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''Ctenosaura melanosterna'', commonly known as the black-chested spiny-tailed iguana or Honduran spinytailed iguana, is a
''Ctenosaura melanosterna'', commonly known as the black-chested spiny-tailed iguana or Honduran spinytailed iguana, is a 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 ...
of 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 ...
in the family Iguanidae
The Iguanidae is a family of lizards composed of the iguanas, chuckwallas, and their prehistoric relatives, including the widespread green iguana.
Taxonomy
Iguanidae is thought to be the sister group to the collared lizards (family Crotaph ...
.
Geographic range
It isendemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
to Honduras
Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...
, in both the mainland and two of the Cayos Cochinos
The Cayos Cochinos or Cochinos Cays consist of two small islands (''Cayo Menor'' and ''Cayo Grande'') and 13 smaller coral cays situated northeast of La Ceiba on the northern shores of Honduras. Although geographically separate, they belong to t ...
islands off its Caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
coast.
Habitat
Its naturalhabitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...
is subtropical or tropical dry forest
A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...
s.
Conservation status
''Ctenosaura melanosterna'' is mainly endangered by human activities, as humans poach these iguanas and their eggs for consumption (Montgomery et al. 2014).Montgomery, Chad E., S. A. Pasaschnik, L. E. Ruyle, J. A. Frazier, and S. E. W. Green. 2014. Natural History of the Black-Chested Spiny-Tailed Iguanas, ''Ctenosaura melanosterna'' (Igunaidae), on Cayo Cochino Menor, Honduras. ''The Southwestern Naturalist'' 59:280–285. The Green iguana is also much more numerous throughout Central America, making it a competitor for food and resources.References
Further reading
* Buckley, L.J., and R.W. Axtell. 1997. Evidence for the Specific Status of the Honduran Lizards Formerly Referred to ''Ctenosaura palearis'' (Reptilia: Squamata: Iguanidae). ''Copeia'' 1997 (1): 138–150. *Montgomery, Chad E., S. A. Pasaschnik, L. E. Ruyle, J. A. Frazier, and S. E. W. Green. 2014. Natural History of the Black-Chested Spiny-Tailed Iguanas, ''Ctenosaura melanosterna'' (Igunaidae), on Cayo Cochino Menor, Honduras. ''The Southwestern Naturalist'' 59:280–285. Reptiles of Honduras Ctenosaura Endemic fauna of Honduras Reptiles described in 1997 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Lizards of the Caribbean {{Iguanidae-stub