Diet and Longevity
The Exuma Island Iguana, like most Cyclura species is primarily herbivorous, consuming leaves, flowers, berries, and fruits from over 100 different plant species. Favored food plants include Seaside Rock Shrub (Rachicallis americana), Darling Plum (Reynosia septentrionalis), Pride of Big Pine (Strumpfia maritima), Joewood (Jacquinia keyensis), Black Torch (Erithalis fruticosa), Seagrape (Coccoloba uvifera), Silver Thatch Palm (Coccothrinax argentata), White Stopper (Eugenia axillaris), Bay Cedar (Suriana maritima), and the rotting fruit of Seven-year Apple (Casasia clusiifolia). A study in 2000 by Dr Allison Alberts of the San Diego Zoo revealed that seeds passing through the digestive tracts of Cycluras germinate more rapidly than those that do not. This is an adaptive advantage because it allows the seeds to sprout before the end of very short rainy seasons. The Exuma Island Iguana is also an important means of distributing these seeds to new areas (particularly when females migrate to their nesting areas) and, as the largest native herbivores of their island's ecosystem, they are essential for maintaining the balance between climate and vegetation. They actively forage for the feces of the Zenaida Dove (Zenaida aurita) and White-crowned Pigeon (Patagioenas leucocephala). The longevity record in captivity for an Exuma Island Iguana is twenty-three years, six months.
Read more about this topic: Cyclura Cychlura Figginsi
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