Quick Take
- Iguanas are a food source for snakes, and the Galapagos racer snake often hunts them as soon as they hatch.
- Iguanas have a number of adaptations to avoid being eaten, such as sprinting and smart maneuvering.
Fights between iguanas and snakes are a common occurrence in nature. Given the overlap of habitats, it’s not surprising that these fights occur somewhat frequently. They also often escalate, given that iguanas are a food source for many snake species. This YouTube video by Forest Legacy shows an intense chase where an iguana cleverly outsmarts a snake through its escape. Read here to learn more about how these two animals battle it out.
Iguanas avoid snakes by sprinting away and jumping to safe ground.
Why Iguanas and Snakes Fight
The video above offers a great perspective of a common hunt in nature. It shows a snake chasing down an iguana, who, thanks to its incredible speed, was able to outrun it. The reason for their fight comes down to their predator-prey relationship. Snakes have one simple goal when they chase down iguanas: to eat them. Snakes are known to attack not only adult iguanas but also to prey on freshly hatched ones. It’s also not uncommon to see multiple snakes fighting for a meal, with the winner enjoying a feast. Luckily for iguanas, these large lizards have adapted to escape by sprinting away quickly. They are able to scramble over the rough and rocky terrain, jump, and lash out all in a means to survive.
The Galapagos racer is a famous example of a snake that hunts iguanas, and they often hunt in groups.
©Rachel Palmer-Goncalves/iStock via Getty Images
How Iguanas Sprint to Safety
Iguanas are incredible runners that can reach up to 25 miles per hour in short bursts. While the video shows them running on all four legs, to get extra speed, iguanas can even run on their hind legs. Running alone isn’t enough to save them, so iguanas use their intelligence as well. They often run towards uneven rocks or cliffs where snakes have a harder time maneuvering. Reaching these places helps to put more distance between themselves and the snakes and can even end the chase altogether. Rather than running in a straight line, iguanas also zig-zag and quickly change directions to surprise their chasers. Finally, like in the video, iguanas can jump several feet at a time. This allows them to jump across surfaces that snakes cannot cross, helping them survive another day.
While sprinting is the main way iguanas avoid predators, they have a few other ways to keep themselves safe. One huge advantage not seen in the video is their arboreal lifestyle, meaning they are tree-dwellers. Iguanas can live in trees and hide among the foliage. They can also camouflage themselves thanks to their green and brown coloration, blending into both vegetation and rocks. They may also escape in water, using their tails like propellers. Ultimately, iguanas are amazing at surviving, even when being chased by the scariest of predators.
