Oplurus cuvieri

Oplurus cuvieri
	At Anjajavy Forest, Madagascar
Conservation status
	; Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
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
	Oplurus torquatus ; Cuvier, 1829 ; (nomen oblitum); Tropidurus cuvieri ; Gray, 1831 ; (nomen substitutum); Oplurus sebae ; A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1837; Hoplurus sebae ; — Fitzinger, 1843; Oplurus cuvieri ; — Savage, 1952;

Oplurus cuvieri, commonly known as the collared iguana, the collared iguanid lizard, Cuvier's Madagascar skink, Cuvier's Madagascar swift, and the Madagascan collared iguana, is a species of arboreal lizard in the family Opluridae. The species is native to Madagascar and Comoros. There are two recognized subspecies. O. cuvieri is the largest of six species in the genus Oplurus.

Etymology

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

Description

As some of 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.

At Kirindy Forest
At Tsimanampetsotsa National Park, showing a false eye on top of head

Geographic range

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

Subspecies

Two subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.^[2]

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

Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Oplurus.

Diet

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

Reproduction

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

References

^ ^a ^b 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. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
^ ^a ^b Oplurus cuvieri at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 3 October 2020.
^ 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).
^ ^a ^b ^c "Collared iguana". Arkive. Archived from the original on 2014-05-30. Retrieved 5 September 2014.

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).Error: "Q74232" is not a valid Wikidata entity ID.

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[iucn_status_20_November_2021-1] 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. Retrieved 20 November 2021.

[RDB-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).

[Arkive-4] "Collared iguana". Arkive. Archived from the original on 2014-05-30. Retrieved 5 September 2014.

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