Class Reptilia
Order Squamata
Suborder Sauria
Family Iguanidae
Dipsosaurus sp.—Desert Iguanas // Dipsosaurus dorsalis—Desert Iguana // Iguana iguana—Green Iguana // Sauromelas sp.—Chuckwallas // Sauromalus ater—Chuckwalla
In recent years, the Iguanidae has been split into several families, including the Crotaphytidae and the Phrynosomatidae. As now constituted, the Iguanidae includes two genera in our region, Dipsosaurus and Sauromalus. They are limited to the Sonoran and Mojave deserts in the United States.
Sites.
Late Blancan/Irvingtonian: Vallecito Creek, Anza-Borrego Desert (Cassiliano 1999).
Rancholabrean: Desert Sunlight Project (Jefferson 2014).
Literature. Cassiliano 1999; Jefferson 2014.
Desert Iguanas are desert lizards that prefer habitats allowing a high body temperature (Bell 1993).
Sites.
Mid/Late Wisconsin: Pintwater Cave (Jefferson et al. 2015).
Late Wisconsin/Holocene: Solar One (Jefferson 1991b); Luz Solar Trough (Jefferson 1991a).
Literature. Bell 1993; Jefferson 1991a.
Sites.
Late Blancan/Irvingtonian: Vallecito Creek, Anza-Borrego Desert (Cassiliano 1999).
Literature. Cassiliano 1999.
Late Wisconsin: Mountain View Country Club (Jefferson 2014).
Wisconsin/Holocene: Kokoweef Cave (Reynolds, Reynolds, et al. 1991).
Literature. Jefferson 1991a, 2014;
Synonyms. Sauromalus obesus.
Occurrence at Rampart and Vulture caves is within the general range of the Chuckwalla, though the usual habitat of desert scrub, especially creosotebush, would be unexpected at the site during the last part of the Pleistocene.
Fig. 1. Chuckwalla, Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. Photograph by Cyndi Souza, courtesy of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Sites.
Mid/Late Wisconsin: Pintwater Cave (Hockett 2000).
Late Wisconsin: Antelope Cave (Reynolds, Reynolds, Bell, and Pitzer 1991); Desert Almond (Van Devender et al. 1977a); Falling Arches (Jefferson 1991a); Gypsum Cave (Brattstrom 1954); Mountain View Country Club (Jefferson 2014: ?); Rampart Cave (Van Devender et al. 1977a); Vulture Canyon (Van Devender et al. 1977a); Vulture Cave (Mead and Phillips 1981); Window Rock (Van Devender et al. 1977a); Wolcott Peak (Van Devender and Mead 1978).
Wisconsin/Holocene: Luz Solar Trough (Jefferson 1991a); Newberry Cave (Jefferson 1991a); Schuiling Cave (Jefferson 1991a); Solar One (Jefferson 1991b); Stanton's Cave (Olsen and Olsen 1984).
Literature. Brattstrom 1954; Hockett 2000; Jefferson 1991a; Mead and Phillips 1984; Olsen and Olsen 1984; Reynolds, Reynolds, et al. 1991; Reynolds, Reynolds, Bell, and Pitzer 1991; Van Devender et al. 1977a.
Last Update: 16 May 2015