effective weapon, lashing out in a whip-like
fashion, and can be discarded and regenerated if
required. Females lay a single clutch of eggs
annually, averaging around 50 in number, and have
been recorded to share the nests of crocodilians!
But who would imagine such an outlandish display
of free-roaming wildlife smack dab in the middle of
a metropolis of 2.69 million inhabitants? Ecuador
has always been an eco-tourism hotspot for nature
enthusiasts, birdwatchers and herpers. From the
exotic shores of the Galápagos, to the cool, crisp
Andean highlands, and the steamy jungles of el
Oriente, the local moniker for the Amazon River
basin, there are endless chances to encounter some
of the world’s most extraordinary reptiles,
amphibians and invertebrates.
Guayaquil was founded on the west coast in the
1530s, and became a bustling seaport, and a gate-
way to South America and beyond. Considered ‘la
Perla del Pacifico’ (the pearl of the Pacific), this
cornerstone of Ecuadorian commerce sits on the
banks of the Guayas River; a modern and dynamic
city, still clinging to its colonial roots, as the first
municipality to declare independence (in 1820)
from the Spanish crown.
‘The iguanas
have thrived
in Guayaquil
because
‘bamboo
chicken’ is
not on the
ecuatoriano
menu.’
Since the early days of European occupation, the
iguanas have been infiltrating Guayaquil’s urban
parks and green spaces closest to the rivers. They
Image by Vickie Lillo.