CA Press:In O.C., the iguana came before the egg

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Posted by Desiree on March 24, 2002 at 18:58:23:

March 24, 2002

By PAT BRENNAN
The Orange County Register

In O.C., the iguana came before the egg

Big green lizards are a rare sight in Southern California wild country - but they do turn up on occasion.

Like many other exotic pets, green iguanas have been known to escape into nature. They are a tropical species, adapted to live in the jungle, but they can tolerate Southern California's mild winters. And, though vegetarians, they can find enough to eat.

Many non-native species running loose in Orange County started out as escapees, or they were deliberately released. Flocks of parrots scream their way through trees in Santa Ana. Bullfrogs gobble up native fish and amphibians in south-county streams. Garden snails, brought here in a failed attempt to make them delicacies for diners, now dine on our delicate domestic plants.

So why aren't we overrun with green iguanas? They are increasingly popular pets, and yet, except for a few lone fugitives, they haven't become established on our wild lands.

The reason has to do with reproduction. Though they can survive our cooler climate, iguanas must find very specific conditions when it's time to lay their eggs. Temperature, moisture, soil and vegetation have to be just right, or the eggs will not hatch. And those conditions are not likely found in Southern California.

Not likely, but not out of the question. A reptile expert pressed on the matter quoted a make-believe scientist from the film "Jurassic Park": "Life will find a way."

Scientific name: Iguana iguana

Sources: Biologist Dan Holland of the Camp Pendleton Amphibian and Reptile Survey

In O.C., the iguana came before the egg

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hmmm.. interesting! np Tmom 03/24/02 (0)

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: March 24, 2002 : By PAT BRENNAN : The Orange County Register : : In O.C., the iguana came before the egg : : Big green lizards are a rare sight in Southern California wild country - but they do turn up on occasion. : Like many other exotic pets, green iguanas have been known to escape into nature. They are a tropical species, adapted to live in the jungle, but they can tolerate Southern California's mild winters. And, though vegetarians, they can find enough to eat. : Many non-native species running loose in Orange County started out as escapees, or they were deliberately released. Flocks of parrots scream their way through trees in Santa Ana. Bullfrogs gobble up native fish and amphibians in south-county streams. Garden snails, brought here in a failed attempt to make them delicacies for diners, now dine on our delicate domestic plants. : So why aren't we overrun with green iguanas? They are increasingly popular pets, and yet, except for a few lone fugitives, they haven't become established on our wild lands. : The reason has to do with reproduction. Though they can survive our cooler climate, iguanas must find very specific conditions when it's time to lay their eggs. Temperature, moisture, soil and vegetation have to be just right, or the eggs will not hatch. And those conditions are not likely found in Southern California. : Not likely, but not out of the question. A reptile expert pressed on the matter quoted a make-believe scientist from the film "Jurassic Park": "Life will find a way." : Scientific name: Iguana iguana : Sources: Biologist Dan Holland of the Camp Pendleton Amphibian and Reptile Survey

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