How to Draw an Oaxacan Spiny-Tailed Iguana

In this quick tutorial you'll learn how to draw an Oaxacan Spiny Tailed Iguana in 6 easy steps - great for kids and novice artists.

The images above represent how your finished drawing is going to look and the steps involved.

Below are the individual steps - you can click on each one for a High Resolution printable PDF version.

At the bottom you can read some interesting facts about the Oaxacan Spiny Tailed Iguana.

Make sure you also check out any of the hundreds of drawing tutorials grouped by category.

How to Draw an Oaxacan Spiny Tailed Iguana - Step-by-Step Tutorial

Step 1: This iguana is found in Mexico and the first step in drawing it is to start with its head and face. It has a large round eye.

Step 2: Next, draw the body. The body is large and slim but leave space for the belly later.

Step 3: The next step is to draw the body patterns. The Oaxacan spiny-tailed iguana needs to blend in to its surroundings.

Step 4: Then, draw the front legs. The iguana, like all iguana, have large claws.

Step 5: Next, draw the back legs. The back legs are lower to the ground but leave space for the tail.

Step 6: The last step is to draw the tail. Don’t forget the spikes!

Interesting Facts about the Oaxacan Spiny-Tailed Iguana

A member of the Iguanidae family, the Oaxacan Spiny-Tailed Iguana is a lizard found only in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. Before 2001 the Oaxacan Spiny-Tailed Iguana was classified as the Five-Keeled Spiny-tailed Iguana found in Nicaragua and Costa Rica.

Did you know?

  • Oaxacan Spiny-Tailed Iguanas use their spiked tails as a wedge to hold them inside the hollows of trees and cacti.
  • We know very little about Oaxacan Spiny-tailed Iguana populations but estimate there are less than 2,500 in the wild.
  • Oaxacan Spiny-tailed Iguana’s are critically endangered because their habitat is being converted to grazing land.
  • Oaxacan Spiny-tailed Iguanas prefer to live in small patches of dry forests.
  • IIF has funded studies by a small group of researchers to study the Oaxacan Spiny-tailed Iguana to learn about their range, feeding habits, and threats.

Lesson plan note: A key part of Oaxacan Spiny-tailed Iguana conservation is community awareness. Its difficult for researchers to find ways to raise awareness. Place students in several groups and ask them to come up with ways to raise awareness about Spiny-tailed Iguana’s among local farmers in Oaxaca.

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