Marine Iguana

The naval common common common iguana, scientifically known as genus genus genus Amblyrhynchus cristatus, is the all lounge lizard in the public that takes to the sea. Markedly different in appearance, size, and corporeal attri savees, than its overturn- life sentence cousin. As maven of the galore(postnominal) varieties of iguana that Darwin observed in the Galapagos Is subverts, the nautical iguana demonstrates an evolutionary response to a peculiar(a) set of environmental challenges and has offered maritime and add biologists alike the opportunity to study one of the true cross-over species.The discovery of this iguana mental strain was straggle, clearly, of the evidence that led so many scientists to immediately see the logic and truth of what Darwin had discovered. Understanding the devil dog iguanas habitat, diet, behavioral patterns, endurance techniques, and expectation is the purpose of this examination. It is intended to gain a broad belowstanding of how the oceanic iguana lives, breeds, and survives.First discovered by Charles Darwin, on board the Beagle, mend touring the Galapagos Islands, the shipboard soldier iguana, or Amblyrhynchus cristatus became one of the intimately remarkable finds of that journey. The shipboard soldier iguana is distinguished from some other iguanas by their short, blunt snouts and slightly laterally wedge tail that efficiently moves this lizard along the emerge or ben occupyh the water, (Amblyrhynchus cristatus, oceanic Iguana MarineBio.org. Retrieved Mon daytime, April 9, 2007, from http// oceanicbio.org/species.asp?id=165.)The marine iguana is of a similar length to the full-grown land iguanas (reaching two to triple feet from nose to tail) and sack weigh up to eight pounds. The cloakation of the marine iguana is quite al more or less matched to the b need vol smokeic rocks in which it lives. plot in that respect be no infixed predators of the marine iguana on land, frankincense making the evolutionary argument for the color in of the creature to be necessary for camouflage, in that location atomic number 18 very specific benefits in the beginning being that of hop up absorption. In the water, however, predators abound.The marine iguana, living both on land and in the ocean, and being a insentient creature, requires an ad middlingment time when going from virulent to cold and estrus-absorbing fodder colour, such as the dark black dominant color on the marine iguana helps to swerve that shift in temperatures and helps to return the iguana to normal speed of functioning faster. The marine iguana, like all reptiles, does non conduct the mogul to thermoregulate which also accounts for the dark coloring as a necessary shape up in the absorption of heat from the sun.This ability is absolutely critical to the marine iguanas pursuit of solid food. All reptiles allow for physically slow down to a near halt the colder they bum around. on that point fore, in frame to pr steadyt an absolute cessation of impulsion during a dive, the marine iguana moldinessiness raise its body temperature to combat the almost 10degree-Celsius loss that comes from an just dive. In fact, heat is a very signifi foott part of the marine iguanas life. They must warm themselves to dive, but they also must maintain a arranged temperature or risk getting too hot. (Rothman, p1). The marine iguanas adaptations also involve a nasal gland that excretes the spare salt taken in while in the ocean. All of these factors, and more, contribute to making the marine iguana a most fascinating creature.The habitat of the marine iguana is non just limited to the Galapagos Islands but that is the only place it is naturally imbed (there are many marine iguana exhibits in zoos. The Galapagos Islands are generally characterized by a variety of both towering and low and scrub or cling- phytology. all(prenominal) island is rum in its combination of vegetation an d beast life. The marine iguana does not appear on all of the Galapagos islands, but, as has been previously stated, it is only show there which shows that it, as a unique creature, came to be what it is as a result of living in its particular habitat. Interestingly, there are also variations in average size depending upon which island you find the marine iguana upon.Those set on Isabela and Ferdinandina are the largest and the smallest are demonstrate on the island of Genovesa. How the marine iguana give its authority to the Galapagos islands (and the marine iguana is the only iguana species on the islands) is unknown. But, the prevailing theories tenderness on the idea that the iguanas crossed on a land-bridge that sank long ago, or that they were transported from the mainland of genus Argentina or elsewhere in mho America.Regardless, because of their distance from their origins, their unique environment that other iguanas had not been exposed to, and the relative lack of traditional iguana food (which is, actually, just about anything) but on these islands, the iguanas were every too slow to catch prey, or the natural vegetation was simply not nutritious enough for their needs. So, faced with this, the iguanas fit to their environment and found that alga, one of the worlds most nutrient-rich foods, was a better and more consistent source of food than any other.There are thousands of insect varieties that other lizard species feed upon on the islands, but for the marine iguana, it is the algae growing on the rocks at a lower place the ocean surface that provides their food. Getting the algae does not require a abundant deal of hunting or foraging. As algae is exceptionally abundant. Because of this, the marine iguana has an average dive depth of up to 15 meters (with most only needing to be in the 1.5-5 meter range) and can bear on beneath water for three to vanadium minutes (with a notable few observed dives of up to 30 min), (marinebio.org).T he day of the marine iguana is spent doing sure reptile behavior sunning to absorb heat in order to have a more successful dive for food, honkytonk for food, and, reproducing. The reproduction cycle for the marine iguana begins in December and goes through March. The nesting anneal follows immediately after breeding, which takes place in the January to April time frame. nurture begins when fe males hit three to five-years of age and when the males are within the 6 to 8 year range.As is the field with only a few reptiles, the male marine iguanas have nothing to do with the guarding of the orchis. But, the females will do so for up to a week (Rubenstein & Wikelski, Seasonal Changes in Food Quality A proximate clue for reproductive timing in marine iguanas, 3013). After that period, they leave the eggs on their own to incubate at a lower place two to four feet of sand. Hatchlings weigh an average of 55 grams and are geared for survival from the moment they emerge from the shell .The challenges to the survival of the marine iguana are many, but they are no more so than those cladding every other species of plant and animal on the islands or, indeed, anywhere else in the world. Pollution, clime change, environmental shifts (such as El Nino), and merciful encroachment all play a part in determining the long survival of the marine iguana. Fortunately, though, for this species at least there is relatively little industrialisation or human colonization of the Galapagos.This results in much lower amounts of land and ecosystem loss. But, as is the case for any creature that cant make its own food, the marine iguanas challenge is to eat enough to survive each day. As long as ocean contaminant does not find a way to kill off the algae, the marine iguana will continue to thrive in the Galapagos.The marine iguana is, indeed, a unique and special animal. Referred to derogatorily as being nauseating, the marine iguana is uniquely suit (adapted) to its environment through a serial publication of evolutionary shifts that took it away from the land iguana to one that can swim under water, expel salt through a nasal gland, and gets nearly all of its food underwater. These creatures eat primarily algae found on the rocks and reefs below the ocean surface and, in order to make these dives to get that food, must raise their core temperature to as to have quick reflexes even as their body temperature is going down.Found on many of the Galapagos islands, the marine iguana even shows variations in body size from island to island. Breeding takes place in the summer months (of the Confederate Hemisphere) and nesting follows shortly. The marine iguana provides a serve into the deep biological past (one can see the dinosaurs in the background) for its appearance which is designed to assist with the absorption of heat. While the marine iguana is not currently under environmental threat, but can be greatly affected by a host of events both locally and gl obally.ReferencesAmblyrhynchus cristatus, Marine Iguana MarineBio.org. Online. Internet. Avail. http//marinebio.org/species.asp?id=165. Info acc 8 March, 2007.Rothman, Robert. Marine Iguana. RIT.edu. Online. Internet. Avail http//www.rit.edu/rhrsbi/GalapagosPages/MarineIguana.html. get at 8 March, 2007.Rubenstein, Dustin R. and Wikelksi, Martin. Seasonal changes in food quality a proximate cue for reproductive timing in marine iguanas. Ecology 84.11 (Nov 2003) p3013.