangrove and marshes beaches. | | | | During the cold days, the marine iguana cannot |
| Some people such as Charles Darwin describe the | | | | effectively move thus making them too vulnerable |
| marine iguanas as the black lizards thriving on the sea. | | | | for their predators. Since they cannot move fast, |
| But the truth is that the marine iguanas are not | | | | what they do is to strike their tails up in the air and |
| usually black in color. The younger marine iguanas | | | | bite their enemies. During the entire breeding season, |
| take the dorsal stripe color whereas the adult ones | | | | the male marine iguanas mate with the females and |
| are grayish. Their color may be really dull but there is | | | | likewise guard them against the rest of the male |
| a reason behind this. Such color allows them to easily | | | | reptiles. Moreover, the marine iguanas adjust their |
| absorb heat right after they emerge out of the | | | | sizes to be able to adapt to the food condition in |
| water. Their food is usually the marine algae. They | | | | existence. There was a time during the onset of the |
| expel the remaining salts from their nasal glands as | | | | El Niño when the algae decreased in number so the |
| they go on with basking under the heat of the sun. | | | | marine iguanas actually decreased in their lengths too. |
| The salt contained in their bodies makes their faces | | | | When the food supply started to normalize, the |
| appear whiter. | | | | reptiles returned to their normal condition. The marine |
| More so, the matured male marine iguanas have a | | | | iguanas are not as fast as the rest of its relatives. |
| varying color-all of which depend on the existing | | | | When taken as pets, their predators become the |
| season. During the breeding seasons, the adult male | | | | dogs and cats. They can be easily attacked by these |
| marine iguanas become teal-green or reddish in colors. | | | | predators since they are too slow and much tamed. |
| Those thriving in Santa Cruz appear in black and red | | | | To date, the government of Ecuador has set up laws |
| brick while those found in Fernandina come in dull | | | | that aim to protect the existence of marine iguanas. |
| green and brick red colors. Their sizes likewise differ | | | | There are artificial nestling sites which had been made |
| which depends on the island that they live in. Those | | | | in the smaller islands so that there will be lesser |
| found in the whole of Isabela and Fernandina are the | | | | predators that can harm them. |