Scientists say they believe that the reptiles may reabsorb parts of their skeleton in order to decrease their size and increase their chances of survival on a smaller diet.
This is one of the strangest things I have come across! It is thought to be the only adult vertebrate able to do this. More at this site.
marine iguanas, the only lizard that scours the ocean for food.
This four minute BBB Video about marine iguanas is crazy--they cliff dive, then go down thirty feet, and stay there for ten minutes grazing on algae! https://youtu.be/tO_9zm9tsCs
The iguanas are hugely affected as a result, but quite remarkably the iguana’s body reacts by shrinking in size until food sources increase, as smaller bodies require less energy. There is no other known case in the world in which an adult vertebrate is able to shrink, particularly in which it does so repeatedly. Scientists believe that the iguana actually consumes its bones to stay alive, resulting in a reduced skeleton.
A strange and wonderful adaptation!