Visitors have been spotting our green iguana relaxing in his favorite sunny corner of the reptile house this month.

Iguanas rely on warmth to stay active, and keepers have added extra basking spots to keep him comfortable and content.

Stop by the reptile house in the early afternoon, when he is usually out and easiest to see.

Green iguanas are natural sunbathers, using heat from their surroundings to regulate their body temperature since they cannot generate warmth on their own the way mammals do. In the wild, they spend hours perched high in the rainforest canopy soaking up sunlight before dropping into rivers below to escape predators, a dramatic leap that has earned them a reputation as surprisingly graceful swimmers.

Our iguana has quite an appetite for hibiscus flowers and leafy greens, and keepers say he has grown noticeably over the past year. Iguanas can live for well over fifteen years in professional care, so this laid back reptile will likely be greeting visitors for many sunny afternoons to come.