A Reptile That Escaped Extinction.

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Greetings. The Blue Iguana is a reptile native to the island of Grand Cayman. Once critically endangered, the species numbered only 15 wild individuals in 2003, but thanks to the herculean efforts of conservationists, the species' population has rebounded to a more healthy and sustainable status. 

A herbivorous reptile, Cyclura lewisi feeds on plants, fruits, and flowers. Adults have no natural enemies, with the only threat posed by human activities like habitat destruction. Young blue iguanas are occasionally preyed on by cats and dogs brought to the island by settlers. Blue iguanas are a prime example of island gigantism, being totally isolated on the island for the past tens of thousands of years, allowing for the species' substantially larger body dimensions. Adults reach lengths of 1.8 meters with weights of 16 kilograms commonly reported.

Blue iguanas prefer rocky habitats, open, sunny, and free of forested areas. Armed with powerful limbs and clawed digits, the animals are effective diggers and climbers, making them highly adaptable to their environment and its changes. Young blue iguanas are colored brown and green, with the predominant blue shading coming in with sexual maturity. The species is capable of deepening its blue color when threatened by other iguanas, or to signal others of its species of territorial encroachments.

Blue iguanas are sexually dimorphic, with males being about a full one third larger than females of the species. In addition to being primarily a terrestrial animal, blue iguanas are occasionally known to operate in low hanging branches, searching for food when environmental stresses demand. When pressed, the species will feed on insects, crabs, and other small invertebrates when plant matter is in short supply. Blue iguanas are highly territorial and long lived, with some adults in the wild known to have lived over sixty years. With any luck, the species will continue to thrive after having avoided the permanence of extinction. 

Thank you for your time and consideration. 

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