Trivia question for Mar-22-2011

Carter’s turn and today he picked a reptile that not everyone is aware of so let’s see how he does.  With an average length of over 18-inches, these guys are among the largest lizards in the U.S.

The generic name is a combination of two Ancient Greek words(sauros meaning “lizard”. and (omalus) meaning “flat”.  These lizards use a combination of colour and physical displays, namely “push ups”, head-hobbing, and gaping of the mouth to communicate and defend their territory.

So here are Carter’s question:  Tell us what this lizard is and what might control the rate at which these guys reproduce.  Also, tell us how these guys protect themselves from potential predators.

Good Luck 😉

Answer:

Congratulations goes out today to two individuals.  Each on answered a portion of the trivia correctly.  Ty answered “what they are and how they defend themselves, while Rich answered what factors control their reproducing.  Great job.  The lizard we featured is the Chuckwalla.  Chuckwallas are large lizards found primarily in arid regions of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Some are found on coastal islands. There are five species of chuckwallas and they are part of the iguanid family.

Rain dictates if they reproduce or not each year.  Because they are herbivores, there has to be enough rainfall to keep thier food source going, otherwise they may not reproduce that year.  Here is more on these rugged lizards: Chuckwalla

Thanks for playing along 😉