Meet Iggy the Galápagos Marine Iguana!

Hello there, land creatures! I'm Littlefoot, and I want to tell you about my fascinating friend Iggy the Galápagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus)! He's the ONLY lizard in the world who swims in the ocean! 🦎

Iggy's Salty Superpowers

Iggy has some incredible adaptations that make him the ultimate sea-swimming lizard:

Salt-Sneezing Specialist

The coolest thing about Iggy? He literally sneezes salt! After swimming in the salty ocean and eating salty seaweed, Iggy's special nose glands collect all that extra salt and shoot it out in a powerful sneeze. You'll often see white salt crystals around his nostrils - it's like he's wearing natural bling!

Ocean Gardener

Iggy is an underwater lawn mower! He dives down to eat marine algae and seaweed growing on underwater rocks. His flat, chisel-like teeth are perfect for scraping algae off rocks. Some big males can hold their breath for almost an hour while they garden underwater!

Iggy's Colorful Breeding Season

During breeding season, the males turn bright red and green colors to attract mates! It's like they're wearing nature's party outfit!

**Conservation Status**

The Galápagos Marine Iguana is currently listed as **VULNERABLE** on the IUCN Red List. With approximately **200,000-300,000 individuals** remaining across all islands, they face serious threats from El Niño events (which can kill up to 90% of some populations), oil spills, introduced predators, and climate change. Some subspecies on specific islands are considered endangered, including those on San Cristóbal, Santiago, and Genovesa Islands.

Ready to learn Iggy's salt-sneezing secrets?