Oplurus cuvieri

Oplurus cuvieri, commonly known as the collared iguanid lizard, collared iguana, Madagascan collared iguana, or Cuvier's Madagascar swift, is a species of arboreal Malagasy iguana, the largest of six species in the genus Oplurus.

Oplurus cuvieri
At Anjajavy Forest, Madagascar
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Iguania
Family: Opluridae
Genus: Oplurus
Species:
O. cuvieri
Binomial name
Oplurus cuvieri
(Gray, 1831)
Synonyms[2]

Etymology

The specific name, cuvieri, is in honor of French naturalist Georges Cuvier.[3]

Description

As the common names suggest, O. cuvieri has a distinctive black collar that stands out against the body which is speckled with lighter spots. It has a large head, and the relatively short tail has spiny scales. The female is a duller brown colour.[4]

The images below show considerable variation in markings and coloration.

Geographic range

The collared iguana is found in the western tropical forests of Madagascar and on Grand Comore Island.[1]

Subspecies

Two subspecies are recognized.[2]

  • Oplurus cuvieri cuvieri (Gray, 1831) – Madagascar
  • Oplurus cuvieri comorensis Angel, 1942 – Grand Comore Island

Diet

O. cuvieri has a mostly carnivorous diet.[4]

Reproduction

Breeding of O. cuvieri is timed with the rainy season.[4]

References
  1. Vences M, Hawlitschek O (2011). "Oplurus cuvieri ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2011: e.T172763A6913310. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-2.RLTS.T172763A6913310.en.
  2. Oplurus cuvieri at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 3 October 2020.
  3. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Oplurus cuvieri, p. 63).
  4. "Collared iguana". Arkive. Archived from the original on 2014-05-30. Retrieved 5 September 2014.

Further reading
  • Boulenger GA (1885). Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume II. Iguanidæ ... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiii + 497 pp. + Plates I-XXIV. (Hoplurus sebæ, p. 129-130).
  • Gray JE (1831). "A Synopsis of the Species of the Class Reptilia". In: Griffith E (1831). The Animal Kingdom Arranged in Conformity with its Organization, by the Baron Cuvier, with Additional Descriptions of All the Species hitherto Named, and of Many not before Noticed. Volume the Ninth. London: Whittaker, Treacher, and Co. 448 pp. + 110 pp. (Tropidurus cuvieri, p. 41 of 110 pp. supplement).
  • Savage JM (1952). "The Correct Names for the Iguanid Lizards of Madagascar and the Fiji Islands". Copeia 1952 (3): 182. (Oplurus cuvieri, new combination).


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