Now that you've gotten me curious, here's a little something I just read: This is an excerpt from https://peteducate.com/do-iguanas-change-color/ and apparently that magnificent male iguana that I saw on display was in full breeding mode when I saw him. No wonder he seemed to be strutting, lol.
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When an Iguana is in their second year of life, their colors change into what would be their adult color.
Many iguanas shed their bright deep green color to develop a paler green. The belly bands of males become more vivid as they reach sexual maturity.
Iguanas shed their skin every four to six weeks; in the weeks leading up to this, the color can change. The normal color will become duller, veering on yellow.
Heat and cold also have an impact on their standard color. The skin of these reptiles becomes darker when it’s cold as dark colors absorb heat and get lighter when they are too warm.
Stress can also have an impact on their coloring, bear in mind, dark brown, dark gray, yellow, and black are not healthy iguana colors.
There are exceptions to the rule, some iguanas are this color, but this is a sign of stress in your average iguana. In a pet that is stressed, the head will be first to change color before the rest of the body changes; the belly will remain green or yellow.
During the breeding period, males will usually develop a rusty orange color over their entire body, or their green color will become paler, with bright orange appearing on the spikes and dewlaps. This color change happens months before the breeding season begins and will last for many months after the breeding season ends.
When females change color during the breeding season, they usually develop a soft rust color around their eyes.
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