Green Iguana

Green Iguana
[Iguana iguana]

Iguana are native to Central and South America, the Carribean Islands, and even in parts of Florida, Texas, and Hawaii. They are kept as domestic pets in many parts of the world, due to their herbivorous diet and calm demeanor. A group of them is called a Lounge of Iguana. :)
I saw wild Iguana all over in my travels off the mainland; in Puerto Rico, Aruba, Curacao, and St. Thomas. Whether begging for lettuce in open eateries, to sunning in trees near the beach, I couldn't tell you how many of these guys I spotted!
Despite their name, Green Iguana come in a variety of other colors, blue, black, orange, lavender, or pink. They can grow up to 6 feet long! Distinguishing features include a row of spines down the back, a large round scale on their cheek called a subtympanic shield which covers their eardrums, and a long tail with thick black stripes.

Red-Eyed Coqui

Red-Eyed Coqui
[Eleutherodactylus antillensis]


The Red-Eyed Coqui, also known as the Antillian Coqui, or Coqui Churi, is one of the most common Coqui in Puerto Rico. The Coqui are one of the most recognized symbols of Puerto Rico, they adorn everything from towels and bags to brochures and advertisements, smiling green frogs on everything!
The Red-Eyed Coqui is more beige than green, and I saw this tiny guy hopping around my hotel room, probably trying to get away from the heat, or looking for some water. As he's a tree frog, his feet aren't webbed, and he's not cut out for swimming. He was about an inch long -- at a distance, I thought he was a cricket!