Oplurus cuvieri | |
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At Anjajavy Forest, Madagascar | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Suborder: | Iguania |
Family: | Opluridae |
Genus: | Oplurus |
Species: | O. cuvieri |
Binomial name | |
Oplurus cuvieri (Gray, 1831) | |
Synonyms [2] | |
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Oplurus cuvieri, commonly known as the collared iguana, the collared iguanid lizard, Cuvier's Madagascar skink, Cuvier's Madagascar swift, and the Madagascan collared iguana, is a species of arboreal lizard in the family Opluridae. The species is native to Madagascar and Comoros. There are two recognized subspecies. O. cuvieri is the largest of six species in the genus Oplurus .
The specific name, cuvieri, is in honor of French naturalist Georges Cuvier. [3]
As some of the common names suggest, O. cuvieri has a distinctive black collar that stands out against the body which is speckled with lighter spots. It has a large head, and the relatively short tail has spiny scales. The female is a duller brown colour. [4]
The average length of O. cuvieri is 16 in. and the average weight is 160 – 190 g. [5]
The images below show considerable variation in markings and coloration.
The collared iguana is found in the western tropical forests of Madagascar and on the island of Grand Comore in Comoros. [1]
Two subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies. [2]
Nota bene : A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Oplurus .
O. cuvieri has a mostly carnivorous diet. [4]
This diurnal iguana species is primarily arboreal and spends much of its time gripping trunks and branches where it remains motionless while it scans the surrounding area for insects.
Once It sees the prey, the lizard will run rapidly to capture it before it can escape. Madagascar Collared Lizards have also been observed positioning themselves near an ant trail where they can gain an easy meal by picking up the ants one by one. Occasionally, they may also eat plant matter such as flowers.
This lizard is territorial, found alone or in an area with one male and a few females.
When threatened, it will retreat into a crack or crevice in a tree trunk, and use its armored tail to form a barrier between itself and the predator. [5]
The sexual maturity of the Madagascar Collared Lizard is estimated at 2-3 years.
The breeding season for the Madagascar Collared Lizard is timed to match the rainy season, with egg laying occurring just after the first heavy rain. Males fight with one another for the females’ attention, often leading to injury or even death. The female digs a hole about four inches deep in open ground where there is no live vegetation, often on a man-made forest trail. She lays her clutch, typically of 2-5 eggs, fills the hole with sandy soil and covers it with sand, dead leaves and twigs so that the laying site blends into the surroundings. The female then immediately leaves the nest site and neither parent provides any degree of care for the hatchlings. Females may lay several clutches per year.
Incubation of Madagascar Collared Lizard eggs lasts 61-71 days. [5]
There is no data on the number of individuals in the wild and no known conservation measures in place for this species. Its habitat in the forests of Madagascar, however, faces a number of threats which may impact this iguana; this includes the burning of forests for agricultural expansion and the exploitation of trees for timber and charcoal.
In addition, because of their shallow, unprotected nesting sites, the eggs are heavily preyed upon by other reptiles, most notably the Malagasy giant hognose snake. [5]
Lizard is the common name used for all squamate reptiles other than snakes, encompassing over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The grouping is paraphyletic as some lizards are more closely related to snakes than they are to other lizards. Lizards range in size from chameleons and geckos a few centimeters long to the 3-meter-long Komodo dragon.
The Opluridae, or Madagascan iguanas, are a family of moderately sized lizards native to Madagascar and Grande Comore. There are eight species in two genera, with most of the species being in Oplurus. The Opluridae, along with Brachylophus of Fiji, are the only extant members of the Pleurodonta that are found outside the Americas.
The Iguanidae is a family of lizards composed of the iguanas, chuckwallas, and their prehistoric relatives, including the widespread green iguana.
Oplurus is a genus of Malagasy iguanian lizards, most of which are rock-dwelling terrestrial species.
The Australian water dragon, which includes the eastern water dragon and the Gippsland water dragon subspecies, is an arboreal agamid species native to eastern Australia from Victoria northwards to Queensland. There may be a small introduced population on the south-east coast of South Australia. The Gippsland Water Dragon is generally the more southern of the two species and the more cold adapted and heat sensitive. Visually distinguishing the Gippsland Water Dragon from the Eastern Water Dragon is relatively easy, as long as their skin is reasonably clean and not stained from the water, as identification of the two subspecies depends largely on observable differences in colours and patterns.
Calotes emma, commonly known as the forest garden lizard or Emma Gray's forest lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is native to China, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. There are two recognized subspecies.
The black tree monitor or Beccari's monitor is a species of lizard in the family Varanidae. The species is a relatively small member of the family, growing to about 90–120 cm (35–47 in) in total length. V. beccarii is endemic to the Aru Islands off New Guinea, living in an arboreal habitat. The skin color of adults is completely black, to which one common name refers.
Frances's sparrowhawk is a small bird of prey. The nominate subspecies, A. f. francesiae, is endemic to Madagascar, and the other subspecies are found in the Comoro Islands. The Anjouan sparrowhawk, also known as the Anjouan Island sparrowhawk, Ndzuwani goshawk or Joanna Island goshawk, was thought to be extinct until searches in the 1980s and in 2005 confirmed that it is still extant.
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 Malagasy paradise flycatcher is a species of bird in the family Monarchidae. It is found in Comoros, Madagascar, and Mayotte. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest.
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.
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.
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.
Uroplatus sikorae, commonly referred to as the mossy leaf-tailed gecko or the southern flat-tail gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to Madagascar. It is a CITES II protected animal due to habitat loss.
Uracentron flaviceps, the tropical thornytail iguana or Amazon thornytail iguana is an elusive species of medium-sized arboreal lizard found in the tropical lowlands of the Amazon Rainforest. The species was described by French zoologist Alphone Guichenot in 1855. They are considered to be ant specialists and exhibit communal nesting and a harem-style breeding system in which one male mates with and attends to multiple females. Study of this species has been impeded by difficulties collecting and observing them.
The green thornytail iguana is an arboreal species of lizard from the Amazon rainforest and forests in the Guiana Shield. It is found in Colombia, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, northeastern Peru, southern Venezuela, and northern Brazil. As in U. flaviceps, U. azureum primarily feeds on ants.
Plica plica is a species of lizard in the family Tropiduridae, the Neotropical ground lizards. Its common names include collared tree lizard, collared tree runner,tree runner, and harlequin racerunner. In Guyana it is known as wakanama.
Anolis cuvieri is a species of lizard in the family Dactyloidae. The species is endemic to Puerto Rico, and is common in the Toro Negro State Forest.
Oplurus cyclurus, also known commonly as the Madagascar swift and Merrem's Madagascar swift, is a species of lizard in the family Opluridae. The species is endemic to Madagascar. It is arboreal and mostly insectivorous. Its breeding is timed with the rainy season.
Grandidier's Madagascar swift is a species of saxicolous lizard in the family Opluridae. The species is endemic to Madagascar.