NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Grand Cayman Blue Iguana
Cyclura lewisi Grant, 1941
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The blue iguana (Cyclura lewisi), also known commonly as the Grand Cayman ground iguana, the Grand Cayman blue iguana, and the Cayman Island rock iguana, is an endangered species of lizard in the family Iguanidae. The species is endemic to the island of Grand Cayman. It was previously considered to be a subspecies of the Cuban iguana, Cyclura nubila, but in a 2004 article Frederic J. Burton reclassified it as a separate species because, according to him, the genetic differences discovered four years earlier between the different C. nubila populations warranted this interpretation. The blue iguana is one of the longest-living species of lizard (possibly up to 69 years). The preferred habitat for the blue iguana is rocky, sunlit, open areas in dry forests or near the shore, as the females must dig holes in the sand to lay eggs in June and July. A possible second clutch is laid in September. The blue iguana's herbivorous diet includes plants, fruits, and flowers.
Wikipedia contributors, Blue iguana; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T12:41:37.281490+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Cyclura lewisi Grant, 1941
- Name authority
- Grant, 1941
- Common name
- Grand Cayman Blue Iguana
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Squamata
- Family
- Iguanidae
- Genus
- Cyclura
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classReptilia Laurenti, 1768
- orderSquamata Oppel, 1811
- suborderIguania
- familyIguanidae
- genusCyclura
- speciesCyclura lewisi Grant, 1941
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Cyclura. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Cyclura cychlura (Cuvier, 1829) | IguanidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Turks & Caicos IguanaCyclura carinata Harlan, 1824 | IguanidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Hispaniolan Rhinoceros IguanaCyclura cornuta (Bonnaterre, 1789) | IguanidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Anegada Ground IguanaCyclura pinguis Barbour, 1917 | IguanidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Ricord's Ground IguanaCyclura ricordii (Duméril & Bibron, 1837) | IguanidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| White Cay Ground IguanaCyclura rileyi Stejneger, 1903 | IguanidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Cyclura&species=lewisi Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:32YT6. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.