Iguanas

A friend of ours encountered an iguana for the first time the other day. At quick glance, she thought it was a dragon. And she's not the first to think so.

They are pretty strange looking, especially when you see one basking in the sun in the middle of the road or on the rocks or peering down at you from a tree.

Iguanas - specifically, green iguanas - aren't indigenous to Puerto Rico but as another blogger wrote, they are filling some ecological niche because they thrive here.

They most likely got to Puerto Rico as pets, cute little reptiles sold by pet shops. But like the "cute" little alligators, these guys grow up, some up to four or six feet long. A full-grown iguana is not cute and cuddly. So, like the alligators (and unfortunately, like so many dogs here on the island) the iguanas were dumped on the side of the road. Somehow enough of them found each other and now they are all over the island.

According to an article released by Airline Industry Information the invasive species became "a plague" at the airport in San Juan. Flights were delayed so iguanas could be cleared from the runways. In June, 2006, the airport considered drastic measures to eradicate the pests.

Elsewhere on the island, they're mostly just a strange sight. This guy is three or four feet long and sometimes hangs out in the tree outside our window. The good news is - they don't breathe fire.