(Sauromalus ater)
Familie: Iguanas (Iguanidae)
Orden: Squamates or Scaly Reptiles (Squamata)
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Common Chuckwalla
(Sauromalus ater) Familie: Iguanas (Iguanidae) Orden: Squamates or Scaly Reptiles (Squamata) |
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Other names: Previously known as Sauromalus obesus. Size: Head and body length 13-23 cm. Total length up to 42 cm. Distribution: Southwestern USA (Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah) and northwestern Mexico (Baja California, Sonora). Habitat: Open flats and rocky areas, particularly found where large boulders are present. Usually found in association with creosote bush. Rocks provide both shelter and basking sites. Food: Herbivorous, eating leaves, buds, flowers, and fruit, but occasionally also insects. Reproduction: Mating believed to occur in May and June. 5-16 eggs are laid in between June and August. Females may lay eggs only every second or third year. Youngs have crossbands on body and tail. Bands on tail conspicious: black on olive-grey or yellowish background. Activity and behaviour: Diurnal. Shelters in rock crevices at night and during the hottest hours of the day. Most easily seen in the morning or late afternoon, when basking on he rocks. Begins the day by basking, until the preferred body temperature (38°) is reached, after which it starts looking for food. When disturbed, it seeks refuge in a crevice, inflating its body to wedge itself tightly in place. Sexual differences: Females tend to keep juvenile pattern and coloration. Males are highly variable, but usually have black head, chest, and limbs, sometimes with pale grey spots or flecks. Back black, red, or light grey. Tail cream, yellow, or orange. In some places, torso may be suffused with red or have dark bands. Variation: As mentioned, highly variable in coloration and pattern, which has led to the description of some populations as separate species or subspecies (australis, interbrachialis, multiforaminatus, shawi, townsendi, tumidus), however, none of these are currently considered valid. Status: At least previously common in suitable habitat. References: Abts, M.L. 1987. Environment and variation in life history traits of the chuckwalla, Sauromalus obesus. Ecological Monographs 57(3): 215-232. Abts, M.L. 1988. Reproduction in the saxicolous desert lizard, Sauromalus obesus: the female reproductive cycle. Copeia 1988(2): 382-393. Abts, M.L. 1988. Reproduction in the saxicolous desert lizard, Sauromalus obesus: the male reproductive cycle. Herpetologica 44(4): 404-415. Behler, John L. & King, F. Wayne. 1979. The Audobon Society field guide to North American reptiles and amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. 744 pp. Berry, K.H. 1974. The ecology and social behavior of the chuckwalla, Sauromalus obesus obesus Baird. University of California Publications in Zoology 101: 1-60. Boundy, J.; Balgooyen, T.G. 1988. Record lengths for some amphibians and reptiles from the western United States. Herpetological Review 19(2): 26-27. Carl, G.; Jones, J.P. 1979. The eggs and hatchlings of Sauromalus hispidus (Reptilia, Lacertilia, Iguanidae). Journal of Herpetology 13(3): 293-296. Case, T.J. 1972. Thermoregulation and evaporative cooling in the chuckwalla, Sauromalus obesus. Copeia 1972(1): 145-150. Case, T.J. 1976. Body size differences between populations of the chuckwalla, Sauromalus obesus. Ecology 57(2): 313-323. Case, T.J. 1976. Seasonal aspects of thermoregulatory behaviour in the chuckawalla, Sauromalus obesus (Reptilia, Lacertilia, Iguanidae). Journal of Herpetology 10(2): 85-95. Crooks, B. 1983. The care and breeding of Sauromalus obesus obesus in captivity. British Herpetological Society Bulletin 7: 68-71. Etheridge, R.E. 1982. Checklist of the iguanine and Malagasy iguanid lizards. Pp. 7-37. In: Burghardt, G.M. & Rand, A.S. (eds.). Iguanas of the world: their behaviour, ecology and conservation. Noyes Publications, Park Ridge, New Jersey. 472 pp. Gates, G.O. 1968. Geographical distribution and characteranalysis of the iguanid lizard Sauromalus obesus in Baja California, Mexico. Herpetologica 24: 285-288. Gaulden, R. 1998. Life on the rocks: Sauromalus obesus. Reptile & Amphibian Magazine 56: 62-69. Goode, M.J.; Horrace, W.C.; Sredl, M.J.; Howland, J.M. 2005. Habitat destruction by collectors associated with decreased abundance of rock-dwelling lizards. Biological Conservation 125(1): 47-54. Grismer, L.L.; McGuire, J.A.; Hollingsworth, B.D. 1994. A report on the herpetofauna of the Vizcaino Peninsula, Baja California, Mexico, with a discussion of its biogeographic and taxonomic implications. Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Sciences 93(2): 45-80. Hansen, R.M. 1974. Dietary of the chuckwalla Sauromalus obesus, determined by dung analysis. Herpetologica 30(2): 120-123. Hollingsworth, B.D. 1998. The systematics of chuckwallas (Sauromalus) with a phylogenetic analysis of other iguanid lizards. Herpetological Monographs 12: 38-191. Internatonal Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. 2004. Opinion 2072. (Case 3143). Euphryne obesa Baird, 1858 (currently Sauromalus obesus Reptilia, Squamata): proposal to give the specific name precedence over that of Sauromalus ater Dumeril, 1856 not approved. Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 61(1): 74-75. Johnson, S.R. 1965. An ecological study of the chuckwalla, Sauromalus obesus Baird in the western Mojave Desert. American Midland Naturalist 73: 1-29. Mayhew, W.W. 1963. Some food preferences of captive Sauromalus obesus. Herpetologica 19: 10-18. Montanucci, R.R. 1997. Captive management, behavior and conservation of chuckwallas, Sauromalus obesus (Lacertilia: Iguanidae). Bulletin of the Chicago Herpetological Society 32(6): 121-137. Nagy, K.A. 1973. Behavior, diet and reproduction in a desert lizard, Sauromalus obesus. Copeia 1973(1): 93-102. Niemarkt, J. 2003. Zur Haltung und Nachzucht des Chuckwallas (Sauromalus obesus obesus). Iguana Rundschreiben 16(1): 17-22. Prieto, A.A.; Ryan, M.J. 1978. Some observations of the social behavior of the Arizona chuckwalla, Sauromalus obesus tumidus (Reptilia, Lacertilia, Iguanidae). Journal of Herpetology 12(3): 327-336. Prieto, A.A.; Sorenson, M.W. 1975. Food preferences of the Arizona chuckwalla (Sauromalus obesus tumidus). Bulletin N.J. Acad. Sci. 20(1): 8-11. Prieto, A.A.; Sorenson, M.W. 1975. Predator-prey relationships of the Arizona chuckwalla (Sauromalus obesus tumidus). Bulletin N.J. Acad. Sci. 20(1): 12-13. Prieto, A.A.; Sorenson, M.W. 1977. Reproduction in the Arizona chuckwalla, Sauromalus obesus tumidus (Shaw). American Midland Naturalist 98(2): 463-469. Repp, R. 1998. Wintertime observations on five species of reptiles in the Tucson area: sheltersite selections/fidelity to sheltersites/notes on behavior. Bulletin of the Chicago Herpetological Society 33(3): 49-56. Sanborn, S.R. 1972. Food habits of Sauromalus obesus obesus on the Nevada test site. Journal of Herpetology 6(2): 142-144. Schneider, H. 1988. Das Naturerlebnis 'chuckwalla'. Aquaria (St Gallen) 35(1): 10-14. Shuttleworth, T.J.; Thompson, J.L.; Dantzler, W.H. 1987. Potassium secretion by nasal salt glands of desert lizard Sauromalus obesus. American Journal of Physiology 253: 83-90. Stebbins, R.C. 2003. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. 3rd edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. 533 pp. Sullivan, B.K.; Flowers, M.A. 1998. Large iguanid lizards of urban mountain preserves in northern Phoenix, Arizona. Herpetological Natural History 6(1): 13-22. Tracy, C.R. 1999. Differences in body size among chuckwalla (Sauromalus obesus) populations. Ecology (Washington, D.C.) 80(1): 259-271. Werman, S.D. 1982. Notes on the ecology of the chuckwalla, Sauromalus obesus near Baker, California. Journal of Herpetology 16(4): 417-418. Werning, H. 1998. Erfahrungen mit der Haltung und Vermehrung von Chuckwallas (Sauromalus obesus obesus). Iguana Rundschreiben 11(2)(20): 16-21. Werning, H. 2002. Die Könige der nordamerikanischen Wüste: Chuckwallas. Draco 3(2): 66-73, Nr 10. Wolfel, H. 1999. Chuckwallas. Die Gattung Sauromalus sowie Haltung und Vermehrung von Sauromalus obesus. Reptilia (D) 4(3)(17): 51-58. Wolfel, H. 2001. Die "echten Leguane" der Wüste - Chuckwallas (Sauromalus obesus) und Wüstenleguane (Dipsosaurus dorsalis). Iguana Rundschreiben 14(1): 15-22. Wolfel, H. 2006. Chuckwallas: the genus Sauromalus: with notes on keeping and breeding Sauromalus ater. Reptilia (GB) 48: 35-42. Text & layout: Rune Midtgaard |
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