Ctenosaura quinquecarinata

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Ctenosaura quinquecarinata
Spinytailediguanan.jpg
CITES Appendix II (CITES) [2]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Iguania
Family: Iguanidae
Genus: Ctenosaura
Species:
C. quinquecarinata
Binomial name
Ctenosaura quinquecarinata
(Gray, 1842) [3]
Synonyms
  • Cyclura quinquecarinata Gray, 1842
  • Enyaliosaurus quinquecarinatus
    Gray, 1845
  • Ctenosaura quinquecarinata
    Bocourt, 1874 [4]

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.

Contents

Geographic range

It is found in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. [1] Other sources list it also from Mexico and El Salvador. [4]

Habitat

Its natural habitat is tropical dry forests. [1]

Conservation status

It is threatened in its native range by habitat loss. [1]

Taxonomy and etymology

Ctenosaura quinquecarinata was first described by zoologist John Edward Gray in 1842 as Cyclura quinquecarinata; 32 years later it was redesignated by Marie Firmin Bocourt as Ctenosaura quinquecarinata. The generic name, Ctenosaura, is derived from two Greek words: ctenos (Κτενός), meaning "comb" (referring to the comblike spines on the lizard's back and tail), and saura (σαύρα), meaning "lizard". [5] Its specific name quinquecarinata is a combination of two Latin words: quinque meaning "five" and carinata meaning "keeled" and refers to the five rows of scales on the animal's tail.

Description

The tail on this species is heavily armored with five rings of spines forming longitudinal ridges. Males of the species grow to a length of 35 centimeters (14 in) whereas females attain 18.5 centimeters (7.3 in). Like most Ctenosaura the iguanas are born a bright green color fading to brown as the animal ages. The females tend to turn a uniform drab brown in color, and males develop tones of black, blue and yellow on their bodies and heads over the brown background.

Threats

Total population size is not known, but it is estimated that there may be fewer than 2,500 mature individuals. [1] It is threatened by habitat loss through deforestation, overcollection through an unregulated exploitation for the pet trade, [1] and it is even hunted by humans as a food item.

Related Research Articles

<i>Ctenosaura</i> Genus of lizards

Ctenosaura is a lizard genus commonly known as spinytail iguanas or ctenosaurs. The genus is part of the large lizard family, Iguanidae and is native to Mexico and Central America. The name is derived from two Greek words: κτενός, meaning "comb", and σαύρα, meaning "lizard".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turks and Caicos rock iguana</span> Species of lizard

The Turks and Caicos rock iguana is a species of lizard endemic to the Turks and Caicos islands. This small iguana can reach 30 in (76 cm) and becomes mature at seven years and may live for twenty. A single clutch of up to nine eggs is laid each year, and these take three months to hatch. This iguana is mostly herbivorous, but supplements this by adding some animal matter to its diet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Desert iguana</span> Species of lizard

The desert iguana is an iguana species found in the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts of the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, as well as on several Gulf of California islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue iguana</span> Species of reptile

The blue iguana, also known as the Grand Cayman ground iguana, Grand Cayman blue iguana or Cayman Island rock iguana, is an endangered species of lizard which is endemic to the island of Grand Cayman. It was previously considered to be a subspecies of the Cuban iguana, Cyclura nubila, but in a 2004 article Frederic J. Burton reclassified it as a separate species because according to him the genetic differences discovered four years earlier between the different C. nubila populations warranted this interpretation. The blue iguana is one of the longest-living species of lizard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mona ground iguana</span> Species of Cyclura closely related to the rhinoceros iguana

The Mona ground iguana is a critically-endangered species of rock iguana, endemic to Mona Island, Puerto Rico. It is one of the island nation’s few large land animals, and it is the largest endemic terrestrial lizard in the country, and one of the biggest rock iguanas within the Antilles. It was previously considered a subspecies of the rhinoceros iguana.

<i>Ctenosaura pectinata</i> Species of lizard

Ctenosaura pectinata is a species of moderately large lizard in the family Iguanidae. The species is native to western Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamaican iguana</span> Species of lizard

The Jamaican iguana, also known commonly as Colley's iguana, is a large species of lizard in the family Iguanidae. The species is endemic to Jamaica. It is critically endangered, even considered extinct between 1948 and 1990. Once found throughout Jamaica and on the offshore islets Great Goat Island and Little Goat Island, it is now confined to the forests of the Hellshire Hills.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhinoceros iguana</span> Species of iguana endemic to the Caribbean

The rhinoceros iguana is an endangered species of iguana that is endemic to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola and its surrounding islands. A large lizard, they vary in length from 60 to 136 centimetres, and skin colours range from a steely grey to a dark green and even brown. Their name derives from the bony-plated pseudo-horn or outgrowth which resembles the horn of a rhinoceros on the iguana's snout. It is known to coexist with the Ricord's iguana ; the two species are the only taxa of rock iguana to do so.

<i>Ctenosaura bakeri</i> Species of lizard

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 Campeche spiny-tailed iguana is a species of lizard in the family Iguanidae. The species is native to southeastern Mexico and adjacent Guatemala.

<i>Ctenosaura oaxacana</i> Species of lizard

Ctenosaura oaxacana, commonly known as the Oaxacan spiny-tailed iguana, is a species of lizard in the family Iguanidae. It is endemic to Mexico.

<i>Cyclura nubila</i> Species of reptile

The Cuban rock iguana, also known as the Cuban ground iguana or Cuban iguana, is a species of lizard of the iguana family. It is the second largest of the West Indian rock iguanas, one of the most endangered groups of lizards. A herbivorous species with a thick tail and spiked jowls, it is one of the largest lizards in the Caribbean.

<i>Cyclura ricordii</i> Species of iguana endemic to Hispaniola

Cyclura ricordii, also known as Ricord's ground iguana or Ricord's rock iguana, is an endangered species of medium-sized rock iguana, a large herbivorous lizard. It is endemic to the island of Hispaniola. It is known to coexist with the nominate subspecies of the rhinoceros iguana ; the two species are the only taxa of rock iguana to do so. The natural habitats of its three subpopulations are hot, dry, wooded savanna on limestone with access to soil and sandy flats in southern Hispaniola. It is threatened by predation by introduced predators and habitat loss, due to overgrazing and charcoal manufacture.

Cyclura cornuta onchiopsis, the Navassa Island iguana, was a subspecies of rhinoceros iguana that was found on the Caribbean island of Navassa.

Cyclura carinata bartschi, commonly known as Bartsch's iguana or the Booby Cay iguana, is a subspecies of lizard in the family Iguanidae. The subspecies is endemic to a single cay, Booby Cay, in The Bahamas.

<i>Ctenosaura similis</i> Black iguana, native to central America

Ctenosaura similis, commonly known as the black iguana or black spiny-tailed iguana, is a lizard native to Mexico and Central America. It has been reported in some Colombian islands in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, and 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.

<i>Ctenosaura hemilopha</i> Species of lizard

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.

<i>Ctenosaura acanthura</i> Species of reptile in Mexico

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.

<i>Cyclura pinguis</i> Species of reptile

Cyclura pinguis, the Anegada rock iguana, Anegada ground iguana or stout iguana, is a critically endangered species of lizard of the genus Cyclura belonging to the family Iguanidae. The species can be found exclusively in the islands of Anegada and Guana. Historically, it inhabited the islands of Puerto Rico and Saint Thomas; however, the animal's original range has been greatly diminished over prehistory.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Reynoso, V.H.; Ubeda, M.; Vázquez-Cruz, M.; Rivera-Arroyo, R.C.; Malone, C.L.; Grant, T.D. (2020). "Ctenosaura quinquecarinata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2020: e.T44193A2993977. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T44193A2993977.en . Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  2. "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  3. "Ctenosaura quinquecarinata". Integrated Taxonomic Information System . Retrieved 2 January 2008.
  4. 1 2 Ctenosaura quinquecarinata at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 13 November 2015.
  5. Malfatti, Mark (2007). "A look at the genus Ctenosaura: meet the world's fastest lizard and its kin". Reptiles Magazine. 15 (11): 64–73.

Further reading