This new species of iguana evolved in the Galapagos 5 million years ago. This iguana discovery proves that iguana adaptive radiation in the Galapagos happened much earlier than previously believed.
Read about it here.
My favorite species from these islands, though, is the marine iguanas. They eat algae that grows on cliffs beneath the surf. They have to come on land to warm their bodies regularly, which is why they are so dark in color. While sunning themselves, they also excrete salt from their nasal passages, which is the only way that their bodies can deal with the seawater.
Here’s a video of them blowing salt:
Video from the youtube user Zooguy2.
