Your iguana came from one of many countries in Central and South America, and was either caught in the wild or hatched in captivity from an egg laid by a wild-caught or captive pregnant female. Captive breeding of iguanas is not yet successful enough to supply the demands of the pet trade. This means that the exporters and importers must have special permits to move these reptiles across borders, but it is legal for anyone to buy them once they reach their destination. Other types of iguanas are in danger of extinction and have different import and export laws regulating them. Young iguanas are very green and blend in well with their habitat - the leafy dim lower levels of the rain forest canopy.
All iguanas are excellent climbers, easily scaling up and down vertical surfaces.
They are also proficient swimmers, holding their legs close beside their bodies and using their tail to propel them through the water, similar to the way crocodiles and alligators swim. In the wild, iguanas eat lots of leaves, tender new shoots, flowers and soft fruits. They get some water from catching rain and condensation on the flowers and leaves of the trees, but most comes from their food. In the spring they eat the leaves of plants in the bean family that are high in protein. After a few hours, they are warm enough to move around and forage for food.