Cyclura

Cyclura
Cyclura cornuta, rhinoceros iguana
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Iguania
Family:	Iguanidae
Genus:	Cyclura Harlan, 1825

Cyclura is a genus of lizards in the family Iguanidae. Member species of this genus are commonly known as "cycluras" or more commonly as rock iguanas and only occur on islands in the West Indies. Rock iguanas have a high degree of endemism, with a single species or subspecies restricted to individual islands.

The generic name (Cyclura) is derived from the Ancient Greek cyclos (κύκλος) meaning "circular" and ourá (οὐρά) meaning "tail", after the thick-ringed tail characteristic of all Cyclura.

Currently, there are nine described species and eight subspecies identified in this genus.

Rock iguanas most often inhabit subtropical areas of West Indian dry forest biomes characterized by eroded limestone and sparse vegetation ranging from only moderately dry acacia forest to much drier mesquite and cactus habitats. These are nonvolcanic islands made up of heavily eroded limestone which form natural caves that the iguanas use as retreats.

All rock iguanas are herbivorous, consuming leaves, flowers, berries, and fruits from different plant species. A study in 2000 by Allison Alberts of the San Diego Zoo revealed that seeds passing through the digestive tracts of rock iguanas germinate more rapidly than those that do not. These seeds in the fruits consumed by cycluras have an adaptive advantage by sprouting before the end of very short rainy seasons. The iguanas are an important means of distributing these seeds to new areas (particularly if females migrate to nesting sites) and, as the largest native herbivores of many island ecosystems, they are essential for maintaining the balance between climate and vegetation. Their diet is very rarely supplemented with insect larvae, crabs, slugs, dead birds, and fungi; individual animals do appear to be opportunistic carnivores.

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Wikipedia