Oplurus
Encyclopedia
Oplurus is a genus
of Malagasy
iguania
n lizard
, most of which are rock-dwelling terrestrial species. Only Oplurus cyclurus is arboreal.
The sister genus to Oplurus is Chalarodon, which contains one species: Chalarodon madagascariensis, also a terrestrial iguanian.
The six species in the genus Oplurus are:
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...
of Malagasy
Malagasy fauna
The fauna of Madagascar is a part of the wildlife of Madagascar.Madagascar has been an isolated island for about 70 HI million years, breaking away from Africa around 165 million years ago, then from India nearly 100 million years later...
iguania
Iguania
Iguania is the suborder of Squamata that contains the iguanas, chameleons, agamids, and "New World lizards" such as anoles and Phrynosomatidae...
n lizard
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...
, most of which are rock-dwelling terrestrial species. Only Oplurus cyclurus is arboreal.
The sister genus to Oplurus is Chalarodon, which contains one species: Chalarodon madagascariensis, also a terrestrial iguanian.
The six species in the genus Oplurus are:
- Oplurus cuvieriOplurus cuvieriThe Collared iguanid lizard, Oplurus cuvieri is an arboreal Malagasy iguana, the largest of six Oplurus species. They are found in the western tropical forests of Madagascar and on Grand Comore Island. They have a mostly carnivorous diet and their breeding is timed with the rainy season.-External...
- Oplurus cyclurus
- Oplurus fierinensis
- Oplurus grandidieri
- Oplurus quadrimaculatus
- Oplurus saxicola