International Iguana Foundation

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International Iguana Foundation

Supporting conservation, awareness, and scientific programs to save endangered iguanas.
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The International Iguana Foundation was created to fund programs to conserve critically endangered iguana species and the habitat they need for their very existence.

10/07/2026

In all seriousness, we take the raising and releasing of iguana hatchlings incredibly seriously—and yes, we really do treat them like our babies! 🥹🦎💚

Cheers to releasing even more iguanas before the end of the year! 🎉 Did you know we’re only about a month away from releasing our 1,000th Jamaican iguana back into its natural habitat?!

We can’t wait to celebrate this incredible milestone! 🦎💚

10/05/2026

🦎🏝️ 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐲 𝐈𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 — 𝐀𝐧𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐝𝐚 𝐑𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐈𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐧𝐚 | 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝟏 🏝️🦎

A new month means a new species to highlight! This October, we’re heading to one of the flattest islands in the Caribbean—Anegada. This tiny, remote island is the northernmost island in the British Virgin Islands and is home to a unique and critically endangered species: the Anegada Rock Iguana (𝘊𝘺𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘳𝘢 𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘴).

The Anegada Rock Iguana is one of the most genetically distinct rock iguanas and is easily recognized by its large, stout body. Males can weigh more than 9 pounds and grow to over two feet in length! Their scientific name, 𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘴, comes from the Latin word for “fat,” an aptly fitting name for their stocky appearance. Like other rock iguanas, males have a larger dorsal crest and more prominent femoral pores than females.

While this species once ranged across much of the Puerto Rican Bank, its population is now restricted to the 15-square-mile island of Anegada. This limited range puts the species at significant risk, especially with an estimated population of only around 550 individuals. 🏝️

Luckily, the Anegada Rock Iguana has a dedicated team of conservationists working to ensure this species has a future. 💚

Follow along this month as we take a deep dive into the Anegada Rock Iguana and the conservation work helping this species thrive—including some special posts coming directly from the island! 🦎🌴

09/30/2026

🦎 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆?🦎

From celebrating 25 years of iguana conservation to getting Jamaican Iguanas one step closer to returning to the wild, there’s been a lot happening at the International Iguana Foundation! 💚

Our September newsletter is here, and we’re sharing some of the latest conservation work, milestones, and stories from the field.

Want to catch up? Check out our September newsletter!

🔗 https://www.iguanafoundation.org/newsletter/

09/28/2026

🦎🏝️ 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐲 𝐈𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 — 𝐅𝐢𝐣𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐈𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐧𝐚 | 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝟒 🏝️🦎

We’ve learned quite a bit about these majestic iguanas this month, but how are conservationists working to save the Fijian Crested Iguana (𝘉𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘺𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘶𝘴 𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴)?

Researchers and conservationists have spent decades working to rebuild iguana populations across the islands, and their efforts have already led to some incredible successes. But there is still much more work to be done.

After invasive plants and animals were removed from Yadua Taba, the island’s dry forest has slowly recovered through transplanting native trees and shrubs, providing native habitat where Fijian Crested Iguanas can thrive. This habitat restoration has helped the population grow from just a few hundred individuals in the 1980s to nearly 40,000 today! 🦎

In 2025, conservation efforts began to repopulate the island of Qalito, which is densely forested but did not have an iguana population. Nearby Mololo Island has a small population of around 100–120 Fijian Crested Iguanas, and 15 individuals were translocated to Qalito.

Using telemetry tracking, researchers were able to locate all 15 iguanas a few months later, providing encouraging evidence that the translocation was successful. Even more exciting, one female had laid eggs, while two others were gravid! 🎉

Several more conservation projects like these are underway on other islands. However, rebuilding healthy island ecosystems takes time. It can take decades of restoring native forests and removing invasive predators before significant changes are seen.

Luckily, these iguanas have an incredible team behind them, working to give the species a chance to rebuild and thrive once again. 💚

Thank you for following along with us this month as we explored the Fijian Crested Iguana! Keep following the International Iguana Foundation to learn more about the work being done to protect iguanas around the world. 🦎🌎

09/25/2026

𝕎𝕙𝕖𝕟 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕫𝕖 𝕥𝕠𝕕𝕒𝕪 𝕚𝕤 𝔽𝕣𝕚𝕕𝕒𝕪 😎

09/23/2026

🐾

We often find more than just iguanas while out in the field! 🦎🌿

While participating in Utila spiny-tailed iguana conservation in Honduras, Daisy Maryon has encountered plenty of other wildlife along the way—and she’s sharing some of her favorites with us!

From Portuguese man-o-wars to rough-toothed dolphins to agoutis to hog island boas, every day brings something new when you’re out exploring the field. You never know what you might find! 🪼🐬🐀🐍

09/21/2026

🦎🏝️ 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐲 𝐈𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 — 𝐅𝐢𝐣𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐈𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐧𝐚 | 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝟑 🏝️🦎

So far, we have learned where the Fijian Crested Iguana (𝘉𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘺𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘶𝘴 𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴) lives, what it eats, how it reproduces, and a little bit about its history. But where does this species stand today?

Unfortunately, the Fijian Crested Iguana has dramatically declined, with more than 90% of its population now found on the single, small island of Yadua Taba. 🏝️

One of the primary threats to the species has been goats and other invasive species. Because Fijian Crested Iguanas rely on a limited number of native plants for both food and habitat, their resources were severely depleted when goats were introduced to the islands in the 1970s. Fires were also used to help manage the goats, further reducing the native vegetation the iguanas depend on. 🐐

Introduced cats, dogs, and mongoose pose another serious threat by preying on iguana eggs and young. This can prevent individuals from surviving long enough to reach adulthood and reproduce. 🐈

And with so much of the population concentrated on one small island, natural threats can have an exasperated impact on the species as a whole. Natural disasters, disease, and other unexpected events can be especially challenging for species with such limited ranges. ⛈️

But there is hope! 💚 Come back next week to learn about the conservation efforts helping Fijian Crested Iguanas thrive once again! 🦎

09/17/2026

I mean, do we really need anything else?

09/14/2026

🦎🏝️𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐲 𝐈𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 — 𝐅𝐢𝐣𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐈𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝟐 🏝️🦎

We are back for another week of learning all about the Fijian Crested Iguana (𝘉𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘺𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘶𝘴 𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴)!

This iguana calls the treetops home and lives almost exclusively in the canopy. To move from tree to tree, they carefully balance using their long toes and tail as they make their way across overlapping leaves. With their bright green bodies and white stripes, they blend almost seamlessly into their habitat, making them occasionally difficult for researchers to find! 🌴

The trees and shrubs are also where they find their meals. Being predominantly herbivorous, Fijian Crested Iguanas feed on several types of leaves, fruits, and flowers from native Fijian plants. 🌱

Occasionally, females will head to the ground during the rainy season to dig nests and lay their eggs. Laying between 2 and 8 leathery white eggs, the Fijian Crested Iguana has one of the longest incubation periods of any iguana, lasting more than 6 months! 🤯

Unfortunately, this species is critically endangered, and much of its historical population has dramatically declined.

Stay tuned for next week to find out more about what threatens these striking iguanas! 🦎

09/12/2026

Wondering what our 2026 grant recipients have been up to? Well… quite a lot!

From planting native food sources and giving young iguanas health checkups before their release to monitoring wild populations and so much more, our researchers have been busy!

Keep checking in to see what else our grant recipients have been up to lately! 🦎💚

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