The Galapagos Islands 04....

Marine Iguanas are another endemic species. When they first arrived on the Galapagos Islands there was a lack of vegetation so they had to eat the algae which occurs on the rocks along the coastline inorder to survive. Over time they evolved to the point where they now swim about in the sea and can hold their breath for an hour whilst they cling to the rocks underwater and feed. As a cold-blooded creature the Marine Iguana needs to heat itself up in the sun before it is able to survive any length of time in the sea hence the fact that most of the time they can be seen basking in the sun on the rocks around the shoreline.



The colourful Sally-Lightfoot Crab is another creature commonly spotted along the shoreline.



You need an iron grip to withstand the currents and waves when getting in or out of the water!



The land Iguana came to the Galapagos Islands after the Marine Iguana and also after the arrival of vegetation so it never needed to evolve into a seagoing reptile. It mainly feeds on the Opuntia Cactus.

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