Aside from large crocodilians and tortoises, one of the most iconic reptiles of the Americas would be the green iguana (Iguana iguana). Green iguanas are native to South and Central America with invasive populations in parts of North America and the Caribbean. Taxonomy within this species has been controversial, with the current convention being the recognition of tentative subspecies. Green iguanas are large in comparison to other American lizards, typically reaching maximum lengths of 1.5 meters and some record-breakers exceeding 2 meters. Green iguanas are herbivores, feeding on a wide variety of leaves, fruits, and flowers. Their main predators are predatory birds. Green iguanas are very common in captivity and are very popular reptilian pets, despite being high-maintenance. The green iguana is a delicacy in Central and South America, and is dubbed gallina de palo (”Chicken of the tree”) due to their taste.
I don’t have many notable squamates in my collection, so I decided CollectA’s green iguana would be a good place to start. The level of detailed appeared impressive in photos and I was glad to see that this held up when viewing the figure in-person. The CollectA green iguana is 20cm long when measuring from the tip of the tail to the snout, roughly corresponding to the 1:6-1:9 range.
As I’ve mentioned before, the detail on this figure is insane, especially compared to the Safari version reviewed 2 years ago. All the spines , scales, bumps, dewlap, and subtympanic shields are present. Very fine sculpting was done for this figure. I’m no expert on any lizard, but from what I could tell, this figure lacks any glaring anatomical issues.
The CollectA iguana’s paintjob is an impressive display of gradients. The light green is somewhat countershaded as it becomes lighter towards the ventral side of the flanks before the transition to an off-white for the underside. The stripes along the back are very realistic and the blue along the mandible is also aesthetically pleasing. Green iguanas evidently encompass a wide range of coloration, so there’s not much to note regarding the accuracy.
The green iguana is probably my favorite of CollectA’s new releases for this year. It’s a bit bigger than I would have preferred, but otherwise, I have nothing to criticize. Those interesting in a green iguana can’t go wrong with this.
Amazing figure. I have it and am in awe with what they did there. The reference to the Safari version above is my review/figure, and it has since been bumped for this masterpiece!
A first rate reptile!