Details
Sauromalus ater
The common chuckwalla is a large iguanid of the Sonoran and Mojave deserts. When threatened, it wedges into rock crevices and inflates its body.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
It ranges through the southwestern United States, Baja California and Sonora. Dry rocky hillsides, lava flows and desert slopes are typical habitat.
Adults are 30-45 cm long and about 450-900 g. The body is flat with a rounded belly and blunt tail; males often have black heads and paler bodies.
Diurnal and heat-loving, it basks on rocks in the morning. Males defend good rocky territories and display with push-up-like movements.
It is mainly herbivorous, feeding on leaves, flowers, fruit and cactus. Juveniles and opportunistic adults may take small amounts of insects.
Breeding occurs in spring to early summer, and females lay about 5-16 eggs. Hatchlings emerge in late summer or autumn and shelter among rocks.
Harmless to people, the chuckwalla depends on intact desert rock habitat. It is stable overall, though collection and local habitat change can affect populations.
