Building Web Apps with WordPress

Colophon

The animal on the cover of Building Web Apps with Wordpress is a common iguana (Iguana iguana). This reptile is native to Central and South America, and its range encompasses parts of Mexico and extends all the way down to southern Brazil. There are also populations in South Florida, Hawaii, and the Rio Grande Valley in Texas that arose from the escape or disposal of captive individuals. In some South American countries, iguana eggs are sold as a novelty food; they are boiled in salt and can fetch twice the price of a chicken egg.

The word iguana is derived from the language of the Taíno people, who called the lizard iwana. Despite being commonly known as the green iguana, this species can be many different colors, depending on their area of origin. In the more southern countries of their range, iguanas appear more bluish in color, with bright blue markings. On islands like Aruba and Grenada, their skin can be lavender or black; individuals from the western side of Costa Rica are red, and Mexican iguanas tend to be a light orange.

Iguanas are excellent climbers and can fall for about 50 feet without being hurt. Their strong back legs and claws allow them to grasp branches and make long leaps from tree to tree. As well as being at home in the canopy, iguanas are natural swimmers who use their powerful tails to propel them through the water. Their tails are also used as weapons to protect the iguanas from predators or to incapacitate a rival. If the tail gets caught in something, ...