Reproduction
Although Mona ground iguanas use the whole island as their habitat, only 1% of the territory, located on the southwest coast, is suitable for nesting because it contains loose sand and receives direct sunlight. The females bury their eggs in the sand and the sunlight incubates the eggs. Males reach sexual maturity at a size of 28–31 cm in length from snout to vent, usually in their third to fourth year, while females mature one year later at a size of 35–40 cm.
Nesting season begins in the second week of June. Usually, one female mates with more than one male in the two weeks the mating season lasts. Copulation may last from 15 |sec] to 2 mins and 15 sec. One month later, nesting begins. Females will dig a tunnel 3-foot (0.91 m) long located one to two feet underground, where they deposit from five to 19 eggs, with 12 being the average. They will guard their nests for several days, but provide no parental care for the hatchlings, which hatch three months later. Hatchlings measure, on average, 32 cm and weigh 73.7 grams and grow at a rate of 5.23 cm per year.
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