Kingdom Animalia Class Reptilia Suborder Iguania Scientific name Sauromalus australis | Phylum Chordata Order Squamata Family Iguanidae Rank Species | |
Similar Sauromalus slevini, Acklins ground iguana, Cyclura rileyi cristata, Ctenosaura clarki, San Esteban 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.
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Taxonomy and etymology
The generic name, Sauromalus, is a combination of two Ancient Greek words:σαῦρος (sauros) meaning "lizard", and ομαλυς (omalus) meaning "flat". Its specific name is derived from the Latin australis, meaning "southern wind", as it inhabits the southern portion of the Baja peninsula. The common name "chuckwalla" derives from the Shoshone word tcaxxwal or Cahuilla caxwal, transcribed by Spaniards as chacahuala.
The species was first described by herpetologist Charles E. Shaw in 1945.
Description
Peninsular chuckwallas are stocky, wide-bodied lizards with flattened midsections and prominent bellies. Their tails are thick, tapering to a blunt tip. Loose folds of skin characterize their necks and sides of their bodies, which are covered in small, coarsely moderately keeled scales. Their base color is 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.
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.