Heading out of the marina at Puerto Vallarta for two spectacular whale-watching trips, lizards above and below the boat's gunwhales attracted our attention. Sunning themselves in the early morning sun were Green Iguanas (Iguana iguana) while on the rocks below was a Western Spiny-tailed Iguana (Ctenosaura pectinata), the latter occurring along the coastal belt of north-west Mexico.
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| Green Iguana in the palms above the boat |
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| Western (Black) Spiny-tailed Iguana on the rocks of the marina wall |
Spiny-tailed iguanas are thus named for the keeled scales along their tail which are particularly pronounced at the anterior end, forming rings of spiny protrusions. Dark, often piebald, in colour another common name for the species is Black Spiny-tailed Iguana or just Black Iguana. By contrast, the young are bright green. Adult spiny-tailed iguanas are mainly herbivorous
The next time we came across one was on top of the wall of the old fort building overlooking the harbour and town at San Blas. It was longer (they grow to around 1.3 metres) and darker, moving occasionally to catch the rays of the late afternoon sun.
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| Western Spiny-tailed Iguana on the roofless wall of the fort at San Blas |
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| The rings of low spines can be seen on the tail |
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| The iguana was on the top of the wide wall of San Blas Fort (built in 1760) |
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| ...while Turkey Vultures made used of the modern facilities provided |
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