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Left : a number of Galapagos tortoise conservation and breeding centres have been established . Right : Marine Iguanas are a common sight basking alone the coastlines .
these lizards , and their total lack of fear of humans meant you could get extremely close and observe them behaving completely naturally . Snorkelling with Marine Iguanas whilst they foraged for food , as well as sitting on a beach at sunset while dozens emerged from the ocean , were a couple of the many highlights of my Galapagos adventures .
Land iguanas grow to a total length of 90-150cm and can weigh up to 11kg . Again , there is considerable variation in morphology and colouration between the various populations . Although they may supplement their diet with invertebrates and carrion , they are primarily herbivorous and consume large amounts of prickly pear cactus , which also provides them with the bulk of their requirements for water . Land iguanas have developed a symbiotic relationship with Darwin ’ s finches , and will raise themselves off the ground to allow the birds to remove parasites .
Much like the Galapagos tortoises , land iguanas were almost completely wiped out as a result of human interference . Land iguanas became extinct on the island of Baltra in 1954 , after it was transformed into an air force base during WWII . Soldiers stationed on the island reportedly used to shoot the lizards for entertainment . Habitat destruction to make way for runways and hangars also contributed to their demise . On other islands , feral dogs became a major problem , since unlike the tortoises , adult iguanas were not immune to their attacks . In these circumstances , repatriations were pointless unless the dogs were first eliminated .
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