CHUCKWALLAS

1
CHUCKWALLAS

• ERIN KANE

2
Do chuckwallas chuck wallas?

• No chuckwalla is the English bastardization of
  chacahuala, the Spanish bastardization of the
  Cahuila name for the lizards tcaxxwal.

3
How might one classify CHUCKWALLAS?

• Animalia
• Chordata
• Vertebrata
• Sauropsida
• Squamata
• Iguanidae
• Sauromalus

4
What Sauromalus wont we see in the Mojave?

• Peninsular Chuckwalla
• Angel Island Chuckwalla
• Painted Chuckwalla
• Chuckwalla de Montserrat

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What Sauromalus COULD we see in the Mojave?

• Sauromalus ater the Common Chuckwalla

6
Where do you find chuckwallas?

• Chuckwallas like rocky crevices and
  boulder-covered hills up to 4,500 feet high.
• Larger rock piles are more attractive
• They come out to sun themselves on rocks during
  the day

7
What do Chuckwallas look like?

• Common chuckwallas can be up to 18 inches long!
• Males usually have black heads, forelimbs, and
  torsos with reddish-yellow rears
• Females and young usually have grey bodies with
  yellow stripes.

8
What happens if you scare a chuckwalla?

• When they are frightened, chuckwallas wedge
  themselves into crevices in the rocks and inflate
  their lungs.
• If a predator catches a chuckwallas tail, its
  tail will disconnect up to four times.

9
How do chuckwallas organize?

• Chuckwallas have a dispersed polygynous mating
  system
• Male home ranges do not overlap with other males
  they overlap with multiple females.
• Female distribution is based on food availability
• Male distribution is based on female distribution.

10
How do you impress a female chuckwalla?

• Males who want to attract female chuckwallas have
  a courtship repertoire including head bobbing and
  pushups.
• Other courtship rituals of the chuckwalla
  include nudging, licking, jaw-rubbing, leaning,
  stroking, circling, pursuit, male-pursuit-leaps,
  female jerking, defecation, tail twitching, and
  tail arching.

11
What do chuckwallas eat?

• Chuckwallas are mainly herbivorous.
• They occasionally supplement their diet with
  insects.

12
Can you eat chuckwalla?

• Chuckwalla was an important food for Native
  Americans in the area
• Tastes like chicken

13
Are Chuckwallas dangerous reptiles?

• Chuckwallas are not venomous
• Chuckwallas are herbivores
• They can bite when attacked or bothered so it
  is best to leave them alone.

14
What if we dont see chuckwallas in the Mojave?

• Dont be disheartened you can still visit them
  at the herpetarium in the St. Louis Zoo!