Mexican spinytailed iguana, Spiny-tailed iguana, Black spiny-tailed iguana, Guerreran spiny-tailed Iguana, Broad-ringed spiny-tailed iguana
The Western spiny-tailed iguana (Ctenosaura pectinata) is a species of lizard native to western Mexico. It was first described by German zoologist Arend Friedrich August Wiegmann in 1834. It is one of the larger members of the genus Ctenosaura, capable of growing to 1.3 m (4.3 feet) in total length (including tail).
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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FolivoreIn zoology, a folivore is a herbivore that specializes in eating leaves. Mature leaves contain a high proportion of hard-to-digest cellulose, less ...
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FrugivoreA frugivore is an animal that thrives mostly on raw fruits or succulent fruit-like produce of plants such as roots, shoots, nuts, and seeds. Approx...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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BurrowingA burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct ...
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SolitaryDo
Dominance hierarchyA dominance hierarchy (formerly and colloquially called a pecking order) is a type of social hierarchy that arises when members of animal social gr...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe Western spiny-tailed iguana has distinctive keeled scales on its long tail, to which its common name refers. It is usually brown or grey-brown in coloration dorsally, with a yellowish ventral surface. It has a crest of long spines which extend down the center of its back. Hatchlings are often a bright green color with no body pattern, and darken as they age. This lizard often (but not always) has an irregular piebald pattern on the head or dorsal areas. Although the tail may be banded with light and dark crossbands, it typically lacks a clear or well-developed crossband pattern on the body. The Western spiny-tailed lizard varies from gray to brownish-black, with some males exhibiting yellowish colors, and females orange color, on the lateral sides of the body. The young are bright green and unmarked except for black tail bands, present also on adults.
In Mexico, this species is found from central Sinaloa to southern Chiapas. It has also been introduced to the United States in the very southern tip of the state of Texas and in the state of Florida. Western spiny-tailed iguanas live in humid climates in tropical forests, coastal swamps, and volcanic or mountainous areas. They prefer rocky habitats with plenty of crevices to hide in, rocks to bask on, and nearby trees to climb. They are often found dwelling near or in towns in their native Mexico and where they have been introduced elsewhere.
Western spiny-tailed iguanas are social lizards that live in groups. They are excellent climbers and they dig burrows in sandy soil mostly near rivers. They are active during the daylight hours spending their time in search of prey or basking in the sun. They are fast moving, employing their speed to escape predators but will lash with their tails and bite if cornered.
Adult Western spiny-tailed iguanas are primarily herbivorous (folivorous, frugivorous). They eat a variety of flowers, leaves, stems, and fruit, but they will opportunistically eat small animals, eggs, and arthropods. Juveniles consume mostly insects.
Western spiny-tailed iguanas breed in the spring. Males show dominance and interest by head bobbing, eventually chasing the female until they can catch the female. Within 8 to 10 weeks, the female will dig a nest and lay clutches of up to 50 eggs in a burrow of loose soil. The eggs hatch in 90 days with the bright green young digging their way out of the sand. The hatchlings first appear around July and are abundant in August.
Western spiny-tailed iguanas are used as a traditional food source in their native Mexico. Although hunting, trapping, and killing of these iguanas is illegal throughout Mexico; the Balsas depression along the borders of the states Michoacán and Guerrero is still one of the largest illegal hunting and trading areas. These iguanas are also used for medicinal and traditional purposes. Another serious threat to this species is the loss of their native habitat due to the expansion of agricultural areas and urbanization.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of the Western spiny-tailed iguana is around 36,426,118 mature individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List but its numbers today are decreasing.
