Ctenosaura acanthura
Encyclopedia
The Northeastern Spinytail Iguana (Ctenosaura acanthura) is a lizard
in the genus
Ctenosaura
native to Mexico
.
zoologist
George Shaw
in 1802. The generic
name, Ctenosaura, is derived from two Greek
words: cteno (Κτενός), meaning "comb" (referring to the comblike spines on the lizard's back and tail), and saura (σαύρα), meaning "lizard". Its specific name is the Greek
word akanthos (Ἄκανθος), meaning "thorn".
on their long tail
s, which gives them their common name. The males are capable of growing up to 1.4 metres (4.6 ft) in length and females slightly shorter at 1 metres (3.3 ft). They have a crest of long spines which extend down the center of their back. Their base color is black with white or cream colored markings.
and fast moving, employing their speed to escape predators but will lash with their tails and bite if cornered.
They are primarily herbivorous, eating flower
s, leaves, stems, and fruit
, but they will opportunistically eat smaller animals, eggs, and arthropod
s. Juveniles tend to be insectivore
s becoming more herbivorous as they get older.
to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec
between the Mexican states of Veracruz
and Oaxaca
.
. The eggs hatch in 90 days with the babies digging their way out of the sand. These juveniles are typically green with brown markings, although all brown hatchlings have been recorded as well.
Lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...
in the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Ctenosaura
Ctenosaura
Ctenosaura is a genus of lizard commonly known as spinytail iguanas. The genus is part of the large lizard family, Iguanidae and is native to Mexico and Central America. The species range in size from about 5 inches to well over one meter. The distinctive feature of this genus is presence of the...
native to Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
Taxonomy
The Northeastern Spinytail Iguana was first described by BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
zoologist
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
George Shaw
George Shaw
George Shaw was an English botanist and zoologist.Shaw was born at Bierton, Buckinghamshire and was educated at Magdalen Hall, Oxford, receiving his M.A. in 1772. He took up the profession of medical practitioner. In 1786 he became the assistant lecturer in botany at Oxford University...
in 1802. The generic
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
name, Ctenosaura, is derived from two Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
words: cteno (Κτενός), meaning "comb" (referring to the comblike spines on the lizard's back and tail), and saura (σαύρα), meaning "lizard". Its specific name is the Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
word akanthos (Ἄκανθος), meaning "thorn".
Description
The Northeastern Spinytail Iguana have distinctive keeled scalesScale (zoology)
In most biological nomenclature, a scale is a small rigid plate that grows out of an animal's skin to provide protection. In lepidopteran species, scales are plates on the surface of the insect wing, and provide coloration...
on their long tail
Tail
The tail is the section at the rear end of an animal's body; in general, the term refers to a distinct, flexible appendage to the torso. It is the part of the body that corresponds roughly to the sacrum and coccyx in mammals, reptiles, and birds...
s, which gives them their common name. The males are capable of growing up to 1.4 metres (4.6 ft) in length and females slightly shorter at 1 metres (3.3 ft). They have a crest of long spines which extend down the center of their back. Their base color is black with white or cream colored markings.
Diet and Behavior
Northeastern Spinytail Iguanas are excellent climbers, and prefer a rocky habitat with plenty of crevices to hide in, rocks to bask on, and nearby trees to climb. They are diurnalDiurnal animal
Diurnality is a plant or animal behavior characterized by activity during the day and sleeping at night.-In animals:Animals that are not diurnal might be nocturnal or crepuscular . Many animal species are diurnal, including many mammals, insects, reptiles and birds...
and fast moving, employing their speed to escape predators but will lash with their tails and bite if cornered.
They are primarily herbivorous, eating flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s, leaves, stems, and fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
, but they will opportunistically eat smaller animals, eggs, and arthropod
Arthropod
An arthropod is an invertebrate animal having an exoskeleton , a segmented body, and jointed appendages. Arthropods are members of the phylum Arthropoda , and include the insects, arachnids, crustaceans, and others...
s. Juveniles tend to be insectivore
Insectivore
An insectivore is a type of carnivore with a diet that consists chiefly of insects and similar small creatures. An alternate term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of eating insects....
s becoming more herbivorous as they get older.
Distribution
This species is commonly be found around areas of human habitation. These large lizards range from central TamaulipasTamaulipas
Tamaulipas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 43 municipalities and its capital city is Ciudad Victoria. The capital city was named after Guadalupe Victoria, the...
to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec
Isthmus of Tehuantepec
The Isthmus of Tehuantepec is an isthmus in Mexico. It represents the shortest distance between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean, and prior to the opening of the Panama Canal was a major shipping route known simply as the Tehuantepec Route...
between the Mexican states of Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
and Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
.
Reproduction
Mating generally occurs in the spring. Males show dominance and interest by head bobbing, eventually chasing the female until he can catch her and subdue her. Within eight to ten weeks, the female will dig a nest and lay clutches of up to 24 eggsEgg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
. The eggs hatch in 90 days with the babies digging their way out of the sand. These juveniles are typically green with brown markings, although all brown hatchlings have been recorded as well.