Sneaky, scaly invader

[RVT1K]

I recently created a cactus garden in my front yard by making a ring of large rocks and filling it with sand/soil.

Apparently a large -close to 4 feet- black iguana thought the new, soft soil would be a perfect place to make a burrow.

I disagree...

I've chased it away a couple of times and even dug a new hole for it but it has yet to discover the new place.

 

[Jeff15]

Well spotted.....

 

[terri]

Wow! That seems large for an iguana! I guess I'm only used to seeing them safely behind glass.

Are they dangerous? Or will he do damage to the yard? Don't know how to gently urge him along when he seems so content. Like a moth to a flame!

 

[jeffashman]

Wonderful shot!

 

[ClintLloyd]

He obviously knows who you are...

 

[RVT1K]

Wow! That seems large for an iguana! I guess I'm only used to seeing them safely behind glass.

Are they dangerous? Or will he do damage to the yard? Don't know how to gently urge him along when he seems so content. Like a moth to a flame!

This is a black iguana and I don't think they get much bigger unlike the green ones which can get up to 6 feet or so.

I'm sure they can bite but they are primarily vegetarians -the LOVE mango and cantaloupe. They will also use their tail as a whip for defense.

Other than digging a burrow, I don't think there is much potential for damage although I have seem them eating flowers.

The last time I caught it in the cactus garden I ran out, yelling and clapping my hands and it just looked at me and wouldn't move!!?? It did try to tail-whip me but it was too crowded between two cactus.

I finally used a broom to gently persuade it to leave.

I did dig up a new spot on the side of the yard -where I don't care if it digs- in the hopes it will move in but I have not seen it lately.

 

[terri]

Sounds like you have an interesting new neighbor. I'm glad you're at least making the effort to coexist! Good luck.

 

[Digger...]

The last time I caught it in the cactus garden I ran out, yelling and clapping my hands and it just looked at me and wouldn't move!!?? It did try to tail-whip me but it was too crowded between two cactus.

. How big and deep are there burrows? Cool find.

 

[wobe]

Great capture!

 

[RVT1K]

. How big and deep are there burrows? Cool find.

I don't know for sure but would guess a couple of feet, minimum.

I have seen evidence of the green iguanas tunneling in the banks of a canal where it made in a few feet. People with property on canals and such often put big rocks along the bank to discourage them from tunneling. The issue being that the tunnels often collapse and you wind up with big ruts in your yard.

 

[RVT1K]

Sounds like you have an interesting new neighbor. I'm glad you're at least making the effort to coexist! Good luck.

We used to interact with the squirrels in NY all the time and I miss that. I hope it comes back and discovers the new, potential burrowing spot.

The soil my land was filled in with is called marl and has a LOT of clay in it so it can get super hard when it dries out -very similar to the caliche in Arizona-, so hard you can't dig with a shovel and you have to use a pick-ax.

Since it is too hard for the iguanas to get a start, I dug up a spot -with the aforementioned pick-ax- filled it with a couple of spackel buckets of sand I got from my neighbors and ringed it with some rocks.

 

[MitchP]

Nice shot! We were in Playa Del Carmen on vacation and my then-wife was taking pictures of the iguanas. The locals looked at us like we were crazy. Not nearly as exotic to the locals as to the tourists!