''Ctenosaura'' is a

lizard Lizard is the common name used for all Squamata, squamate reptiles other than snakes (and to a lesser extent amphisbaenians), encompassing over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most Island#Oceanic isla ...

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

commonly known as spinytail iguanas or ctenosaurs. The

is part of the large

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

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 Crotaphytidae, collared lizards (fam ...

and is native to

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

and

Central America Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...

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

Description

The

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

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

Ctenosaurs are generally

omnivorous An omnivore () is an animal that regularly consumes significant quantities of both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and animal matter, omnivores digest carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber, and metabolize ...

, 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

pet A pet, or companion animal, is an animal kept primarily for a person's company or entertainment rather than as a working animal, livestock, or a laboratory animal. Popular pets are often considered to have attractive/ cute appearances, inte ...

Invasive species

At least two species, ''

Ctenosaura pectinata ''Ctenosaura pectinata'' is a species of moderately large lizard in the Family (biology), family Iguanidae. The species is native to western Mexico. The standardized English name is the western spiny-tailed iguana.species:Ernest Anthony Liner, L ...

'' and ''

'', have been introduced into southern areas of

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

and

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

Robert Powell Robert Thomas Powell ( ; born 1 June 1944) is an English actor who is known for the title roles in '' Mahler'' (1974) and '' Jesus of Nazareth'' (1977), and for his portrayal of secret agent Richard Hannay in '' The Thirty Nine Steps'' (1978) ...

, Roger Conant, Joseph T. Collins (2016). ''Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Fourth Edition.'' Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Co. xiv + 494 pp. (see page 284). They are also now in southern

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

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 by Austrian naturalist J.N. Laurenti in 1768. Two species are plac ...

with 15 currently recognized

and at least two unrecognized

. These

inhabit lowland dry forests, woodlands and semi-open habitats, below elevation, on both coasts of Mexico and Central America. The species in the genus ''Ctenosaura'' belong in several different

clade In biology, a clade (), also known as a Monophyly, monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that is composed of a common ancestor and all of its descendants. Clades are the fundamental unit of cladistics, a modern approach t ...

s. Closely related species show

allopatry Allopatric speciation () – also referred to as geographic speciation, vicariant speciation, or its earlier name the dumbbell model – is a mode of speciation that occurs when biological populations become geographically isolated from ...

whereas species from divergent clades show

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

. Until 2017, the two species of ''

Cachryx ''Cachryx'' is a genus of lizards in the family Iguanidae, native to the Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula and adjacent Guatemala. Taxonomy There are two described species in this genus. Until 2017, they were genererally included in ''Ctenosaura ...

'' were included in ''Ctenosaura''.

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