USVI-On-Line

We were at Caneel the other day, enjoying some great sushi, when a reptilian regular (named Albert, according to our server) stopped by. I'm used to green iguanas, but this fellow seemed a wee bit off, and no, the issue wasn't excess tippling of holiday cheer on my part. His head and front legs had a distinctly pinkish-red hue that I had never before seen in an iguana. Herpetologists are welcome to weigh in on whether this is anything normal, but our daughter Holly came up with a very plausible cause for Albert's unusual forward hue. The most common edible tidbits that were thrown his way (and eaten with great relish) were maraschino cherries, chock full of Red #40. I think she may have nailed it; photo below (click to embiggen).

Happy New Year!
All the best,

Kevin

What about the alcohol soaked in the cherry
wishing everybody a very prosperous 2016

The cherry theory sounds plausible. I wonder if the iguanas are close to say a pink or red flower that they take on some of the color very similar to a chameleon?

This from a green iguana pet-keeping page, regarding color changes:

"During breeding season, iguanas colors will become much more bright, especially in males. They usually gain a lot of orange coloration that can be very vivid. It can look like they were dipped in orange paint, and it is predominantly on the arms, legs, and spines. This color change is a long temporary, as it can last as long as breeding season does, which can be three months or more."