San Esteban chuckwalla

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San Esteban chuckwalla [1]
Mexican beaded lizard Heloderma horridum 3000px.jpg
CITES Appendix I (CITES) [3]
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Iguania
Family: Iguanidae
Genus: Sauromalus
Species:
S. varius
Binomial name
Sauromalus varius
Dickerson, 1919

The San Esteban chuckwalla (Sauromalus varius), also known as the piebald chuckwalla or pinto chuckwalla, is a species of chuckwalla belonging to the family Iguanidae endemic to San Esteban Island in the Gulf of California. It is the largest of the five species of chuckwallas, and the most threatened.

Contents

Taxonomy and etymology

The generic name, Sauromalus, is said to be a combination of two ancient Greek words: sauros meaning "lizard" and omalus meaning "flat". [4] The proper ancient Greek word for "flat" is however homalos (ὁμαλός) or homalēs (ὁμαλής). [5] Its specific name varius is Latin for "speckled" in reference to the chuckwalla's mottled coloration. [6] [7] It was first described by American herpetologist Mary C. Dickerson in 1919. [8]

The common name chuckwalla derives from the Shoshone word tcaxxwal or Cahuilla caxwal, transcribed by Spaniards as chacahuala. The Seri people named originally the island for this species: Coftécöl lifa or the Peninsula of the Giant Chuckwalla. [9]

Distribution and habitat

The San Esteban chuckwalla is endemic to San Esteban Island in the Gulf of California. [6] While it is abundant on this small island, it occurs naturally nowhere else and is protected under the Endangered Species Act. At one time, the Seri translocated populations of this lizard to other islands in the Sea of Cortés as a food item, but none of these populations has survived beyond the original population found on San Esteban. [9]

Behavior and reproduction

Harmless to humans, these large lizards are known to run from potential threats. [10] When disturbed, the chuckwalla wedges itself into a tight rock crevice, gulps air, and inflates its body to entrench itself. [10]

Males are seasonally and conditionally territorial; an abundance of resources tends to create a hierarchy based on size, with one large male dominating the area's smaller males. Chuckwallas use a combination of color and physical displays, namely "push ups", head-hobbing, and gaping of the mouth to communicate and defend their territory. [10]

Chuckwallas are diurnal animals, and as they are ectothermic, spend much of their mornings and winter days basking in the sun. These lizards are well adapted to desert conditions; they are active at temperatures up to 102 °F (39 °C). [10]

Mating occurs from April to July, with 5 to 16 eggs laid between June and August. The eggs hatch in late September. [10] San Esteban chuckwallas may live for 25 years or more.

Diet

Chuckwallas prefer 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 their diet, as the chuckwalla is primarily herbivorous. Chuckwallas also feed on leaves, fruit, and flowers of annuals, perennial plants, and even weeds; insects represent a supplementary prey if eaten at all.

Description

S. varius at St Louis Zoo Sauromalus varius (4).jpg
S. varius at St Louis Zoo

The San Esteban chuckwalla is the largest species of chuckwalla, reaching 61 cm (24 in) in body length and 76 cm (30 in) overall length, and weighing up to 1.4 kg (3.1 lb). [6] It is considered a textbook example of island gigantism, as it is three to four times the size of its mainland counterparts. [6] The male's skin is gray with tan to yellow patches over its entire body, and its face is gray to black. The female is duller in appearance with fewer patches. The colorations provide almost perfect camouflage against some of their predators.

Human contact

The Comca’ac considered this species of chuckwalla an important food item due to its large size. [11] So much so, a few lizards were cross-bred with Angel Island chuckwallas and translocated to most of the islands in Bahia de los Angeles: Isla San Lorenzo Norte, Isla San Lorenzo Sur, and Tiburón Island by the Seri people for use as a food source in times of need. [6] This was before the founding of America, and most of these populations appear to have died out, but the process was repeated by herpeticulturalists in the early 2000s as a way of legally producing a San Esteban-like lizard that the average reptile enthusiast could keep. The crosses are fertile and seem to have traits of both species - the brighter coloration of the San Esteban chuckwalla with the calmer temperament of the Angel Island chuckwalla.

The Seri who once inhabited San Esteban Island referred to themselves as Coftécöl Comcáac, "People of the Giant Chuckwalla" and named the island for this species. [9]

The San Esteban chuckwalla is an endangered species due to hunting from the Seri and the introduction of feral animals such as rats and mice which prey upon the chuckwalla's eggs, and feral dogs and cats which prey upon the lizards. [9] Due to these factors and overcollection from the pet trade, the species was declared an Appendix I animal under CITES.

An in situ chuckwalla captive-breeding program was established in Punta Chueca, a Seri village on the Mexican mainland. [9] A successful ex situ program has also been in place at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum since 1977. The species is present in private collections.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iguanidae</span> Family of lizards

The Iguanidae is a family of lizards composed of the iguanas, chuckwallas, and their prehistoric relatives, including the widespread green iguana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chuckwalla</span> Genus of lizards

Chuckwallas are lizards found primarily in arid regions of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Some are found on coastal islands. The six species of chuckwallas are all placed within the genus Sauromalus; they are part of the iguanid family, Iguanidae.

<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.

<i>Sauromalus ater</i> Large lizard native to the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts

Sauromalus ater, also known as the common chuckwalla, is a species of lizard in the family Iguanidae. It inhabits the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts of the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Its range extends from eastern California, Utah, and Nevada south to Baja California and Sonora.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Esteban Island</span> Island in Sonora, Mexico

San Esteban Island is a small island in the Gulf of California, Mexico, located to the southwest of Tiburón Island. It is part of the Municipality of Hermosillo in Sonora and has a land area of 39.773 km2, the 15th-largest island in Mexico. It is located in the Gulf of California. It was once inhabited by a group of the Seri people.

<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>Cyclura rileyi</i> Species of lizard

Cyclura rileyi, commonly known as the Bahamian rock iguana or the San Salvador rock iguana, is a critically endangered species of lizard in the family Iguanidae. The species is native to three island groups in the Bahamas, and is in decline due to habitat encroachment by human development and predation by feral dogs and cats. There are three subspecies: the Acklins ground iguana, the White Cay iguana, and the nominotypical subspecies.

The Andros Island iguana or Andros iguana is an endangered subspecies of Northern Bahamian rock iguana of the genus Cyclura that is found on Andros Island on the western edge of Grand Bahama. Its status is Endangered, with a wild population of 3,500 animals, and it can be found on the IUCN Red List.

<i>Cyclura cychlura figginsi</i> Subspecies of lizard

Cyclura cychlura figginsi, known by the common name of guana and sometimes called the Exuma Island iguana in the international literature, is a subspecies of the northern rock iguana, C. cychlura, that is found on the Exuma island chain in the Bahamas with an estimated wild population of 1,300 animals in 2004, it has been listed on the IUCN Red List as critically endangered.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angel Island chuckwalla</span> Species of lizard

The Angel Island chuckwalla, also known as the spiny chuckwalla, is a species of chuckwalla lizard belonging to the family Iguanidae endemic to Isla Ángel de la Guarda in the Gulf of California. The species was transported to other islands by a tribe of the Seri as a potential food source.

Sauromalus slevini, also known as the Monserrat chuckwalla or Slevin's chuckwalla, is a species of chuckwalla belonging to the family Iguanidae. S. slevini is native to three small islands in the Sea of Cortés.

<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>Sauromalus klauberi</i> Species of lizard

Sauromalus klauberi, commonly called the Catalina chuckwalla or the spotted chuckwalla, is a species of chuckwalla, a lizard in the family Iguanidae. The species was first identified in 1941.

Isla Ballena, is an island in the Gulf of California east of the Baja California Peninsula. The island is uninhabited and is part of the La Paz Municipality.

Isla Gallo, is an island in the Gulf of California east of the Baja California Peninsula. The island is uninhabited and is part of the La Paz Municipality.

Isla Coronados, is an island in the Gulf of California east of the Baja California Peninsula in Baja California Sur state, Mexico. The island is uninhabited and is part of the Loreto Municipality.

Isla San Cosme, is an island in the Gulf of California east of the Baja California Peninsula. The island is uninhabited and is part of the Loreto Municipality.

Isla Roca Lobos is an island in the Gulf of California east of the Baja California Peninsula. The island is uninhabited and is part of San Felipe Municipality.

Isla San Lorenzo Norte is an island in the Gulf of California east of the Baja California Peninsula. The island is uninhabited and is part of the Mexicali Municipality. The much larger Isla San Lorenzo Sur is located immediately southeast of Isla San Lorenzo Norte.

Isla San Lorenzo Sur, is an island in the Gulf of California east of the Baja California Peninsula. The island is uninhabited and is part of the Mexicali Municipality. Isla San Lorenzo Norte is located immediately northwest of Isla San Lorenzo Sur.

References

  1. ↑ "Sauromalus varius". Integrated Taxonomic Information System . Retrieved 26 September 2008.
  2. ↑ Montgomery, C.E.; Hollingsworth, B.; Kartje, M.; Reynoso, V.H. (2019). "Sauromalus varius". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2019: e.T174485A1414919. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T174485A1414919.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  3. ↑ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  4. ↑ Avise, John C. (2015). Sketches of Nature: A Geneticist's Look at the Biological World During a Golden Era of Molecular Ecology. Elsevier Science. p. 142. ISBN   978-0-12-801960-3.
  5. ↑ Liddell, H.G. & Scott, R. (1940). A Greek-English Lexicon. revised and augmented throughout by Sir Henry Stuart Jones. with the assistance of. Roderick McKenzie. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Case, T. J. (1982). Ecology and evolution of insular gigantic chuckwallas, Sauromalus hispidus and Sauromalus varius. Iguanas of the World. Park Ridge, New Jersey: Noyes Publications. pp. 184–212. ISBN   0-8155-0917-0.
  7. ↑ 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.
  8. ↑ Dickerson, M. C. (1919). Diagnoses of twenty-three new species and a new genus of lizards from Lower California. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 41 (10): 461–477
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Nabhan, Gary (2003). Singing the Turtles to Sea: The Comcáac (Seri) Art and Science of Reptiles. University of California Press. p. 350. ISBN   0-520-21731-4.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 Stebbins, Robert C.,(2003) A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians, 3rd Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, ISBN   0-395-98272-3
  11. ↑ Richard Felger and Mary B. Moser (1985) People of the desert and sea: ethnobotany of the Seri Indians Tucson: University of Arizona Press.
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