Thegreen iguana, also known as theAmerican iguanaor thecommon green iguana, is a large,arboreal , mostlyherbivorousspeciesoflizardof thegenusIguana. Usually, this animal is simply called theiguana. The green iguana ranges over a large geographic area; it is native from southernBrazilandParaguayas far north asMexico.

Aherbivore, it has adapted significantly with regard to locomotion andosmoregulationas a result of its diet. It grows to 1.7m (5.6ft) in length from head to tail, although a few specimens have grown more than 2m (6.6ft) with bodyweights upward of 20lb (9.1kg).