Conolophus pallidus Heller, 1903

Species Identity

Morphology: The Santa Fe land iguana (Conolophus pallidus Heller, 1903) is similar to the Galapagos land iguana, but differs in that it is paler yellow, has a longer, more tapered snout, and has more pronounced dorsal spines.

Size and Weight

This species reaches a total length of 0.91 meters (3 feet) when including the tail, and can weigh up to 11 kilograms (25 pounds).

Thermoregulation Behavior

Behavior and ecology: As a cold-blooded animal, Conolophus pallidus absorbs heat from the sun by basking on volcanic rocks.

To conserve body heat at night, it sleeps in burrows.

Symbiotic Relationship

This iguana also has a symbiotic relationship with finches native to its island: the birds remove parasites and ticks from the iguana, which gives the iguana relief from these pests and provides the birds with a food source.