Rare Iguana Found At Ford Plant
A rare reptile, found only in southeastern Mexico, was caught scurrying across the loading dock at the Ford Motor Company's Van Dyke Transmission Plant in Sterling Heights.
The Yucatan spiny-tailed iguana is believed to have been a stowaway in a shipment of auto parts from Mexico.
The reptile only can be found in a 1,200-square-mile range of the Yucatan Peninsula and is one of the smallest iguana species, growing up to a foot long.
After discovering the surprise visitor, a safety engineer at the Ford plant called animal control, who helped relocate the iguana to a temporary home at the Sterling Heights Nature Center. The Detroit Zoological Society was called the next day and was asked to provide the fugitive reptile with a permanent home.
The Yucatan spiny-tailed iguana (Ctenosaura defensor) is one of the smallest iguana species, only growing up to a foot long. Its body sports a variety of colors, including a black chest with white spots, gray tail with a blue tint and a red lower back. The species sometimes uses its tail, covered with spiny scales, for defense by lashing it back and forth.
The iguana, an adult male, is currently in quarantine to make sure it is healthy before joining the Detroit Zoo's black iguana in the fall at the Holden Museum of Living Reptiles.
(Copyright 2010 WWJ Radio. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report)
