Cuban Rock Iguana

Cyclura nubila

The Cuban rock iguana, Cyclura nubila, is a large ground-dwelling iguana native to Cuba and nearby islands. It has a heavy head, muscular body, spiny dorsal crest, and gray to brown coloration that often shows darker banding. Like other rock iguanas, it is long-lived, strongly built, and adapted to dry coastal scrub, limestone outcrops, and burrow systems where adults bask, shelter, and defend territories.

Private keeping is limited by size, strength, longevity, and legal restrictions, so responsible ownership usually means captive-bred animals, substantial planning, and secure outdoor or room-sized housing in warm climates. They require intense heat, ultraviolet light, and a high-fiber herbivorous diet based on leafy greens, flowers, and vegetables rather than animal protein. Zoos and conservation programs manage Cuban rock iguanas through habitat protection, breeding oversight, and public education, especially where introduced predators and coastal development affect wild populations.