''Ctenosaura'' is a

lizard Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia alt ...

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

commonly known as spinytail iguanas or ctenosaurs. The

is part of the large

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

, Iguanidae and is native to

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

and

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

. The name is derived from two Greek words: ctenos (κτενός), meaning "comb" (referring to the comblike spines on the lizard's back and tail), and saura (σαύρα), meaning "lizard".

Description

The

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

range in size (total length, including the tail) from about to well over . The distinctive feature of this

is the presence of enlarged, spiny scales on the tail.

Ecology and natural history

Diet: Ctenosaurs are generally omnivorous, feeding on fruits, flowers, foliage, and small animals. While studying physiological correlates of locomotion in lizards, a "burst speed" of 34.6 km/h (21.5 miles/h) was recorded by a black spiny-tail iguana (''

Ctenosaura similis ''Ctenosaura similis'', commonly known as the black iguanaLiner, Ernest A. and Gustavo Cass-Andreu. (2008). ''Standard Spanish, English and Scientific Names of the Amphibians and Reptiles of Mexico (2nd. ed.).'' Herpetological Circular No. 38. So ...

''), which is the highest speed reported for a lizard.Garland, Theodore., Jr. 1984. ''Physiological correlates of locomotory performance in a lizard: an allometric approach.'' American Journal of Physiology. 247: 806–815.

Captivity

'' C. pectinata'', '' C. similis'', and '' C. quinquecarinata'' are popular as pets.

Invasive species

At least two species, ''

Ctenosaura pectinata ''Ctenosaura pectinata'' is a species of moderately large lizard in the family Iguanidae. The species is native to western Mexico. The standardized English name is the western spiny-tailed iguana. Liner, Ernest A., and Gustavo Casas-Andreu (20 ...

'' and ''

'', have been introduced into southern areas of

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

and

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

. They are also now in southern

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

Species

The

''Ctenosaura'' represents the most diverse group of

iguanas ''Iguana'' (, ) is a genus of herbivorous lizards that are native to tropical areas of Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. The genus was first described in 1768 by Austrian naturalist Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti in his bo ...

with 15 currently recognized

and at least two unrecognized

. These

inhabit lowland dry forests, below elevation, on both coasts of

and

. All

of ''Ctenosaura'' fall within one of seven

clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...

s. Distributions of these clades fall geographically within well established areas. Closely related

show allopatry whereas

from divergent clades show

sympatry In biology, two related species or populations are considered sympatric when they exist in the same geographic area and thus frequently encounter one another. An initially interbreeding population that splits into two or more distinct species sh ...

References

External links

* * Garland T Jr (1984). "Physiological correlates of locomotory performance in a lizard: an allometric approach". ''American J. Physiol.'' 247 (''Regulatory Integrative Comp. Physiol.'' 16): R806-R815
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Reptiles of Mexico Lizards of Central America Taxa named by Arend Friedrich August Wiegmann Lizard genera {{iguanidae-stub