[1] Rock iguanas have a high degree of endemism, with (in most cases) a single species or subspecies originating on an individual island.

The reptiles enjoy sunning themselves on exposed rock faces, since they are naturally cold-blooded animals, and therefore must regulate their internal temperature.

Caribbean islands are often made up of heavily weathered limestone, which ultimately forms natural caves for animals to take shelter in.

Their diet is very rarely supplemented with insect larvae, crabs, slugs, dead birds, and fungi; individual animals do appear to be opportunistic carnivores.

[16][17] The particulars vary slightly among species and subspecies, the rock iguanas reach sexual maturity at three to seven years of age.

In addition to small numbers typical of endemic island-dwelling animals, wild populations of these lizards are directly and indirectly impacted by land development, overgrazing by domestic and feral livestock and predation by introduced mammals such as hogs, cats, rats, dogs, and mongooses.

Their first project was a captive breeding program for the Grand Cayman iguana, which at the time was the most critically endangered of all the species of Cyclura.