Iguanas in Martinique

In Martinique, you can meet iguanas, especially in Ilet Chancel were the live. 

Here you can learn more about them.

1. Lesser Antillean Iguanas
2. Common Iguana
3. Lesser Antillean Iguana (male and female)
4. Lesser Antillean Iguana (diet)
5. Lesser Antillean Iguana (courtship)
6. Lesser Antillean Iguana (mating)
7. Lesser Antillean Iguana (egg-laying)
8. Lesser Antillean Iguana (juvenile)
9. Lesser Antillean Iguana (molt)
10. Lesser Antillean Iguana (îlet Chancel)

Lesser Antillean Iguanas :

The name “Iguana” comes from the word “Yuana”, itself derived from the Caribbean word “Oüyamaca”: king of lizards.

Endemic to the Lesser Antilles, it is currently in danger of extinction.

Long hunted for its flesh, it was named “lguana delicatissima” in the 18th century by the first European naturalists, in reference to its gustatory qualities.

Today, it retains a strong heritage value in the minds of West Indians.

Common Iguana :

An invasive species in the Lesser Antilles, native to South and Central America, it is distributed across the American continent from Florida to Paraguay. Introduced to Martinique in the 1960s in Fort de France, it is now spreading throughout the island. It can hybridize with the Lesser Antillean Iguana, which is the main threat to the latter’s survival.

It has a white scale on its cheek and a black and green striped tail.

Avoid encouraging the expansion of common iguanas: don’t move them from one place to another.

The common iguana has become the emblem of the Navy forces at Fort Saint-Louis in Martinique.

Lesser Antillean Iguana (male and female) :

The female is usually green to greenish-brown, and the male gray to grayish-black, with a whitish head. Its cheeks can take on a very pink color, especially during the breeding season.

It can live for at least 20 years, with the male reaching adulthood at around 5 and the female at around 3.

In 2007, a stamp featuring the Lesser Antillean Iguana was sold at La Poste counters.

Lesser Antillean Iguana (diet) :

Herbivorous, feeding on leaves, flowers and fruit.

Its diet varies with the seasons: during Lent, it feeds mainly on leaves, while during the wet season, it consumes more flowers and fruits (including those of the mancenilla tree, which are highly toxic to humans).

In the early 17th century, iguana fat was used to protect iron weapons from rust.

Iguanas should not be fed, as this may alter their behavior.

Lesser Antillean Iguana (courtship) :

Breeding begins in April.

At this time, the dominant male defends his territory by fighting, if necessary.

Courtship is limited during mating. The male mounts the female, sometimes biting her neck.

Do not frighten iguanas, which are shy animals.

Lesser Antillean Iguana (mating) :

The male has two copulatory organs, called hemipenis, located at the base of the tail. During copulation, which is brief, he uses only one hemipenis.

Each male can mate with several females.

The objectives of the National Action Plan for the conservation of the lguana delicatissima are to contribute to the general knowledge of this species, to carry out the conservation actions necessary for its survival, and to communicate as widely as possible on the issues linked to its conservation.

Lesser Antillean Iguana (egg-laying) :

Between April and August, the female lays 10 to 20 eggs in a 1 m-deep gallery that she digs in the soft ground, to shield the incubation of the eggs from direct sunlight.

Iguana eggs were eaten by Caribbean populations.

Lesser Antillean Iguana (juvenile) :

After 3 months of incubation, the eggs hatch into newborns. They measure around 8 cm (excluding the tail) and are apple-green in color.

The young must dig quickly to the surface to avoid suffocating underground.

Juveniles have white markings on the lower jaw and shoulders, and often three vertical white bars on the flanks, forming patterns that break up the silhouette.

Lesser Antillean Iguana (molt) :

It molts completely, but its skin peels off in fragments. This moult is periodic: it depends on environmental conditions and is more frequent in young iguanas (every 2 to 3 weeks).

The Petites AntiIIes iguana is protected in Martinique and GuadeIoupe by the ministerial decree of February 17, 1989 and the Washington International Convention. Its destruction is an offence punishable by one year’s imprisonment and a €15,000 fine.

Lesser Antillean Iguana (îlet Chancel) :

Islet Chancel is located in the Bay of Robert. It is Martinique’s largest islet (80 ha).

The “lguana delicatissima” population on îlet Chancel is the largest in Martinique, with 800 individuals.

Islet Chancel is still free of the common iguana, making it one of the last iguana refuges in the Lesser Antilles.

The îlet Chancel is protected by the arrêté préfectoral de protection de Biotope (APB), and tourism is regulated. The APB promotes the conservation of biotopes necessary for the feeding, reproduction, resting or survival of protected species.

Offences are punishable by fines of up to €9,000 and 6 months’ imprisonment.