Added 22 April 2026.
A pair of large iguanid species found in Mexico and Central America, closely allied to Conolophus, the Galapagos Island iguanids. They have been kept in captivity with reasonable success, although their size makes them more challenging in terms of space requirements.
Boulenger characterised the genus as follows: tympanum distinct. Body a little compressed; no dorsal crest; dorsal scales small. Upper head-scales small. A very strong transverse gular fold ; no gular pouch. Digits compressed, with keeled lamellae inferiorly. A short series of femoral pores. Tail very short, flattened, with whorls of large spines on its upper surface. Lateral teeth tricuspid.
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C. alfredschmidti, Campeche Spiny-Tailed Iguana |
C. defensor, Yucatán Spinytail Iguana, Lagartijo de Maya Iguana |
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Scientific Name |
Common Name |
Distribution |
Size |
Notes |
Campeche Spiny-Tailed Iguana |
Mexico (Campeche), Guatemala |
8" |
Now reassigned to the genus Cachryx. |
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Yucatán Spinytail Iguana, Lagartijo de Maya Iguana |
Mexico (Campeche, Yucatan) |
TL 16-20 cm (m), 14-18 cm (f) |
Head longer than broad; loreal region concave; nostril on canthus rostralis, lateral; tympanum as large as the eye, without marginal serrations ; upper head-scales small, uniform, a little enlarged on the snout; no enlarged occipital. Sides of neck plicate. Scales of body small, slightly imbricate, homogeneous, smooth, in transverse and oblique longitudinal series, larger on the rump, smaller on the sides; a slightly larger vertebral series ; ventral scales smooth, as large as dorsals. Scales of fore limb moderate, some of those of femur and tibia much larger, spiniferous. Digits short. Femoral pores six to nine. Tail shorter than the body; caudal whorls fifteen, the scales below narrowed, keeled, the carina prolonged into a flat spine; spiniferous superior whorls seven, spines nearly erect, those of the median row smaller. Bright olivaceous ; shoulder and two bands on humerus, and the anterior part of dorsum, with interscapular region, black, the latter with two cross series of green spots, more or less distinct on the whole body in younger specimens; in older specimens median dorsal region bright rufous. [SOURCE: Boulenger] |