John Swatsley (B. 1937) "Iguana & Parrot"

John Swatsley (American, B. 1937) "Green Iguana and Red-necked Parrot in Rainforest" First Day Cover painting. Signed lower center. Original Oil on Illustration Board painting.

Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation.

This painting appeared on the Fleetwood Mint Stamps of the World Collectors Panel for the Dominica Rain Forest stamp issue of January 15, 1989.

Though the Green Iguana appears slow and lumbering, it is, despite its prehistoric looks, remarkably fast and extremely difficult to catch. The adult is an agile climber, rarely found far from trees. As it is also partial to water, this creature's favorite warm-weather roosts are tree branches overhanging pools and rivers. With the onset of cold weather, the Iguana descends its perch in search of shelter under logs and in holes in the earth. The Red-necked Parrot is among the most accomplished climbers of the bird world. Its toes are arranged with two in front and two behind, affording an excellent grip. Unlike many other climbing birds, however, the Parrot is unable to use its tail. Instead, it relies on its beak in combination with its hooked toes to scale up into the trees. Most often, it is in these trees that this Parrot finds a hole in which to nest and raise its young.

Image Size: 20.25 x 16.25 in.
Overall Size: 26.5 x 22 in.
Unframed.
(B11954)
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