Dipsosaurus dorsalis

The Desert iguana (Dipsosaurus dorsalis) is present in south-western USA and in northern Mexico. It is the most common saurian in the deserts of Sonora and Mojave. It measures 40-60 cm with the tail, long one and a half times the body. The mimetic pinkish brown drawing is striped on the tail and in the reproductive period the clear sides get pinkish. The head is roundish and there is a small dorsal crest. It loves the bushy zones rich of rock and sand, and stands the heat better than the other desert lizards that burrow when it is still grazing with a body temperature of 47 °C. Even nourishing of insects and dead animals, it is mainly a herbivorous species that looks for buds, fruits and flowers, especially the yellow ones, rich of water, of the Larrea tridentata. If in danger, with the tail like a balance, it can run very fast on the hind legs. The females of the Dipsosaurus dorsalis lay usually 2-10 eggs © Giuseppe Mazza