"Peering around alertly, the animal suddenly jumped out of it's shell and raced for cover at high speed. After several hours, it's species-specific pattern of narrow white bands was clearly visible."

Ivy Watkins and John Gibbons Iguanas of the World

They have the longest incubation period of any iguana in the world; up to nine months. Crested Iguana eggs are white and leathery. The average number in a clutch is four. When first laid, each one is about 3-4cm long, but they gradually absorb water from the moist soil, and soon swell to the size of a ping-pong ball. A couple of weeks before hatching, a brown oval mark appears on the surface of the egg. This marks the spot where the baby Crested Iguanas head will pop out of the shell. First a slit appears, followed by two tiny yellow nostrils.

About an hour later, the head finally breaks through. Tired from the effort, the youngster rests it's head on the shell with its eyes closed for almost an hour! Once the eyes are open, they gaze intently at the surroundings. But it may take a whole day to completely hatch! When its legs are free, the tiny iguana gasps for air, filling it's lungs for the first time. This is a slow start, but once it catches it's breath, it is lightening fast! The hatchling and its siblings will waste no time in finding the nearest shelter. One captive-bred hatchling raced out of its nest, up the keepers arm, and hid in her hair!

The timing of hatching usually coincides with heavy rainfall. In Fiji, this is the rainy season between December and March. Hatchlings obtain moisture by licking wet leaves. They are attracted to yellow, red, and orange; the color of their favorite food, hibiscus flowers. They also eagerly chomp similarly-colored gifts of banana or pawpaw. At first, hatchlings are dark green, but after several hours their skin becomes bright emerald green and narrow white bands can be seen along their body. Their distinctive crest is also present from birth, and juvenile Crested Iguanas look like miniature versions of their parents.

Mother Crested Iguanas have been observed fearlessly defending their nests from intruders many times their size. Sometimes, instead of digging a hole in the ground, a female will lay her eggs in the soft center of a tall coconut tree and cover them with debris. Once on Yaduataba, a villager discovered such a nest and was examining the large white eggs when he heard a coughing sound. He looked down and saw a Crested Iguana climbing rapidly up the tree towards him. He jumped to the ground, terrified! There are other reports of females launching themselves from trees onto trespassers who had ventured too close to their nest site.

Crested Iguanas, like many other iguanas, greet each other with a head bob, a slow up and down motion of the head. But they are not necessarily nodding in agreement. Head bobbing between males means "get lost, this is my patch of forest". The same thing between a male and a female can mean "come on over, this is my patch of forest". Head bobbing is usually followed by a darkening of the skin, indicating excitement. The excitement can have many causes; chasing off a competitor with a hiss, defending territory against an intruder, or meeting the iguana of your dreams. After Crested Iguanas have paired up, the female will follow her nesting urge towards a swaying palm tree or a sheltered spot of beach where she will deposit her precious eggs. It will be many months before her hiding place erupts with dashes of green that vanish into the forest.