| Cuban rock iguana | |
|---|---|
| |
| Cyclura nubila | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Iguania |
| Family: | Iguanidae |
| Genus: | Cyclura |
| Species: | C. nubila
|
| Binomial name | |
| Cyclura nubila (Gray, 1831)
| |
| Subspecies | |
| |
The Cuban rock iguana (Cyclura nubila), also known as the Cuban ground iguana or Cuban iguana, is a species of lizard of the iguana family. It is the second largest of the West Indian rock iguanas (genus Cyclura), one of the most endangered groups of lizards. A herbivorous species with a thick tail and spiked jowls, it is one of the largest lizards in the Caribbean.
The Cuban iguana is distributed throughout the mainland of Cuba and its surrounding islets with a feral population thriving on Isla Magueyes, Puerto Rico. A subspecies is found on the Cayman Islands of Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. Females guard their nest sites and one population nests in sites excavated by Cuban crocodiles. As a defence measure, the Cuban iguana often makes its home within or near prickly-pear cacti.
The numbers of iguanas have been bolstered as a result of captive-breeding and other conservation programs. C. nubila has been used to study evolution and animal communication, and its captive-breeding program has been a model for other endangered lizards in the Caribbean.
- ^ Day, M. (1996). "Cyclura nubila". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 1996: e.T6030A12338655. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996.RLTS.T6030A12338655.en. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
- ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved January 14, 2022.