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A gray rhinoceros iguana with horn-like bumps on its snout standing on rocky ground.
Photo: Tim Ross, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Rhinoceros Iguana

Cyclura cornuta

An endangered plant-eating lizard found only on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, named for the horn-like scales on its snout.

🦎 Lizards
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About the Rhinoceros Iguana

Rhinoceros iguanas live only on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea. They live in hot, dry forests, scrub and desert. These iguanas mostly eat leaves, fruits, flowers and seeds, and sometimes insects, land crabs or dead animals. Males have larger horn-like scales on their heads than females.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Cyclura cornuta[1]
Lifespan
20 years reported in captivity, and possibly much longer in the wild.[1]
Diet
Mostly leaves, fruits, flowers and seeds, sometimes insects, land crabs or carrion.[1]
Habitat
Dry forest, scrub and desert in places that average at least 27°C (81°F).[1]
Where it lives
Only the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean.[1]
Babies
5 to 20 eggs, laid in a burrow about 40 days after mating.[1]
Conservation status
Endangered (IUCN Red List, assessed 2018).[2]

Fun facts

  • Male rhinoceros iguanas have bigger horn-like scales on their snouts than females.[1]
  • Females dig burrows up to 1.5 meters (5 feet) long for their eggs.[1]
  • By eating fruit and dropping the seeds, rhinoceros iguanas help plants spread.[1]

Vocabulary

iguana
A large lizard found in warm parts of the Americas.
scale
One of the small, hard plates that cover a reptile's skin.
burrow
A hole or tunnel dug in the ground by an animal.
introduced predator
A hunting animal brought by people to a place where it did not live before.
endangered
A conservation label meaning a species faces a very high risk of dying out in the wild.

See it in person

Sources

  1. [1] Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. “Cyclura cornuta (rhinoceros iguana).” https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Cyclura_cornuta/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Cyclura cornuta (Hispaniolan Rhinoceros Iguana).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/6042/3099941 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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