Thanks to Norman Scott for help with the identification of some of the individuals on this page.
Designed by Paul Smith 2006. This website is copyrighted by law.
Material contained herewith may not be used without the prior written permission of FAUNA Paraguay.
Material on this page was provided by Paul Smith, Gijs Linderman and José Luis Cartes and is used with their permission.
CHACO SPINY LIZARD Tropidurus spinulosus
The Tropidurus or Spiny Lizards are a group of about 20 species confined to South America which are typical of dry areas. They are shaped somewhat like Agamid Lizards, with flattened bodies and large heads. Confined to the Chaco this is one of the more colourful members of the group. It is an arboreal species which forms territories which they defend from conspecifics with a series of posturing displays of different levels of intensity - designed to avoid physical confrontation. A similar species occurs east of the Paraguay River Tropidurus guarani.
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FIGURE 1 - (FPREP78PH) Adult male, Loma Plata, Departamento Presidente Hayes (Gijs Linderman undated).
FIGURE 2 - (FPREP79PH) Lateral view of adult male, Fuerte Olimpo (Paul Smith September 2006).
FIGURE 3 - (FPREP80PH) Head detail adult male, Departamento Presidente Hayes (José Luis Cartes October 1998).
FIGURE 4 - (FPREP81PH) Adult female lateral view, Campo Maria Private Nature Reserve, Cuenca Upper Yacaré Sur (Paul Smith October 2008).
FIGURE 5 - (FPREP82PH) Same individual dorsal view (Paul Smith October 2008).
FIGURE 6 - (FPREP482PH) Juvenile male presumably dorsal, Madrejón, PN Defensores del Chaco, Departamento Alto Paraguay (Paul Smith November 2010).
FIGURE 7 - (FPREP483PH) Same individual frontal view (Paul Smith November 2010).
FIGURE 8 - (FPREP484PH) Same individual frontal view (Paul Smith November 2010).
FIGURE 9 - (FPREP444PH) Juvenile male presumably, Madrejón, PN Defensores del Chaco, Departamento Alto Paraguay (Paul Smith September 2010).
VIDEO - (FPREP445VI) Same individual as (FPREP444PH) (Paul Smith September 2010).
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