Rhino Iguana Skull

Rhino Iguana Skull Replica. Cyclura cornutia.

* Size: 5 inch x 4 inch x 3 inch (13cm x 10cm x 8cm)
* Material: Museum quality skulls are cast in durable Polyurethane resins.
* Made in USA

The Rhinoceros Iguana (Cyclura cornuta) is a threatened species of lizard of the genus Cyclura that is primarily found on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, shared by the Republic of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. They vary in length from 2 to 4 1/2 feet and skin colors range from a steely gray to a dark green and even brown. Their name derives from the bony-plated pseudo-horn or outgrowth which resembles the horn of a rhinoceros on the iguana's snout.

The Rhinoceros Iguana, like other iguanas of the genus cyclura is a large bodied, heavy headed lizard with strong legs and a vertically flattened tail. A crest of pointed horned scales extends from the nape of their neck to the tip of their tail. Their color is a uniform gray to brown drab.

These iguanas are characterized by the growth of bony prominent tubercles on their snouts which resemble horns. Dr. Thomas Wiewandt, who spent an extended period on Mona Island studying Cyclura cornuta stejnegeri, suggested that the horns, along with lateral spines and prominent parietal bulges, function as protective armor against sharp rocks or as defensive tools to facilitate the escape of males from the grasp of one another. Males possess an adipose pad in the form of a helmet on the occipital region of the head, and a large dewlap. Males of this species, like other species within the Genus Cyclura, are larger than females, and have more prominent dorsal crests and "horns" in addition to femoral pores on their thighs, which are used to release pheromones. Females lack these pores and have shorter crests than the males, making the animals sexually dimorphic.

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