Black spiny-tailed iguana

Description:

Black Spiny-tailed Iguana have distinctive keeled scales on their long tails, which gives them their common name. They are the largest members of the genus Ctenosaura, males capable of growing up to 1.5 meters (4 ft 11 in) in length and females slightly shorter at 1 meter (3 ft 3 in). They have a crest of long spines which extend down the center of their back. Although colouration varies extremely among individuals of the same population, adults usually have a whitish gray or tan ground color with a series of 4–12 well-defined dark dorsal bands that extend nearly to the ventral scales. Males also develop an orange color around the head and throat during breeding season with highlights of blue and peach on their jowls.

Habitat:

Native to Central America, and has the widest range of all Ctenosaura species from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec to northeastern Nicaragua and western Panama on the respective Atlantic and Pacific coasts.

Notes:

This was the first time I'd seen reptiles in the wild - probably about two-feet long nose to tail. Beautiful (from a distance...)