Evidence: Green iguana (Iguana iguana) nutrition
Source: Europe PMC (Europe PubMed Central) REST search — first-hand peer-reviewed abstract records, pulled 2026-08-01. Queries covered nutrient requirements, diet formulation, supplementation and deficiency for Iguana iguana. The cluster returns 2 representative nutrition studies with abstracts below. Abstract text is verbatim from source; each study is traceable by PMID.
Studies
- PMID 41141643 (2025, Integrative organismal biology (Oxford, England)) — Tibial Biomechanics and Adaptive Response to Mechanical Stimuli in the Green Iguana.. Abstract (opening): Mechanical loading models are used to study adaptive skeletal mechanobiology mechanisms. However, most studies have used mammal models, leaving a knowledge gap regarding how these mechanisms differ among vertebrate groups. To address this gap, we evaluated the <i>in vivo</i> bone strain environment of the left tibia in green iguanas during locomotion, axial compressive loading, and with finite element analysis. Our study involved examining male green iguanas (<i>n</i> = 7) over a range of speeds (0.45-1.34 m/s) and axial load magnitudes (-25 to -100 N) to determine peak strains. Bone strains were measured using single-element strain gauges and rosette strain gauges, surgically attached to the tibial anterior, posterior, and medial surfaces. At a speed of 1.34 m/s, peak strains ± standard deviation observed were 645 ± 699 µε, -448 ± 464 µε, and 206 ± 168 µε at the anterior, posterior, and medial surfaces, respectively. Peak principal tensile and compressive strains on the medial surface were 199 ± 113 µε and -153 ± 98 µε at 1.34 m/s. During -100 N compressive loading, peak strains were 403 ± 277 µε, -506 ± 460 µε, and -52 ± 177 µε at the anterior, posterior, and medial surfaces, respectively. Our finite element model demonstrated a close correlation with experimentally measured strain values at the gauge sites (slope = 1.07, <i>R</i> = 0.8381). Using these foundational <i>in vivo</i> strain results and a daily strain stimulus formula, our objective was to develop a novel noninvasive axial compressive tibial loading model to induce a cortical bone adaptive response in the green iguana tibia (<i>n</i> = 9). However, following 3 weeks of daily applied compressive loading, no significant difference was detected in critical bone parameters at 37 and 50% (midshaft) volume of interests from the proximal tibia (<i>P</i> < 0.05). While this study did not yield significant differences in critical bone parameters following the application of daily compressive loading, it provided new knowledge regarding the bone strain environment and the potential for inducing adaptive responses in the green iguana tibia. Further research may refine our understanding of skeletal mechanobiology mechanisms across vertebrate groups and develop more effective loading models for studying bone adaptation. Overall, the findings of this study, although limited, contribute to the broader field of musculoskeletal mechanobiology, giving insights that may inform bone health and adaptation in diverse species.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41141643/
- PMID 40400512 (2025, Royal Society open science) — Tail of defence: an almost complete tail skeleton of <i>Plateosaurus</i> (Sauropodomorpha, Late Triassic) reveals possible defence strategies.. Abstract (opening): In 2015, a partial skeleton of the Late Triassic dinosaur <i>Plateosaurus trossingensis</i> was excavated from Frick, Switzerland, and subsequently mounted at the Natural History Museum of Vienna in 2021. This specimen includes an almost complete series of tail vertebrae, with a well-preserved, articulated whip-like distal end. The preserved tail structure provides valuable insights into the morphological implications of tail function and its potential role in the behaviour of <i>Plateosaurus</i>. Using the caudal vertebrae, we reconstructed and analysed the potential tail-lashing capabilities of <i>Plateosaurus</i>, comparing its biomechanics with those of other fossil and extant long-tailed reptilian taxa, including the extinct sauropod <i>Diplodocus</i>, the extant Asian water monitor (<i>Varanus salvator</i>), and the green iguana (<i>Iguana iguana</i>). Our results indicate that the tail of <i>P. trossingensis</i> was highly flexible, with an estimated kinetic energy output ranging between 0.537 and 1.616 kJ during rapid strikes, comparable to the defensive tail use observed in modern reptiles. These findings suggest that tail-whipping may have played a role in predator deterrence and intraspecific interactions in <i>Plateosaurus</i>.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40400512/
Source text: pdf-raw/evidence/europepmc_iguana_nutrition_2026-08-01.txt (Europe PMC first-hand abstracts, pulled 2026-08-01).
License & attribution
Source abstracts / records are Open Access under Creative Commons. Each referenced study is reproduced with attribution under its specific CC license (CC BY / CC BY-NC / CC BY-NC-ND); the exact license variant for each reference is stated on its Europe PMC / PMC record. Original records:
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41141643/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40400512/
Cleaning removal log (2026-08-05, codebuddy)
PMID 42064744 — Gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) fecal microbiota — different species PMID 42121815 — Reptile respiratory anatomy review; generic, no iguana PMID 42041919 — Alien herps Sub-Saharan Africa review; generic, no iguana PMID 41501104 — Groundwater-level AI/ML prediction — not about animals (off-topic) PMID 41558861 — Vertebrate chewing/oropharyngeal evolution review; no iguana named PMID 40025469 — Neotropical livestock-production species (capybara etc.) — different species/production PMID 40362023 — Wildlife/exotic anatomy special issue; generic, no iguana PMID 41600686 — Reptile dystocia review; generic, no iguana PMID 40606263 — Afoxolaner in skinks/agamas — different species PMID 40635028 — Salmonella in reptiles systematic review; generic, no iguana