Cyclura nubila was previously considered to have three subspecies, the Grand Cayman blue iguana (termed Cyclura nubila lewisi), the Lesser Caymans iguana (Cyclura nubila caymanensis), and the nominate Cuban subspecies (Cyclura nubila nubila).[1][6] This classification was revised after later mitochondrial DNA analysis and research into the scalation patterns on the heads of Caribbean iguanid lizards (these patterns are unique by species and act as a "fingerprint" of sorts).[2][3][8] The Grand Cayman blue iguana is now recognized as a separate species.[2][7][8][9][10][11][lower-alpha 1]