a lizard on the sand
Photograph ©2024 by Brian Cohen.
Brian Cohen·
Experiences
··1 min read

Black Iguana in Tulum in Mexico. Sunday Morning Photograph.

Is this the lizard of Oz?

A black iguana in Tulum in Mexico came over to the table at which I was dining al fresco, hoping to become my dining partner and score some food as a prize instead of maintaining its typical diet, which includes the highly toxic and poisonous manchineel tree.

Black Iguana in Tulum in Mexico. Sunday Morning Photograph.

a lizard on the sand
Photograph ©2024 by Brian Cohen.

Also called the black spiny-tailed iguana and known by its scientific name of Ctenosaura similis, black iguanas are native to Mexico and Central America.

a lizard on a tile floor
Photograph ©2024 by Brian Cohen.

The black iguana is currently recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the fastest lizard in the world, with a maximal sprint speed of 21.5 miles per hour or 34.6 kilometers per hour — but they can also remain quite still.

a close up of a lizard's head
Photograph ©2024 by Brian Cohen.

Final Boarding Call

This particular black iguana is one of at least two whom I named Iggy. I highly doubt that that name stuck.

The purpose of the weekly series of Sunday Morning Photograph articles is to feature photographs from my travels around the world which you can view while enjoying your morning coffee.

See also

Please click here for a complete list of the Sunday Morning Photograph series of articles at The Gate With Brian Cohen, which include photographs taken of nature and sights of interest in many countries and territories around the world which are listed below.

All photographs ©2024 by Brian Cohen.

Countries and territories around the world include but not limited to: • Albania • Andorra • Antarctica • Argentina • Australia • Austria • Bahamas • Bahrain • Belgium • Belarus • Bosnia and Herzegovina • Botswana • Brazil • Bulgaria • Cambodia • Canada • China • Chile • Colombia • Côte d’Ivoire or Ivory Coast • Croatia • Cyprus — including the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus • Czechia or Czech Republic • Denmark • Dominican Republic • Ecuador • Egypt • England in Great Britain in the United Kingdom • Estonia • Fiji • Finland • France • Germany • Greece • Greenland • Hungary • Iceland • Ireland • Italy • Jamaica • Kenya • Kosovo • Laos • Latvia • Lebanon • Lesotho • Liechtenstein • Lithuania • Luxembourg • Malaysia • Mexico • Montenegro • Morocco • Mozambique • Netherlands • New Zealand • North Macedonia • Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom • Norway • Oman • Panama • Philippines • Poland • Portugal • Romania • Scotland in Great Britain in the United Kingdom • Singapore • Slovenia • South Africa • South Korea • Spain • Swaziland or Eswatini • Sweden • Switzerland • Taiwan • Thailand • Turkey or the Republic of Türkiye • United Arab Emirates • United States of America • Uruguay • Vanuatu • Vietnam • Wales in Great Britain in the United Kingdom

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