Black Spiny-tailed Iguana vs. Green Iguana

Black Spiny-tailed and Green Iguanas share seawalls, rock piles and canal banks in Miami-Dade, the Keys and the Gulf islands; both have bright green young. A: No big round scale low on the cheek in the Black Spiny-tailed Iguana; a big, round, shield-like scale low on the cheek below the ear in the Green Iguana. B: Grey to tan with bold black crossbands in the Black Spiny-tailed Iguana; a row of tall spikes down the back; green, grey or orange in the Green Iguana. C: Rings of big, spiny scales round the tail in the Black Spiny-tailed Iguana; smooth-scaled tail ringed with black bands in the Green Iguana. The Green Iguana also has a big throat fan edged with spikes. Young spiny-tails are bright green like young Green Iguanas; look for the cheek scale.

Photographs via iNaturalist under Creative Commons licences; the photographers are credited on the sheet.

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