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Overview
Distribution
Range Description
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National Distribution
United States
Origin: Native
Regularity: Regularly occurring
Currently: Present
Confidence: Confident
Type of Residency: Year-round
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Global Range: (200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)) This lizard ranges from southern Nevada, southern Utah, southeastern California, and western Arizona south to southern Baja California and west-central Sonora, Mexico; in Baja California, most of the distribution is away from the west coast (Hollingsworth 1998, Grismer 2002, Stebbins 2003).
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Distribution: Espiritu Santo, Partida, San Jose, San Francisco, San Diego, Santa Cruz, San Marcos, Santa Catalina, Isla Ballena [HR 27(1)], Isla Pardo [HR 28(1)], (Gulf of California, Mexico). australis: Mexico (SE Baja California, from Punta San Gabriel southward to La Paz)
Type locality: restricted to (Smith & Taylor 1950): Espiritu Santo Island.
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Physical Description
Size
Diagnostic Description
Differs from the gila monster in having dorsal scales small and granular (vs. large and beadlike) and in having femoral pores on the underside of the thigh (pores lacking in gila monster). Differs from other U.S. iguanid lizards in being larger and more robust, lacking expanded toetips, lacking head spines (horns), lacking enlarged middorsal scales, and having nonoverlapping scales at the upper edge of the orbit (Smith and Brodie 1982).
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Type Information
Catalog Number: USNM 4172
Collection: Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Division of Amphibians & Reptiles
Preparation: Ethanol
Locality: Fort Yuma, Imperial, California, United States, North America
- Holotype: Baird, S. F. 1858. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia. 10: 253.
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Catalog Number: USNM 64443
Collection: Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Division of Amphibians & Reptiles
Preparation: Ethanol
Year Collected: 1911
Locality: La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Vessel: U.S.S. "Albatross"
- Holotype: Dickerson, M. C. 1919. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 41 (10): 463.
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Catalog Number: USNM 64442
Collection: Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Division of Amphibians & Reptiles
Sex/Stage: Male;
Preparation: Ethanol
Year Collected: 1911
Locality: Tiburon Island (= Isla Tiburon), Gulf of California, Isla Tiburon, Sonora, Mexico
Vessel: U.S.S. "Albatross"
- Holotype: Dickerson, M. C. 1919. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 41 (10): 464.
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Ecology
Habitat
Habitat and Ecology
Systems
- Terrestrial
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Comments: This lizard inhabits rocky desert; lava flows, hillsides, and outcrops. Creosote bush occurs throughout most of the range (Stebbins 2003). Habitats encompass subtropical thornforest in the southern part of the range. Individuals seek shelter in rock crevices (or in burrows on islands in the Gulf of California; Grismer 2002). Eggs are laid underground.
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Migration
Non-Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species do not make significant seasonal migrations. Juvenile dispersal is not considered a migration.
Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).
Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.
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Trophic Strategy
Comments: Browses on a wide variety of leaves, buds, flowers, and fruit (Behler and King 1979). Occasionally eats insects (Stebbins 1985).
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Population Biology
Number of Occurrences
Note: For many non-migratory species, occurrences are roughly equivalent to populations.
Estimated Number of Occurrences: 81 to >300
Comments: This species is represented by a large number of viable occurrences throughout the majority of the range in California, Arizona, and Sonora, Mexico.
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Global Abundance
100,000 to >1,000,000 individuals
Comments: Abundance information is not available rangewide, but total adult population size is likely more than 100,000. Coombs (1977) estimated a population size of 10,000-15,000 individuals in Washington County, Utah. The abundance in the remainder of the Utah range (Kane, Garfield, and San Juan counties) is likely to be less than in Washington County (George Oliver, pers. comm., 1998).
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General Ecology
Southeastern California: first-year survivorship varied greatly among years, influenced mainly by egg mortality; annual survivorship about 75% for older individuals; large adults apparently most susceptible to predation; population density 15-30/ha; life expectancy about 15 years; summer rainfall promoted early maturity and successful reproduction (Abts 1987).
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Life History and Behavior
Cyclicity
Comments: Basks on rocks during the day. Inactive in cold temperatures or extreme heat. In southeastern California, may be active throughout most of year when winters relatively mild and summer rainfall frequent (Abts 1987).
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Life Expectancy
Lifespan, longevity, and ageing
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Reproduction
Mating apparently occurs May to June. Lays clutch of 5-16 eggs (clutch size increases with female body size), June perhaps to August. In Colorado Desert of southeastern California, oviposition occurs during first 3 weeks of July, just prior to summer rainfall (Abts 1988). Females may lay only every second year (Behler and King 1979). In Colorado Desert of southeastern California, males typically sexually mature at 2 years, females at 2-3 years if conditions optimal or at about 5 years if drought occurs; over several years, mean annual frequency of reproduction ranged from 0 to 95%; In Mojave Desert, females mature apparently in 5 years (Abts 1987). In southeastern California, first hatchling sighted in late September; hatchlings observed more frequently after early November (if climate mild) (Abts 1988).
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Molecular Biology and Genetics
Molecular Biology
Statistics of barcoding coverage: Sauromalus ater
Public Records: 0
Specimens with Barcodes: 6
Species With Barcodes: 1
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Conservation
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List Assessment
Red List Category
Red List Criteria
Version
Year Assessed
Assessor/s
Reviewer/s
Contributor/s
Justification
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National NatureServe Conservation Status
United States
Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure
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NatureServe Conservation Status
Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure
Reasons: Fairly common in many areas in a restricted range in the deserts of southwestern North America; little information is available on populations and trends, but apparently secure rangewide; threatened by collecting in some isolated areas, but probably not very threatened rangewide.
Intrinsic Vulnerability: Moderately vulnerable
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Trends
Population
Population Trend
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Global Short Term Trend: Relatively stable (=10% change)
Comments: The Utah Heritage Program states that the population trend there is unknown but perhaps stable (George Oliver, pers. comm., 1998). Populations in Sonora, Mexico are considered stable (Andres Villareal Lazarraga, pers. comm., 1998).
Global Long Term Trend: Increase of 10-25% to decline of 30%
Comments: Populations may vary with environmental conditions. According to Abts (1987), annual densities are variable with higher densities after relatively mild winters and the occurrence of summer rainfall. During a seven-year study in the Colorado Desert of southwestern California, densities ranged from 15 to 30 individuals per hectare (Abts 1987). Nevertheless, area of occupancy and population size appear to be relatively stable over most of the range.
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Threats
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Degree of Threat: BC
Comments: Chuckwall populations are locally threatened by excessive collecting and habitat degradation (New Mexico Department of Game and Fish 1997). Collectors not only remove individuals from the habitat may thus may reduce population viability but also often cause microhabitat destruction when tools are used move or break rocks and exfoliations to expose the reptiles (New Mexico Department of Game and Fish 1997). Some populations have been hard hit by collectors. For example, the easily accessible South Mountain population, near Phoenix, Arizona, has a unique color pattern and is highly desired by the pet trade; exploitation of this population and destruction of its habitat are on the rise (Gergus et al. 1998). Historical populations in the Glen Canyon area of Utah have been reduced or eliminated by the damming of the Colorado River. Habitat degradation due to grazing activities of goats, sheep, and burros is also a potential threat.
Overall, however, the species appears to be moderately to not very threatened across most of its range. The species is regarded as not very threatened in Sonora, Mexico (Andres Villareal Lazarraga, pers. comm., 1998).
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Management
Conservation Actions
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Global Protection: Many to very many (13 to >40) occurrences appropriately protected and managed
Comments: Habitat is protected from development in several national parks and monuments and in federal wilderness areas in the United States, and the species occurs within protected sites in Sonora, Mexico (Andres Villareal Lazarraga, pers. comm., 1998). Many sites outside formally protected areas are rugged and remote and thus protected from most potential threats.
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Wikipedia
Sauromalus ater
The Common Chuckwalla (Sauromalus ater) is a species of lizard in the family Iguanidae. It inhabits the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Its range extends from Eastern California, Utah, and Nevada south to Baja California and Sonora.[2]
Contents |
Taxonomy [edit]
The common name "chuckwalla" (or chuckawalla) is derived from the Shoshone word "tcaxxwal" or "caxwal," the form used by the Cahuilla of southeastern California.[3]
Its generic name, sauromalus, is a combination of two Ancient Greek words:σαῦρος (sauros) meaning "lizard". and ομαλυς (omalus) meaning "flat".[3] Its specific name is ater, Latin for "black" or "dark"
Its original epithet was Sauromalus obesus; and although that name is no longer officially recognized, it is still very common in the literature and it remains in many standard natural history references for North America. In 1998, Bradford D. Hollingsworth examined variations in Sauromalus and concluded that only five species should be recognized. He regarded S. obesus as conspecific with S. ater, and he used S. ater, which has priority, as the specific name of the combined taxon.[4] No subspecies of S. ater are currently recognized.[4] Based primarily on the extensive use of the name S. obesus, a petition to give that name precedence over that of S. ater was submitted to the ICZN.[4] However this reasoning was dubious and the priority of S. ater was maintained.[4] In 2004, ICZN ruled that the name Sauromalus ater was first described by zoologist Auguste Duméril in 1856 and thus had precedence over the name Sauromalus obesus which was not named until 1858 by Baird.[4]
Description [edit]
The common chuckwalla is a large, flat-bodied lizard with a large rounded belly, and a wide-based blunt-tipped tail.[3] Reaching a total length of 20 inches and a weight of .9 kilograms (2.0 lb).[5] Small scales cover its body, with larger scales protecting the ear openings.[3] The coloration of these lizards varies by location and between juveniles and adults, as well as among males and females.[3] In adult males, the head, shoulder, and pelvic regions are black while the mid-body is light tan speckled with brown.[3] Adult females are brownish in color with a scattering of dark red spots. Young chuckwallas have four or five broad bands across the body, and three or four on the tail which are lost in adulthood by males, but retained somewhat by females.[3]
Behavior [edit]
Harmless to humans, these lizards are known to run from potential threats.[5] When disturbed, the Chuckwalla will gulp air, distend its body and wedge itself into a tight rock crevice.[5] The Chuckwalla will inflate its body with air in order to entrench itself.[5]
Males are seasonally and conditionally territorial; an abundance of resources tends to create a hierarchy based on size, with one large male dominating the area's smaller males.[5] Chuckwallas use a combination of colour and physical displays, namely "push ups", head-hobbing, and gaping of the mouth to communicate and defend their territory (see animal communication).[5]
Chuckwallas are diurnal animals and as they are exothermic, spend much of their mornings and winter days basking.[5] These lizards are well adapted to desert conditions; they are active at temperatures of up to 102°F (39°C).[5] Chuckwallas brumate during cooler months and emerge in February.[5]
Mating occurs from April to July, with 5-16 eggs laid between June and August. The eggs hatch in late September.[5]
Diet [edit]
Primarily herbivorous, the chuckwalla eats creosote bush flowers, leaves, fruit, and occasionally insects.[5]
Gallery [edit]
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References [edit]
- ^ "Sauromalus ater". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 15 September 2008.
- ^ Grismer, L. Lee (2002). Amphibians and Reptiles of Baja California, Including its Pacific Islands, and the Islands in the Sea of Cortés. University of California Press. p. 130. ISBN 978-0-520-22417-9.
- ^ a b c d e f g Schwenkmeyer, Dick. "Sauromalus ater Common Chuckwalla". Field Guide. San Diego Natural History Museum. Retrieved 17 September 2008.
- ^ a b c d e Hollingsworth, Bradford D. (2004). "The Evolution of Iguanas an Overview and a Checklist of Species". Iguanas: Biology and Conservation (University of California Press). p. 42. ISBN 978-0-520-23854-1.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Stebbins, Robert C.,(2003) A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians, 3rd Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, ISBN 0-395-98272-3
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Peninsular chuckwalla
The peninsular chuckwalla (Sauromalus australis) is a lizard belonging to the family Iguanidae. It is in the same genus as the other chuckwalla species. S. australis inhabits southeastern Baja California and eastern Baja California Sur in Mexico.[3]
Taxonomy and etymology
The generic name, Sauromalus, is a combination of two Ancient Greek words:σαῦρος (sauros) meaning "lizard". and ομαλυς (omalus) meaning "flat".[4] Its specific name is derived from the Latin australis, meaning "southern wind", as it inhabits the southern portion of the Baja peninsula.[5] The common name chuckwalla derives from the Shoshone word "tcaxxwal" or Cahuilla "caxwal", transcribed by Spaniards as "chacahuala".[4]
The species was first described by herpetologist Charles E. Shaw in 1945.[2]
Description
Peninsular chuckwallas are a stocky wide-bodied lizard with a flattened midsection and prominent belly.[2] Their tails are thick, tapering to a blunt tip. Loose folds of skin characterize the neck and sides of the body, which is covered in small, coarsely moderately keeled scales. Their base color is with tan to yellow with darker brown or black transverse bands, the centers of which are speckled with the lighter ground color, giving a double striped look from a distance.[2]
Males are generally larger than females and possess well-developed femoral pores located on the inner sides of their thighs; these pores produce secretions believed to play a role in marking territory.
References
- ^ "Sauromalus australis". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=586022. Retrieved 15 September 2008.
- ^ a b c d Shaw, Charles E (1945). "The chuckwallas, Genus Sauromalus". Transactions of the San Diego Society of Natural History 10 (=15): 269–306.
- ^ Bartlett, R.D.; Patricia Bartlett (2003). Iguanas: Everything about Selection, Care, Nutrition, Diseases, Breeding, and Behavior (2 ed.). Barron's. p. 86. ISBN 978-0-7641-1993-4. http://books.google.com/books?id=opjT3x1kW6oC&printsec=frontcover&client=firefox-a&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0.
- ^ a b Schwenkmeyer, Dick. "Sauromalus ater Common Chuckwalla". Field Guide. San Diego Natural History Museum. http://www.sdnhm.org/fieldguide/herps/saur-ate.html. Retrieved 17 September 2008.
- ^ Hollingsworth, Bradford D. (2004). The Evolution of Iguanas an Overview and a Checklist of Species. University of California Press. pp. 43–44. ISBN 978-0-520-23854-1.
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Names and Taxonomy
Taxonomy
Comments: Hollingsworth (1998) examined variation in Sauromalus and concluded that five species should be recognized. He regarded S. obesus as conspecific with S. ater, and he used S. ater, which has priority, as the specific name of the combined taxon. No subspecies of S. ater were recognized. Based primarily on the extensive use of the name S. obesus, a petition to give that name precedence over that of S. ater was submitted to the ICZN. However, McDiarmid et al. (2002) questioned this reasoning and argued that the priority of S. ater should be maintained. In 2004, ICZN ruled that the name Sauromalus ater Duméril 1856 has precedence over the name Sauromalus obesus (Baird 1858) (Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 61:74-75). Hence, Sauromalus obesus is no longer the correct name for the chuckwallas of the United States (or Mexico).
See Petren and Case (1997) for a phylogenetic analysis of Sauromalus based on mtDNA variation. Patterns of mtDNA variation show geographic patterns but do not exhibit a phylogenetic break at the Colorado River valley (in contrast to the pattern found in the desert tortoise) (Lamb et al. 1992).
MtDNA data indicate that Cyclura is monophyletic and not closely releated to any other genus, whereas Iguana is strongly supported as the sister taxon to Sauromalus (Malone et al. 2000). Wiens and Hollingsworth (2000) concluded that Cyclura is the sister taxon of Iguana and that Sauromalus probably is the sister taxon of the Cyclura-Iguana clade.
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