Which large lizard is native to the Galapagos Islands and feeds on cactus pads and fruit?

The large lizard native to the Galápagos Islands that feeds on cactus pads and fruit is the Galápagos land iguana.

The species, Conolophus subcristatus, is endemic to the Galápagos and lives mainly in the archipelago’s dry lowlands. It is primarily herbivorous, eating low-growing plants, fallen fruit, flowers, and prickly-pear cactus. Cactus is especially valuable because fresh water is scarce: the iguana obtains much of its moisture from the plant and may eat its pads, fruit, flowers, and even spines.

Despite its intimidating appearance, the land iguana is not the same animal as the marine iguana. Marine iguanas feed largely on algae in the intertidal zone, whereas land iguanas forage on vegetation ashore. The Galápagos also has the Santa Fe land iguana and the pink land iguana, both separate species, so “Galápagos land iguana” is the precise answer to this question.

These iguanas can bask on dark volcanic rocks to warm themselves and retreat to burrows at night. Darwin observed them during the voyage of the Beagle, making them part of the archipelago’s famous evolutionary history.