Recently in Mystery Photos Category

This is a birds nest. We have encountered a variety of birds as we search for iguanas. This nest was found in a tree about 4 feet off the ground. It is the nest of a Bananaquit. Bananaquits are common on Andros.

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This is a termite mound. Termite mounds are a common sight in the Bahamas, and thousands of termites live in each of these mound. Iguanas usually lay their eggs underground, but on many parts of Andros, Bahamas there is very little soil so many of the iguanas dug into the bottom of a termite mount to deposit their eggs. Dr. Knapp has found that the iguanas will not use just any old termite mound. He has observed that the female iguanas only lay their eggs inside active termite mounds.

The Silver Thatch Palm (Coccothrinax argentata) can grow to be 30 feet tall and is found through out the Bahamas. The thatch is used for native straw work. The local people plait or braid it so that it forms a wide ribbon. The wide ribbons are used for making bags, baskets, mats, and hats. The palm fronds are used for thatching house roofs and making sun shades. The iguanas and birds eat the fruits and flowers of the Silver Thatch Palms.

This is iguana scat. If you look carefully you can see parts of undigested plants in the scat. Many of the plants that the iguanas eat are hard to digest so much of the plant is not digested. Dr. Knapp collects the scat and dissects it to learn what kinds of plants the iguanas are eating.

This is a large lizard called a Rock Iguana. The Bahamian species of Rock Iguanas are usually some shade of brown. Most of the Rock Iguanas in the Bahamas are two and a half to three feet long, but some can grow larger.

Young iguanas eat alot of plants and insects. As they get older they become almost complete herbivores (plant eaters), feeding on leaves, fruits and flowers of a large variety of plants including some like manchineel that are toxic or to humans.

Rock iguanas thrive in dry areas where there are sandy patches for breeding and limestone with plenty of holes that help them find shade to regulate their body temperature. Rock Iguanas, like other reptiles are cold blooded.

"On Andros, wild hogs, feral cats and dogs are severe threats to iguanas there. All other Bahamian Rock iguanas are restricted to small, isolated islands where these animals do not pose a threat. Even so, there remains the continuous threat to all populations of iguanas of being harvested by man for food and for the pet trade, and a potential threat of falling prey to introduced predators, such as dogs and feral cats. In addition natural disasters, such as hurricanes are a constant threat." - Endangered Species of the Bahamas