Galapagos New Pink Iguanas
Posted by: Loren Coleman on January 6th, 2009
Pink Iguana: Gabriele Gentile
Charles Darwin did not discover them in 1835 but now a new iguana species has been found on the island of Galapagos: the rosada land iguana.
A pink and black-striped pattern sets the iguana apart from the yellow land iguanas found previously on the islands. They are located on the Volcan Wolf volcano on the island of Isabela, the only place where the pink iguanas live.
The rare land iguanas were first seen, in fact, only in 1986, when one was spotted by park rangers on Volcan Wolf on the island of Isabela. Now, with more finds, their discovery has been announced.
Volcan Wolf volcano may yet turn up more surprises for researchers on the Galapagos. Scientists earlier found that a giant tortoise species marked as extinct has lived on through hybrid descendants in the same region.
The discoverer is Gabriele Gentile of the University of Rome Tor Vergata. He and colleagues say that the pink iguana is distinct from the two recognized species of land iguana on the Galápagos.
About Loren Coleman
Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading living cryptozoologist. Certainly, he is acknowledged as the current living American researcher and writer who has most popularized cryptozoology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Starting his fieldwork and investigations in 1960, after traveling and trekking extensively in pursuit of cryptozoological mysteries, Coleman began writing to share his experiences in 1969. An honorary member of Ivan T. Sanderson’s Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained in the 1970s, Coleman has been bestowed with similar honorary memberships of the North Idaho College Cryptozoology Club in 1983, and in subsequent years, that of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club, CryptoSafari International, and other international organizations. He was also a Life Member and Benefactor of the International Society of Cryptozoology (now-defunct).
Loren Coleman’s daily blog, as a member of the Cryptomundo Team, served as an ongoing avenue of communication for the ever-growing body of cryptozoo news from 2005 through 2013. He returned as an infrequent contributor beginning Halloween week of 2015.
Coleman is the founder in 2003, and current director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine.
Amazing, all these years of nature documentaries focused on the Galapagos, and I’d never even heard of pink iguanas! Warms my heart.
Wow! They are beautiful. I think my green iguana is a tad jealous.
I didn’t see these when I was there. What a rare find indeed. That specimen almost looks like he is pink under the scales that seem to be shedding. Pretty cool.
Wow what an amazing find!!! I wonder how many more amazing creatures will be found within the upcoming year?
That is strange looking brute isn’t it – for some reason it sort of reminds me of that pink lizard monster from Florida that was discussed here last year. Does it get its color from the food it eats like flamingos?
I don’t think so…
The pink on the head and neck looks strange, like they weren’t supposed to be pink
more like the skin or scales were flaking off
I bought a little green one. It turned purple. The store told me that it was because I bought a turquoise iguana. I had no idea that about a year later it would be three feet long!
a pink lizard.
which tells me, some dinosaurs could of been pink.
great find. 🙂
when i fisrt saw that picture i thought unknown cryptid possibley. lol
i would just be happy to see a living dinosaur. 🙂
Gorgeous !!
Yet, I psense more irony, cosmic taunts, and mockings.
“This is the strangest life I’ve ever known [scream]…
Waiting for the sun” Jim Morrison, AKA the Lizard King.
“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” (Matthew 10: 16) The words of Jesus Christ
“The discoverer is Gabriele Gentile of the University of Rome Tor Vergata.” “They are located on the Volcan Wolf volcano”
1. Rome, Romans and Wolfs and Gentiles
(usually in opposition to Jew or Christian)
2. black bars (prison bars?) overlayed the color pink,
3. pink, the color of pigs, an animal oft associated with Jews.
4. Volcan, Volcano (associated with hell, serpents, dragons)
“When the Jews return to Zion
And a comet fills the sky
The Holy Roman Empire rises
And you and I must die
From the eternal sea he rises
Creating armies on either shore
Turning man against his brother
Till man exists no more.”
Excerpt of the song
“Damien” (as in Omen)
Lyrics by Jon Schaffer
from ICED EARTH Horror Show [2001] a “Power Metal” band & album, which also contains a song called “Dragon’s Child” and “Wolf”. Go figure!
Sigh
where did I put my Vorpal blade anyway?
“Fairytales do not teach children about dragons. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairytales teach children that dragons can be slain.” G.K. Chesterton
“In a world of truth there is no fear. In a world of fiction, they fear the truth.” Infinite Play (Knights Templar)
That’s crazy! 😀 A PINK Lizard! I want one of those!