Rare iguana missing in residential community

A green iguana has gone missing in Discovery Gardens with Nakheel appealing residents to report any sighting.

“Green iguana is not a native to the UAE and is believed to belong to a resident,” Nakheel said in a notice to residents.

The reptile is not on the list of endangered species, but is listed under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) because of their popularity.

The green iguana can grow to more than six feet as more than two-thirds of this length is taken up by the tail, according to Green Iguana Foundation.

It is found in habitats from northern Mexico, through Central America into South America around the Tropic of Capricorn, plus a number of small islands off the Pacific and Atlantic coasts.