You're probably familiar with the
fictional Japanese reptilian monster, Godzilla.
He's famous for wreaking havoc on cities
and their fleeing civilians.
But do you know about the real-life Godzilla?
Well, if you don't, you're about to.
This is the marine iguana. It's the only marine lizard species.
It's easy to see the physical likeness between this reptile
and its gargantuan counterpart, Godzilla.
But that's where the similarities end.
Though the marine iguana can't topple skyscrapers
or breathe atomic heat rays,
it does have some very, dare I say, crazy abilities.
You can find marine iguanas cruising the Pacific Ocean
off Ecuador's Galápagos Islands.
These lizards live an average of 5 to 12 years.
They can grow up to 1.5 m (5 ft) long,
but they only weigh about 1.5 kg (3.3 lb).
Comparing Godzilla to marine iguanas is like
comparing a Great Dane to a chihuahua.
But unlike Great Danes, most of a marine iguana's length
is in its thick tail.
Marine iguanas are one of only 100 marine reptiles.
They have unique adaptations like their flattened tail
and webbed feet,
which allow them to swim gracefully and
forage for food underwater.
If need be, they can remain submerged for up to one hour,
but typically they dive for 5 to 10 minutes.
Their flattened noses, one feature that makes
them look so much like Godzilla,
and their sharp teeth and claws
scrape algae off rocks above and below water.
Though they spend a lot of time in the ocean,
they need to nest and bask on land.
Just like all other reptiles,
marine iguanas are ectotherms or cold-blooded.
They must reach an optimal body temperature to function,
which is why you'll often see them
sunbathing on rocks or sandy beaches.
That's something they have in common
with vacationing beachgoers.
It's essential to heat up before they feed,
usually to around 36 °C (96.8 °F).
These lizards can lose up to 10 °C (50 °F) of body heat
while swimming in the chilly waters off the Galápagos.
So marine iguanas have built-in solar panels.
They turn a dark color when they're cold
to absorb the Sun's heat better.
Another unique attribute is their ability to shrink.
Algae is their main food source, and its availability
depends on the ocean's conditions.
While the water is usually cold
and nutrient-rich, the El Niño weather pattern
brings more rain
and warm currents, which raise the water's temperature.
This causes brown algae to bloom,
replacing the green and red algae the iguanas prefer.
It's harder for the iguanas to digest brown algae.
This lack of nutrients causes marine iguanas to lose
up to 20% of their body lengths.
Even their mouths get smaller,
making them better equipped to harvest the
tiny amounts of algae that are available.
They shrink because smaller iguanas
have a higher survival rate when food is scarce.
By shrinking just 1 cm (0.4 in),
they increase their chance of surviving
So the iguanas that shrink the most tend to live the longest.
Someone should have told Godzilla that.
But what's their strangest ability?
It's their disgusting habit of sneezing salt.
Because their diet is so high in salt,
they have specialized glands in their noses
that forcefully expel most of the sodium,
potassium and chloride they ingest.
All this salty snorting and sneezing
leaves a briny patina on their heads and snouts.
Is it just me, or does it kind of look
like they're wearing powdered wigs?
Hmm, I wonder how Godzilla would look in a powdered wig.
Speaking of reptiles with strange powers,
have you heard of the golden-tailed gecko?
These little lizards might not look like much,
but they have a bizarre defense mechanism
that might surprise and even disgust you.
Check out our episode about the golden-tailed gecko.
Shrinking to survive and sneezing salt
is what marine iguanas do.
And that's what makes them Crazy Creatures.