| Ctenosaura palearis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Guatemalan spiny-tailed iguana | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Iguania |
| Family: | Iguanidae |
| Genus: | Ctenosaura |
| Species: | C. palearis |
| Binomial name | |
| Ctenosaura palearis Stejneger, 1899 | |
 | |
Ctenosaura palearis, commonly known as the Motagua spiny-tailed iguana, is a species of spiny-tailed iguana endemic to the Motagua Valley in Guatemala.
This species is threatened by habitat loss and illegal trade. These iguanas were used as a source of food by natives. Its eggs are a food source for the equally threatened Motagua Valley beaded lizard (Heloderma charlesbogerti), thereby possibly linking the status of the two species. It is included in CITES appendix II so that trade of this species is regulated. [1]
The Guatemalan spiny-tailed iguana feeds on leaves and the fruits of the cactus Stenocereus pruinosus and occasionally insects (crickets, beetles, ants and wasps).
The habitat of C. palearis is characterized by a greater frequency of the cactus Stenocereus pruinosus , Albizzia idiopoda, Ximena americana and Acacia deamii. The Guatemalan spiny-tailed iguana can be regarded as a keystone species because it plays an important role in seed dispersal of S. pruinosus.[ citation needed ]
The Mexican beaded lizard is a species of lizard in the family Helodermatidae, one of the two species of venomous beaded lizards found principally in Mexico and southern Guatemala. It and the other member of the same genus, the Gila monster, are the only lizards known to have evolved an overt venom delivery system. The Mexican beaded lizard is larger than the Gila monster, with duller coloration, black with yellowish bands. As it is a specialized predator that feeds primarily upon eggs, the primary use of its venom is still a source of debate among scientists. This venom has been found to contain several enzymes useful for manufacturing drugs in the treatment of diabetes, and research on the pharmacological use of its venom is ongoing.
Ctenosaura pectinata is a species of moderately large lizard in the family Iguanidae. The species is native to western Mexico.
Ctenosaura bakeri, also known as the Utila spiny-tailed iguana, Baker's spinytail iguana, swamper or wishiwilly del suampo, is a critically endangered species of spinytail iguana endemic to the island of Utila, one of the Islas de la Bahía off the coast of Honduras in the Caribbean.
The russet-crowned motmot is a species of motmot native to north-western Mexico and central Guatemala. It is a year-round resident of the tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests and scrubland. The russet-crowned motmot is the most understudied species of motmot in the family Momotidae.
The Campeche spiny-tailed iguana is a species of lizard in the family Iguanidae. The species is native to southeastern Mexico and adjacent Guatemala.
Ctenosaura clarki, commonly known as the Balsas armed lizard, Balsas spiny-tailed iguana, Michoacán dwarf spiny-tailed iguana, or nopiche, is a species of lizard in the family Iguanidae. The species native to Mexico.
Ctenosaura flavidorsalis, commonly known as the yellow-backed spiny-tailed iguana, is a species of lizard in the family Iguanidae.
Ctenosaura melanosterna, commonly known as the black-chested spiny-tailed iguana or Honduran spinytailed iguana, is a species of lizard in the family Iguanidae.
Ctenosaura oaxacana, commonly known as the Oaxacan spiny-tailed iguana, is a species of lizard in the family Iguanidae. It is endemic to Mexico.
Ctenosaura oedirhina, commonly known as the Roatán spiny-tailed iguana or de Queiroz's spiny-tailed iguana, is a species of lizard in the family Iguanidae. It is endemic to Honduras, on the island of Roatán in the Caribbean, to which one of its common names refers. The Roatán iguana is a medium sized iguana with a rounded snout, short crest scales, and a snout-vent length ranging from 151 to 325mm.
Ctenosaura quinquecarinata, commonly known as the Oaxacan spinytail iguana or the five-keeled spiny-tailed iguana is a species of lizard in the family Iguanidae native to Central America.
Ctenosaura similis, commonly known as the black iguana or black spiny-tailed iguana, is a lizard native to Mexico, Central America, and some Colombian islands in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. It has been introduced to the United States in the state of Florida. It is the largest species in the genus Ctenosaura. They are typically found in areas such as grasslands and forests.
Ctenosaura hemilopha, also known as the Baja California spiny-tailed iguana, is a species of spinytail iguana endemic to Baja California. It is arboreal and primarily herbivorous, although it can be an opportunistic carnivore. Males may grow up to 100 centimeters (39 in) in length, while females are smaller, with a length of up to 70 centimeters (28 in). Five subspecies are currently recognized.
Ctenosaura acanthura, is a species of iguanid lizard found in eastern Mexico and extreme western Guatemala. The standardized English name is the Mexican spiny-tailed iguana. Confusingly however, an earlier edition of standardized names for Mexican herpetofauna called Ctenosaura acanthura the northeastern spinytailed iguana and applied the name Mexican spinytailed iguana to Ctenosaura pectinata, which was called the western spiny-tailed iguana in the second edition. It has also been referred to as the Veracruz spiny-tailed iguana and Gulf Coast spiny-tailed iguana. It is an egg laying species that is mostly herbivorous and a moderately large lizard commonly growing over one meter in total length.
The Guatemalan beaded lizard, also called commonly the Motagua Valley beaded lizard, is a highly endangered species of beaded lizard, a venomous lizard in the family Helodermatidae. The species is endemic to the dry forests of the Motagua Valley in southeastern Guatemala, an ecoregion known as the Motagua Valley thornscrub. It is the only allopatric beaded lizard species, separated from the nearest population by 250 km (160 mi) of unsuitable habitat. The Guatemalan beaded lizard is the rarest and most endangered species of beaded lizard, and it is believed that fewer than 200 individuals of this animal exist in the wild, making it one of the most endangered lizards in the world. In 2007, it was transferred from Appendix II to Appendix I of CITES due to its critical conservation status.
The Motagua Valley thornscrub ecoregion is located in the Motagua valley in eastern Guatemala. Surrounded by mountains and receiving relatively little precipitation, the valley is one of the driest in Central America and is characterized by thorn scrub vegetation. It covers an area of 2330 km2 and belongs to the deserts and xeric shrublands biome, as defined by the World Wildlife Fund.
Stenocereus pruinosus is a species of cactus. It is endemic to Mexico and occurs in the states of Veracruz, Puebla, and Oaxaca.
Ctenosaura macrolopha, the Sonoran spiny-tailed iguana or Cape spinytail iguana, is a species of iguana native to Mexico.
Ctenosaura nolascensis, the Nolasco spiny-tailed iguana or San Pedro Nolasco spinytail iguana, is a species of iguana native to Mexico. It is endemic to one island, the Isla San Pedro Nolasco.
