Aside from Hispaniola and its surrounding islands, the rhinoceros iguana was previously found on Navassa Island (with an endemic subspecies: C. c. onchiopsis), but was extirpated there.
Rhinoceros iguanas, like most members of Cyclura, are usually docile and well-tempered. As with many lizard species, “head-bobbing” is a commonly observed form of communication used by the rhinoceros iguana. Males, especially, appear to “nod” their heads toward one another as an assertion of dominance, or announcing their “ownership” of an area. It is oftentimes a warning to not come any closer, as well as to communicate (with females) their desire to mate. At times, this form of body language is directed at humans (by both wild and captive iguanas) as a warning, or as a sort of “greeting” to their human caretaker(s). The females (more or less) only nod their heads to ward off incessant advances from males, and female-to-female head bobbing is infrequent, though not nonexistent.
