LIZARDS
Iguana iguana Linnaeus, 1758 (above & below) - green iguana (mount, Cleveland
Museum of Natural History, Cleveland, Ohio, USA). The green iguana is a
medium-sized, principally arboreal lizard. It is dominantly herbivorous,
but is also a scavenger and a predator of small animals.
Classification: Vertebrata, Reptilia, Squamata, Iguanidae
Natural distribution: Mexico to Brazil & many Caribbean islands.
Heloderma suspectum Cope, 1869 - Gila monster (mount, Cleveland Museum of
Natural History, Cleveland, Ohio, USA). This medium-sized,
brightly-colored, lethargic lizard is venomous, and uses its venom to kill prey
during the act of feeding. Biologist observations have shown that Gila
monsters spend considerable time underground. It is predatory on small
animals and vertebrate eggs.
Classification: Vertebrata, Reptilia, Squamata, Helodermatidae
Natural distribution: northwestern Mexico & southwestern America.