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The green iguana (Iguana iguana), also known as the American iguana, the common green iguana, or simply the iguana, is a large, arboreal, mostly herbivorous species of lizard of the genus Iguana. The species is native to a large geographic area, from southern Brazil and Paraguay as far north as Mexico. It grows to 1.7 metres (5.6 feet) in length from head to tail, although a few specimens have grown more than 2 metres (6.6 feet) with weights upward of 20 pounds (9.1 kilograms). Green iguanas possess a row of spines along their backs and tails, which helps to protect them from predators. Their whip-like tails can be used to deliver painful strikes, and like many other lizards, when grabbed by the tail, iguanas can allow it to break, so they can escape and eventually regenerate a new one. This green iguana was photographed in Palm Beach County, Florida, where the species has been introduced.Photograph credit: Rhododendrites