Cape spinytail iguana in Europe?

Dormitator

Dormitator

Well-Known Member
5+ year member
I visited the Blue Reef aquarium in Portsmouth today and was surprised to see a large male Ctenosaura, labelled as C. hemilopha. I wasn't aware that this species was in captivity in Europe; Zootierliste doesn't list any institution that currently holds it, nor that BRA holds any Ctenosaura. Does anyone know if this is an incorrect label, and indeed what this species actually is? I'm happy that it's part of the 'black banded flat-skulled' Ctenosaura morphogroup, similar to C. similis, but I'm no expert.

Ctenosaura hemilopha?

Ctenosaura hemilopha?

  • Media owner Dormitator
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Sources online list him as a green Iguana named Lecter. Looking at the photos it's definitely the same animal. Their FB page also has photos calling him a green Iguana.

Zootierliste also list green Iguana (Iguana Iguana) so that would make sense.

He doesn't look like C. hemilopha either, Similis maybe, but not hemilopha.
 
Fresco3 said:
Sources online list him as a green Iguana named Lecter. Looking at the photos it's definitely the same animal. Their FB page also has photos calling him a green Iguana.
Click to expand...

As far as I can tell, their FB page only ever refers to him as an "iguana" and does not cite the species. Although there is a news post on the website identifying him as a green iguana, other sources say he is a "spiny iguana" sharing an exhibit with a green iguana called Dalgleish.

Most pertinently, he looks nothing like a Green Iguana :P compare and contrast this photograph of Lecter's head with this photograph of a Green Iguana head.

As such I suspect it is possible the news post was inaccurate, as many posts by PR can be :P
 
There was a lot of interp surrounding Lecter's enclosure regarding green iguana rescues, hence my surprise at finding a Ctenosaura in the exhibit! I couldn't see any green iguanas in the enclosure, but I could well have missed them.

Still doesn't explain why he was listed as C. hemilopha, might post the pic around to see if anyone can identify it to species.
 
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