Aruban iguana

When I first noticed these guys roaming freely around our hotel pool area, I have to admit that I was a bit 'freaked out'. Within a few days, I was used to them and barely noticed one unless it ran right across my path (or when someone decided to feed them right at their dining table...too close for my liking).

It turns out that these herbivorous lizards are native to the island - and in fact, throughout the Caribbean. Not only do they tend to have a long life span, but as I saw for myself, they can also grow to be very long as well...some as much as 6 feet from tip to tip (with very long tails).

Iguanas like warm climates and can also be found in places like Florida - where this past winter it got so cold that the iguanas literally entered a state of hibernation and were seen to be dropping from the trees.

Fortunately, with year-round temperatures hovering around 30 degrees Celsius in Aruba, this guy lives a happy life on resort.