Angel Island Chuckwalla

taxobox
name = Angel Island ChuckwallaITIS|ID=586023|taxon=Sauromalus hispidus|year=2008|date=15 September]


status = LC
status_system = IUCN3.1
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Sauropsida
ordo = Squamata
subordo = Iguania
familia = Iguanidae
genus = "Sauromalus"
species = "S. hispidus"
binomial = "Sauromalus hispidus"
binomial_authority = Stejneger, 1891|The Angel Island Chuckwalla ("Sauromalus hispidus") (also known as the Spiny Chuckwalla) is a species of chuckwalla belonging to the Iguanidae family endemic to Isla Ángel de la Guarda (Angel Island) in the Sea of Cortés. The species was transported to other islands by a tribe of the Seri as a potential food source.

Taxonomy and etymology

The generic name, "sauromalus", is a combination of two Ancient Greek words:σαῦρος (sauros) meaning "lizard". and ομαλυς (omalus) meaning "flat".cite web | last =Schwenkmeyer | first = Dick| title =Sauromalus ater Common Chuckwalla | work = Field Guide| publisher = San Diego Natural History Museum| date = | url = http://www.sdnhm.org/fieldguide/herps/saur-ate.html| accessdate =17 September 2008 ] Its specific name "hispidus" is Latin for "coarse" or "thorny" in reference to the spines on the Chuckwalla's tail.cite book | last = Hollingsworth | first = Bradford D. | title = The Evolution of Iguanas an Overview and a Checklist of Species | work = Iguanas: Biology and Conservation | publisher = University of California Press | pages = 43–44 | date = 2004 | isbn = 9780520238541 ]

The common name "Chuckwalla" derives from the Shoshone word "tcaxxwal" or Cahuilla "caxwal", transcribed by Spaniards as "chacahuala".

Description

The Angel Island Chuckwalla is the second largest species of Chuckwalla reaching convert|44|cm|in in body length, convert|64|cm|in overall length and weighing up to convert|1.4|kg|lb. It is considered a gigantic species as it is two to three times the size of its mainland counterparts.cite journal |last = Smits|first= A. W. |date = 1985|title = Behavioral and dietary responses to aridity in the chuckwalla, Sauromalus hispidus|journal= Journal of Herpetology] Its body color is a dark brown color with tranverse black bands which fade into a solid darker brown to black color as the animal ages.

Distribution and habitat

The Angel Island Chuckwalla is endemic to Isla Ángel de la Guarda(Angel Island) and ten smaller islands in the Sea of Cortés.cite book| last=Case|first=T. J.|date= 1982|title= Ecology and evolution of insular gigantic chuckwallas, Sauromalus hispidus and Sauromalus varius|pages=184–212|work= Iguanas of the World|publisher= Noyes Publications|location=Park Ridge, New Jersey|isbn=0815509170]

Behavior and reproduction

Harmless to humans, these lizards are known to run from potential threats. When disturbed, the Chuckwalla will gulp air, distend its body and wedge itself into a tight rock crevice. The Chuckwalla will inflate its body with air in order to entrench itself.Stebbins, Robert C.,(2003) "A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians", 3rd Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, ISBN10: 0395982723]

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. 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).

Angel Island Chuckwallas are diurnal animals and as they are exothermic, spend much of their mornings and winter days basking. These lizards are well adapted to desert conditions; they are active at temperatures of up to 102°F (39°C).

Mating occurs from April to July, with 5–16 eggs laid between June and August. The eggs hatch in late September. Chuckwallas may live for 25 years or more.

Human use

The Comca’ac considered this species of chuckwalla an important food item. [Richard Felger and Mary B. Moser (1985) "People of the desert and sea: ethnobotany of the Seri Indians" Tucson: University of Arizona Press.] So much so, that the lizards were translocated to most of the islands in Bahia de los Angeles: Isla San Lorenzo Norte, Isla San Lorenzo Sur, and Tiburón Island by the Seri people for use as a food source in times of need.

References