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Common Chuckwalla
Sauromalus ater
36.1556, -95.9903
Field Notes
Description:
A common chuckwalla at the Tulsa Zoo. This one is basking as is common for them as they are ectothermic. They are related to iguanas. What I found surprising is that the common chuckwalla is a herbivore and completely harmless to humans. Choosing instead to run and hilariously wedge itself into rocks and crevices and inflate itself by gulping in air. I know of one other animal that can do this, the pancake tortoise, and it cracks me up that this defense mechanism exists in more than one reptile.
Habitat:
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.
Species ID Suggestions
Spotted for Missions
Photographed
PublishedJune 28, 2016
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