Chuckwallas

Chuckwallas
	Chuckwalla ( Sauromalus ater )
Systematics
Superordinate :	Scale lizards (Lepidosauria)
Order :	Scale reptiles (Squamata)
without rank:	Toxicofera
without rank:	Iguana (Iguania)
Family :	Iguanas (Iguanidae)
Genre :	Chuckwallas
Scientific name
	Sauromalus
	Duméril , 1856

The Chuckwallas ( Sauromalus ) are a genus of lizards from the iguanas family (Iguanidae). Their distribution area includes the southwestern United States and northern Mexico .

General

Chuckwallas reach a total length of 32 to 45 cm, of which 18-20 cm are on the body, the rest is tail length. Their habitat are dry regions, where they often stay on sun-warmed rocks. However, you avoid open sandy areas. In case of danger, the shy animals immediately hide under a rock, where they can inflate their bodies up to 60%; then it is not possible to get them out of their hiding place.

Chuckwallas are predominantly herbivores; sometimes they also eat insects . They hibernate during the cool months . In summer the female lays around six eggs, from which the offspring hatch in September.

species

The genus of the Chuckwallas includes 6 species, since Sauromalus obesus is no longer an independent species, but is counted as a synonym of Sauromalus ater .

Chuckwalla ( Sauromalus ater , synonym: Sauromalus obesus )
Sauromalus australis
Sauromalus hispidus
Sauromalus klauberi
Sauromalus slevini
Sauromalus varius

Web links

Commons : Chuckwallas - collection of images, videos and audio files

Sauromalus in The Reptile Database

literature

Gunther Köhler and Hannes Zorn: Chuckwallas . Herpeton Publishing House. 2014. ISBN 978-3-936180-43-5

Individual evidence

↑ Bradford D. Hollingsworth: The Evolution of Iguanas an Overview and a Checklist of Species. In: Allison C. Alberts, Ronald L. Carter, William K. Hayes, Emilia P. Martins (Eds.): Iguanas. Biology and Conservation. University of California Press, Berkeley CA et al. 2004, ISBN 0-520-23854-0 , pp. 19-44, here p. 42.

[1] Bradford D. Hollingsworth: The Evolution of Iguanas an Overview and a Checklist of Species. In: Allison C. Alberts, Ronald L. Carter, William K. Hayes, Emilia P. Martins (Eds.): Iguanas. Biology and Conservation. University of California Press, Berkeley CA et al. 2004, ISBN 0-520-23854-0 , pp. 19-44, here p. 42.