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Linnean Classification
Domain: Eukarya Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Order: Squamata Family: Iguanidae Genus: Sauromalus Species: Sauromalus ater Conformer: This organism is not a regulator as it is a cold-blooded animal, being a reptile. This means that the organism does not maintain a constant body temperature, and it fluctuates based on the environment’s temperature. So, it is a conformer. Dormant: The chuckwalla is a dormant species because it does not move much. It comes out of its home for eating and mating, but usually it stays in its home. When in danger, it can sprint away in short bursts to get to a rock crevice where it can hide. Like most ectothermal animals, in the winter the chuckwalla hibernates underground. Specialist: This animal is a specialist because they, although they are spread around the world, they only live in primarily hot environments, so either the desert or chaparral. Consumer: This animal is a consumer because it consumes other living things to obtain energy. It cannot perform photosynthesis or chemosynthesis, so it has to eat other organisms for food. Omnivore: This animal is primarily a herbivore, eating plants such as leaves, and fruit and flowers of annuals and perennial plants. However, if there is a shortage of plants, the chuckwalla can eat insects as a last resort. This makes it a omnivore, although it is primarily an herbivore. Niche: Officially, there are no reports of predation on this lizard, but it is thought that they are eaten by coyotes and other mammalian predators, larger avian predators, and possibly snakes. Chuckwallas eat leaves, fruit and flowers of annuals and perennial plants, and sometimes insects. The chuckwalla can only survive in hot, dry environments, thus is only found in the desert and chaparral. At a time, a chuckwalla can lay 5-16 eggs, usually around July or August, which will hatch in late September. |
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