Sauromalus slevini
| Sauromalus sleveni[1] | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Vertebrata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Iguania |
| Family: | Iguanidae |
| Genus: | Sauromalus |
| Species: | S. slevini |
| Binomial name | |
| Sauromalus slevini Van Denburgh, 1922 | |
Sauromalus slevini, also known as the Monserrat chuckwalla, is a species of chuckwalla belonging to the Iguanidae family. S. slevini is native to three small islands in the Sea of Cortés.
Taxonomy and etymology
The generic name, Sauromalus, is a combination of two Ancient Greek words: σαῦρος (sauros) meaning "lizard" and ομαλυς (omalus) meaning "flat".[2]
Its specific name, slevini, is a latinized form of the surname of American zoologist Joseph Richard Slevin (1881-1957), who was Curator of Herpetology at the California Academy of Sciences from 1928 to 1957.[3][4]
The species was first described by American herpetologist John Van Denburgh in 1922.[5]
The common name, "chuckwalla", derives from the Shoshone word, tcaxxwal, or the Cahuilla word, caxwal, transcribed by Spaniards as chacahuala.
Habitat and location
S. slevini is found on three islands in the Sea of Cortés: Isla Carmen, Isla Coronado, and Isla Montserrat. Due to its restricted range it is a CITES protected animal.
Description
The base color on its back is brown or olive green, with a yellow middorsal band, but can be spotted, marbled, or cross-banded with red or darker brown. The head, tail, and limbs are unicolor, and the tail may be faintly cross-banded with darker brown. The ventral surfaces are dull brown, marbled or spotted with dark brown, especially on the throat.
Diet
The Montserrat chuckwalla prefers dwelling in lava flows and rocky areas with nooks and crannies available for a retreat when threatened. These areas are typically vegetated by creosote bush and cholla cacti, which form the staple of its diet as the chuckwalla is primarily herbivorous. The chuckwalla also feeds on leaves, fruit and flowers of annuals, perennial plants, and even weeds; insects represent a supplementary prey if eaten at all.
References
- ↑ "Sauromalus slevini". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 27 September 2008.
- ↑ Schwenkmeyer, Dick. "Sauromalus ater Common Chuckwalla". Field Guide. San Diego Natural History Museum. Retrieved 17 September 2008.
- ↑ Hollingsworth, Bradford D. (2004). The Evolution of Iguanas an Overview and a Checklist of Species. Iguanas: Biology and Conservation. University of California Press. pp. 43–44. ISBN 978-0-520-23854-1.
- ↑ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Sauromalus slevini, p. 245).
- ↑ Van Denburgh, John (1922). The Reptiles of Western North America. Volume I. Lizards and Volume II. Snakes and Turtles. Occasional Papers of the California Academy of Sciences 10: 1–612; 613-1028. (Sauromalus slevini, new species, p. 97).