Marine Iguanas

Marine Iguanas

Marine Iguanas
Reading Level

	edHelper's suggested reading level:	grades 4 to 7
	Flesch-Kincaid grade level:	9.3

Vocabulary

	challenging words:		assessment, selection, various, coastal, excessive, hence, species, running, unique, theory, thoughts, impressive, easily, iguana, remain, pointy
	content words:		Charles R., Galapagos Islands

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Marine Iguanas

¹     When Charles R. Darwin (1809-1882), a British scientist best known for his thoughts on the theory of evolution and natural selection, visited the Galapagos Islands, he described the marine iguana as "a hideous-looking creature, of a dirty black color, stupid and sluggish in its movements."

²     Are marine iguanas really as Darwin clamed them to be? Well, to be fair, marine iguanas are not pretty. But, Darwin's assessment of marine iguanas' low intelligence and clumsiness is unnecessarily harsh.

³     Like all reptiles, marine iguanas cover their bodies with scales. To add a ferocious look, they have pointy spines running from the top of their heads, down along their backs, to the base of their tails. Their snouts are blunt, and their faces are white. The light color on their faces, however, is not their natural appearance. Rather, it is the result of excessive salts expelled from marine iguanas' salt glands near their nostrils.

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