Costa Rican Iguanas, Your Friendly Neighbors
Witnessing wildlife in its natural habitat is one of the greatest draws of visiting Costa Rica. Your friendly neighbors, the iguanas, are no exception.
In this jungle-laden Central American nation, there’s no shortage of fabulous creators to stumble across on any given day. Whether on a guided tour or even while lounging on the pool deck at one of our luxury vacation villas.
We’ve had plenty of guests spot sloths at their rental properties. Others venture out on boats to interact with whales, dolphins and turtles. A mangrove kayak trip could easily introduce you to the local caiman population, while a paragliding adventure will have you navigating the sky with toucans, parrots and scarlet macaws.
All and all, this is a vacation destination that features incredible wildlife viewing opportunities by land, sea and air.
But what animal or reptile are you most likely to encounter on an average day in Dominical? What are the highest odds overall? Well, we’re going to put our money on iguanas.
Three Types of Iguanas in Costa Rica
There are three types of iguanas commonly found in this region: black iguanas, green iguanas and Jesus Christ lizards.
Black iguanas, or Ctenosaura similis if you’re speaking Greek, are easily identifiable with their spiky backs and tails. Truth be told, they aren’t typically all black but a combination of brown, gray and white. You’ll see these guys and gals all over the beaches in Dominical, Uvita and Ojochal. They can grow pretty large, with males often measuring more than 4 feet from nose to tail. Female black iguanas aren’t quite as big, averaging about 2 ½ feet in length.
According to the Guiness Book of World Records, black iguanas are the planet’s quickest lizard, with the fastest-ever recorded sprint velocity clocking in at 21.5 miles per hour.
The Caballitos Del Mar properties, in particular, have several local black iguanas living in downed tree branches near the water’s edge. If you stay at any of these YouGetHere Vacation Rental villas located just south of Dominical town, interacting with black iguanas will be a daily occurrence for you and your crew. And this isn’t a perilous adventure, as black iguanas tend to stick to themselves and are not a threat to humans.
While they dabble in insects, particularly at a young age, black iguanas prefer to munch on fruit, flowers and stems. Put out a few orange peels on the lawn and you’ll have some new best friends in no time.
Green iguanas are well represented in this region of the country as well.
They can grow even larger than black iguanas — up to 6 feet for males, with their long tails accounting for more than half of that body mass. That 2 to 3 feet of tail can also be shed at a moment’s notice. Quite a defense mechanism against predators.
The Michael Phelps of their species, green iguanas are excellent swimmers. Able to navigate upstream in rivers and even venture out into the rough ocean breakers. If you end up surfing with a GoPro and are able to capture video of a green iguana catching waves in the sea, congratulations because you’re about to go viral, my friend.
On a lighter note, green iguanas are considered an endangered species in Costa Rica and should be treated as such. Please do not disturb their natural habitats.
Last but not least are Jesus Christ lizards, aka Common Basilisk
They’re famous for their ability to walk on water and star in GEICO commercials. Wait, that was a gecko? We have a blog on geckos, too!
Smaller than black and green iguanas, Jesus Christ lizards have a very distinguishable fin on their backs.
They also have a distinct running style, sprinting only on hind legs with their bodies fully upright, not all that different from Forrest Gump. When gliding over water, Jesus Christ lizards can hit 15 miles per hour. But they must always be in a rush because after a few meters of floating on tiny air bubbles below their lage, flappy feet, they will sink like a stone.
When defying gravity, time is of the essence for the Jesus Christ lizard.
They also thrive in elevation, having been spotted as high as 3,900 feet in the Costa Rica rainforest. At our rental properties, it’s no secret that Villa Koora has a resident Jesus Christ lizard living on the grounds. He or she is a regular on the pool deck and has been known to show off its floating skills around breakfast time.
So there you have it. Three more amazing creatures to keep an eye out for during your next adventure into the southern zone of Costa Rica.
And speaking of tropical vacations, have you booked your next getaway yet? If not, email us directly at [email protected] and we’ll find a perfect setup for you, your family and friends. Come experience the magic for yourself!
Photo of common basilisk by Charles J. Sharp • CC BY-SA 4.0
