Ctenosaura quinquecarinata

(Gray, 1842)

Vernacular names
English : Five-keeled spiny-tailed iguana
French : Iguane à cinq carènes

Classification
Class : Reptilia
Order : Squamata
Family : Iguanidae
Notes : No subspecies known.

Identification
Adults can reach up to 35 cm in length with males bigger than females. Tail has five rows of spines. Adults are mostly dull brown with black and yellow mottling (brighter for males). Juveniles are green.

Range and habitat
This species is found in Central America, from South Mexico and Nicaragua to El Salvador and north-west Costa Rica. Lives in tropical dry forests, often in rocky terrain, up to 250 m.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : DATA DEFICIENT
CITES : Appendix II
Status : The species is declining alarmingly because of habitat destruction and over-collection, both for the international trade and for food.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation

 

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