Globally there are more than 100 species of iguana, but some of the most unique ones are found only in the Galapagos.
Huge black, ocean-going iguanas inhabit much of the shoreline. These docile creatures can grow up to four feet long eating only seaweed. Colonies often sun themselves in heaps, almost invisible on the ancient black lava flows.
During mating season, the skin on the males turns mottled colors of burgundy and turquoise. All iguanas have a need to eliminate excess salt in their bodies which they do by spitting from a special gland on the top of their head. The build-up of this salt-spit creates white patches all over the lizards and the rocks upon which they sun.
NOTE: As islands go, the Galapagos are fairly young. Marked by active volcanoes, black lava flows, old and recent, cover vast sections of the land. Appropriately, my art is done on black paper lending an air of igneous drama to my subject matter.