Darwin's iguana

Diplolaemus darwinii, commonly known as Darwin's iguana, is a species of lizards native to the southern tip of South America.

Darwin's iguana

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Leiosauridae
Genus: Diplolaemus
Species:
D. darwinii
Binomial name
Diplolaemus darwinii
Bell, 1843
Red = D. darwinii
Yellow = D. leopardinus
Green = D. sextinctus
Blue = D. bibronii

Etymology

Both the specific name, darwinii, and the common name, Darwin's iguana, are in honor of Charles Darwin, English naturalist and author of On the Origin of Species.[2]

Geographic range

It is found in the Patagonian Desert in southern Argentina and Chile.

Description

Darwin's iguana has a broad, triangular head and strong jaws.[3]

Diet

Its diet mostly consists of insects and other small invertebrates.[3]

Habitat

It is found on the Patagonian steppes from sea level up to elevations of 700 m (2,297 ft).[3]

Conservation status

The IUCN has listed Darwin's iguana as being of "Least Concern" because of its wide range and the lack of any identified threats to the species.[1]

References
  1. Espinoza, R. (2010). "Diplolaemus darwinii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010. Retrieved 2014-01-05.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  2. Beolens B, Watkins M, Grayson M. 2011. The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Diplolaemus darwinii, p. 65).
  3. Chester, Sharon (2010). A Wildlife Guide to Chile: Continental Chile, Chilean Antarctica, Easter Island, Juan Fernandez Archipelago. Princeton University Press. pp. 113–114. ISBN 9781400831500.

Further reading
  • Bell T. In Darwin C. 1843. The Zoology of the Voyage of the H.M.S. Beagle, Under the Command of Captain Fitzroy, R.N., During the Years 1832 to 1836. Part V. Reptiles. London: Smith, Elder and Company. vi + 50 pp. + Plates 1-20. ("Diplolæmus darwinii ", new species, p. 20 + Plate 10).
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