Table of Contents
Articles on this page are available in 1 other language: Spanish (18) (learn more)
Overview
Distribution
Range Description
© International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Source:
IUCN
Trusted
Geographic Range
Ctenosaura similis is found throughout Mexico, large areas in Central America, and islands adjacent to Panama (Halliday and Adler 1992).
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native ); neotropical (Native )
© The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
Source:
Animal Diversity Web
Trusted
National Distribution
United States
Origin: Exotic
Regularity: Regularly occurring
Currently: Present
Confidence: Confident
Type of Residency: Year-round
© NatureServe
Source:
NatureServe
Trusted
Distribution: S Mexico (Yucatan), Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Belize, Costa Rica, Panama, Old Providence Island (Colombia), San Andres Island USA (introduced to Florida)
Type locality: Restricted to Tela, Honduras (by BAILEY 1928)
© Peter Uetz
Source:
The Reptile Database
Trusted
Physical Description
Morphology
Physical Description
The ctenosaurs are large, bulky lizards with adult males reaching up to 18 inches long with a 18-inch tail. They are predominantly black but the dorsal surface may show black bands on a greyish background. Most have black mottling on their backs. The color may also ligthen after basking in the sunlight with yellowish and orange markings becoming evident along the sides. Adult males and females are dimorphic. Adult males have well developed dorsal crests and small dewlaps. The dewlap, the crescent of skin that can be extended under the throat, is not inflated. A small bone bows out to extend the dewlap during times of threat, courtship, or while defending territory. Females lack obvious crests. There is considerable variation with age and sex and therefore identification may be difficult. The lizards have tails ringed with rows of sharp, curved spines, hence the name spiny-tailed iguana. The spines down the back are short. Juveniles tend to be olive-green becoming tan and then finally greyish as they grow (Grzimek 1990; Roberts and Roberts 1993; Cogger and Zweifel 1998).
Range mass: 0 to 0 kg.
Average mass: 1 kg.
© The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
Source:
Animal Diversity Web
Trusted
Type Information
Collection: Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Division of Amphibians & Reptiles
Preparation: Ethanol
Locality: No Further Locality Data, Mexico
© Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Division of Amphibians & Reptiles
Trusted
Ecology
Habitat
Habitat and Ecology
Systems
- Terrestrial
© International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Source:
IUCN
Trusted
Habitat
These lizards are great diggers and baskers. They are found around ruins, stone walls, rocky open slopes and branches of large trees along the open borders of the forests. They generally live in dry, arid, open terrain. (Ervin 1992)
Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; forest ; rainforest ; scrub forest
© The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
Source:
Animal Diversity Web
Trusted
Trophic Strategy
Food Habits
The ctenosaur is generally herbivorous, particularly on legume fruits, but is also known to have a diverse carnivorous diet that consist of small animals. Ctenosaurs have eaten rodents, bats, frogs, small birds, and a variety of insects. They have even been noted to eat eggs of their own young, and in one case, the tail of a juvenile was found inside an adult male, suggesting cannibalism. Youngsters are primarily insectivorous, switching into herbivorous habits as adults. (Murphy 1989; Roberts and Roberts 1993)
© The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
Source:
Animal Diversity Web
Trusted
Life History and Behavior
Life Expectancy
Lifespan/Longevity
Average lifespan
Sex: male
Status: captivity: 4.8 years.
© The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
Source:
Animal Diversity Web
Trusted
Lifespan, longevity, and ageing
© Joao Pedro de Magalhaes
Source:
AnAge
Trusted
Reproduction
Reproduction
This species becomes sexually mature at around 3 or 4 years of age. They congregate and mate during specific times of year that varies between populations. Male iguanas possess a pair of intromittent organs, the hemipenes. When not in use the hemipenes lie adjacent to the cloaca within the base of the tail.
During sexual activity one hemipenes is everted by the action of muscles and fills with blood. In copulation, which follows courtship behavior, only a single hemipenis is inserted into the female's cloaca, and the sperm travel along a groove in the hemipenis. Retraction of the hemipenis is accomplished by drainage of the blood sinuses and activation of retractor muscles that invert the structure as it is withdrawn.
In breeding season, the oviparous females then migrate to suitable areas to nest. After digging a burrow about half a meter deep, the female lays 2 to 25 eggs in the nest. She then defends the burrow for some time to prevent other females from nesting in the same spot. The young iguanas hatch 3 to 4 months later and then take about a week to dig their way out of the nest. These tiny iguanas can easily fit in the palm of a hand. If they survive the first difficult years of life, when food is often scarce and predators such as hawks and owls are dangers, these iguanas can live more than 60 years. (Whitfield 1984; Burton 1972; Halliday and Adler 1992)
© The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
Source:
Animal Diversity Web
Trusted
Molecular Biology and Genetics
Molecular Biology
Statistics of barcoding coverage: Ctenosaura similis
Public Records: 0
Species: 2
Species With Barcodes: 1
© Barcode of Life Data Systems
Trusted
Conservation
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List Assessment
Red List Category
Red List Criteria
Version
Year Assessed
Assessor/s
Reviewer/s
Contributor/s
Justification
© International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Source:
IUCN
Trusted
Conservation Status
Man and his domestic animals are inevitably destroying the iguanas' environments and their species. The domestic animals such as cows devour most of the vegetation, which are the food sources for the iguanas. Their flesh is relished in many parts of the world but it is not overly exploited. In parts of South America iguanas are hunted by men imitating the screams of hawks. The iguanas' reaction to the cries is to "freeze" and they are then easily caught (Murphy 1989).
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
© The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
Source:
Animal Diversity Web
Trusted
National NatureServe Conservation Status
United States
Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable
© NatureServe
Source:
NatureServe
Trusted
NatureServe Conservation Status
Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure
© NatureServe
Source:
NatureServe
Trusted
Trends
Population
This species has been reported as common in its habitat in Belize and Costa Rica (Stafford and Meyer 2000, Savage 2002). In Honduras, some subpopulations of this species are severely depleted (Puerto Lempira, Gracias a Dios), whereas it remains abundant along the entire Pacific versant in Valle and Choluteca (J. McCranie pers. comm. 2009).
Population Trend
© International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Source:
IUCN
Trusted
Threats
Threats
Harvesting for human consumption does occur, but this does not seem to be having a negative affect on the population size of this species. The iguana is locally captured and eaten and is sold in markets throughout Mexico and Central America, where it is believed to have medicinal value (Savage 2002).
© International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Source:
IUCN
Trusted
Management
Conservation Actions
This species is found in several protected areas across its range. Further monitoring of this species is needed, especially to determine if harvest levels are increasing.
© International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Source:
IUCN
Trusted
Relevance to Humans and Ecosystems
Benefits
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
No documented example
© The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
Source:
Animal Diversity Web
Trusted
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
The spiny-tailed iguana is edible and is a popular food for much of the rural population of Central America. In some areas, eating their flesh is considered potent "medicine", with the person deriving the iguana's strength after eating it. Also, the spiny-tailed iguanas are supposed to be a cure for impotence (Kaplan 2000).
© The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
Source:
Animal Diversity Web
Trusted
Wikipedia
Ctenosaura similis
Ctenosaura similis, commonly known as the black spiny-tailed iguana, black iguana, or black Ctenosaur, is a lizard native to Mexico and Central America that has been introduced to the United States in the state of Florida. It is the largest species in the genus Ctenosaura and has been recorded as the fastest running lizard on earth.
Contents |
Taxonomy
The black spiny-tailed iguana was first described by British zoologist John Edward Gray in 1831.[2] The generic name, Ctenosaura, is derived from two Greek words: ctenos (Κτενός), meaning "comb" (referring to the comblike spines on the lizard's back and tail), and saura (σαύρα), meaning "lizard".[3] Its specific name is the Latin word similis meaning "similar to", a common description found in Linnean taxonomy when referring to a new taxon.[4]
Description
Black spiny-tailed iguana have distinctive keeled scales on their long tails, which gives them their common name.[5] They are the largest members of the genus Ctenosaura, males capable of growing up to 1.5 meters (4 ft 11 in) in length and females slightly shorter at 1 meter (3 ft 3 in).[3] They have a crest of long spines which extends down the center of the back.[5] Although coloration varies extremely among individuals of the same population, adults usually have a whitish gray or tan ground color with a series of 4–12 well-defined dark dorsal bands that extend nearly to the ventral scales.[5] Males also develop an orange color around the head and throat during breeding season with highlights of blue and peach on their jowls.[3][5]
Diet and behavior
Black spiny-tailed iguanas are excellent climbers, and prefer a rocky habitat with plenty of crevices to hide in, rocks to bask on, and nearby trees to climb.[3] They are diurnal and fast moving, employing their speed to escape predators but will lash with their tails and bite if cornered.[3] The Guinness Book of World Records lists the running speed of this species at 21.7 mph or 34.9 km/h making it the world's fastest lizard.[3][6]
They are primarily herbivorous, eating flowers, leaves, stems, and fruit, but they will opportunistically eat smaller animals, eggs, and arthropods.[3] Juveniles tend to be insectivores becoming more herbivorous as they get older.
Distribution
The black spiny-tailed iguana is native to Central America, and has the widest range of all Ctenosaura species from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec to northeastern Nicaragua and western Panama on the respective Atlantic and Pacific coasts.[4][3] It is commonly found throughout Costa Rica, Honduras and has been reported in Colombia. In addition to its varied appearance it may interbreed with other Ctenosaur species throughout this range.
The black spiny-tailed iguana has been introduced to South Florida and reproduces in the wild in several feral populations. On the south-eastern Florida coast, black spiny-tailed iguanas have been found on Key Biscayne, Hialeah, and in Broward County. On the south-western Florida coast, it has been discovered on Gasparilla Island and in adjacent areas, throughout Lee and Charlotte counties.[7] This iguana has also been introduced to several islands in the Caribbean.[8] As this species will opportunistically feed on small vertebrates, such as fish, rodents, eggs, birds, and even hatchling sea turtles it may pose a threat to endangered native species.[7]
Reproduction
Mating generally occurs in the spring. Males show dominance and interest by head bobbing; eventually the male will chase the female until he can catch her and subdue her.[3] Within eight to ten weeks, the female will dig a nest and lay clutches of up to 30 eggs.[3] The eggs hatch in 90 days with the hatchlings digging their way out of the sand.[3] These juveniles are typically green with brown markings, although all brown hatchlings have been recorded as well.[5]
Commercial usage
In some parts of Central America, the black spiny-tailed iguana is farmed alongside the green iguana as a food source and for export for the pet trade; [3] see iguana meat. Although it is heavily hunted it does not appear to be endangered in any of its native territory.
References
- ^ The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
- ^ "Ctenosaura similis". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=585835. Retrieved 30 December 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Malfatti, Mark (2007). "A Look at the Genus Ctenosaura: Meet the World's fastest lizard and its kin". Reptiles Magazine 15 (11): 64–73.
- ^ a b Hollingsworth, Bradford D. (2004). "The Evolution of Iguanas an Overview and a Checklist of Species". Iguanas: Biology and Conservation (University of California Press): 34–35. ISBN 978-0-520-23854-1
- ^ a b c d e Köhler, Gunther (1996). "Notes on the systematic status of the taxa acanthura, pectinata, and similis of the genus Ctenosaura". Senckenbergiana Biologica 30 (1): 33–43
- ^ Garland, T., Jr. (1984). "Physiological correlates of locomotory performance in a lizard: an allometric approach". American Journal of Physiology 247 (5 Pt 2): R806–R815. PMID 6238543. http://www.biology.ucr.edu/people/faculty/Garland/Garl1984.pdf.
- ^ a b Krysko, K. L. & King, F. W. & Enge, K. M. & Reppas, A. T. (2003): Distribution of the introduced black spiny-tailed iguana (Ctenosaura similis) on the southwestern coast of Florida.- Florida Scientist, Lawrence, Kansas; 66 (2): 74-79.
- ^ Sanchez, Alejandro (2007-12-31). "Father Sanchez's Web Site of West Indian Natural History Diapsids I: Introduction; Lizards". http://www.kingsnake.com/westindian/metazoa10.html.
Source:
Wikipedia
Unreviewed
