What a burrow looks like
Iguana burrows have a recognizable look once you know what to check for. The entrance is typically a rounded hole ranging from a few inches across for a shelter burrow up to dinner-plate size for a large nesting tunnel. There's usually a fan of excavated 'spoil' dirt pushed out below and to the sides of the opening, and the mouth of the hole is smooth and packed from the animal going in and out repeatedly.
The full set of tells
No single sign is conclusive, but the combination of these is a strong indicator of active iguana denning rather than a stray hole from another animal.
- Holes along seawall caps, canal and lake banks, and the edges of slabs, decks, and driveways
- Fanned-out spoil dirt below the entrance
- Multiple openings close together — burrows often have more than one entrance
- Soft or sunken spots in turf, or slab edges that have dropped
- Iguanas basking near the openings, especially in the morning sun
Where to look first
On a waterfront property, start at the seawall cap and the waterline and work back through the beds against the house and the edges of the pool deck and driveway. Those are the spots where soft soil and sun line up, which is exactly what iguanas want.
On a golf or HOA property, start along the lake banks and bunker faces, since that's where the population dens before spreading to hardscape.
Telling them from other holes
Crab and rodent holes are common near water too, but they're usually smaller and lack the plate-wide openings, heavy spoil fans, and smooth packed entrances of an established iguana burrow. Clustering along banks and slab edges, plus iguanas basking right there, is what tips it from 'a hole' to 'an iguana problem.'
Common questions
How can I tell an iguana burrow from a crab or rodent hole?
Iguana burrows are larger — often several inches to a plate-wide — with fanned spoil dirt and a smooth, packed entrance, and they cluster along banks and slab edges where iguanas bask, unlike the smaller, more scattered holes of crabs or rodents.
Do burrows have more than one opening?
Often yes. Iguana burrows frequently have multiple entrances feeding branching tunnels, so finding several holes close together is a strong sign of active, established denning rather than a single stray hole.
Where should I look first on my property?
On the water, start at the seawall cap and waterline, then check beds against the house and the edges of the pool deck and driveway. On HOA and golf property, start along lake banks and bunker faces where the population dens.
