Ctenosaura conspicuosa DICKERSON, 1919
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Ctenosaura conspicuosa
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| Higher Taxa | Iguanidae, Iguania, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: San Esteban Spinytail Iguana S: Garrobo de Isla San Esteban |
| Synonym | Ctenosaura conspicuosa DICKERSON 1919 Ctenosaura hemilopha conspicuosa — LOWE & NORRIS 1955 Ctenosaura hemilopha conspicuosa — LINER 1994 Ctenosaura conspicuosa — GRISMER 1999 Ctenosaura conspicuosa — JONES & LOVICH 2009 Ctenosaura conspicuosa — LOVICH et al. 2009 Ctenosaura conspicuosa — HEIMES 2022 |
| Distribution | Mexico (endemic to Isla San Esteban, Sonora) Type locality: "San Esteban Island, [Sonora,] Gulf of California, Mexico". |
| Reproduction | oviparous (manual imputation, fide Zimin et al. 2022) |
| Types | Holotype: USNM 64440, Listed as AMNH 5027 in original description. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: Closely related as shown by scutellation to Cterwsaura hemilopha Cope, of the Cape Region. Size extremely large, total length exceeding 650 mm. in the large males, for which the following characters are diagnostic: series of high scales of the crest ending more or less abruptly at a point opposite the middle of the adpressed upper arm, the small keeled scales which continue along the vertebral line traceable to various points beyond the middle of the body and anterior to the rump; scales of dorsal tibia with strong sharp keels and spines, of dorsal foot with strong spines; tail spinous dorsally and laterally throughout its length; enlarged scales in the posterior rows of the caudal whorls (first half of tail) only moderate in size, length of largest equal to 9 dorsal scales, often exceeded by tallest spines of dorsal crest; width of the widest whorl (2 rows dorsally) very much less than distance from nostril to anterior orbit; base of 5th to end of 4th toe equal to distance from anterior border of ear to end of muzzle. Color light yellowish; black or intensely dai,:kbrown on gular region and fold, breast and thoracic region to the line of the wrists (when arms adpressed), also axilla and lateral area as high as the dorsolateral line; a short lenticular black spot crosses the back between the points of insertion of the arms (its middle corresponding with line of axillas), connected at its narrowed ends with somewhat irregular, longidutinal lines of black which, with the lenticular spot, mark out a rectangle containing a central black spot, while a smaller black spot anteriorly on the spines of -the crest indicates the middle of the anterior boundary of the rectangle; also a straight band of black crosses the back on a line with the elbows, curving abruptly at the sides to join the black below the dorsolateral line (Dickerson 1919: 461). Additional details (1443 characters) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. |
| Comment | |
| Etymology | Named after Latin conspicuus, in view, visible, apparent, obvious + Latin -osa, suffix denoting abundance. [“...Because of its yellowish white color, this giant lizard is very conspicuous on the rocks of San Esteban...”]. |
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