Species profile
Common Chuckwalla
Sauromalus ater
Identify Common Chuckwalla (Sauromalus ater) from a photo — free, unlimited, no sign-up — with the CatchRules iPhone app.
At a glance
Common Chuckwalla (Sauromalus ater) is an IUCN Least Concern reptile with specific harvest rules tracked in 1 of 66 jurisdictions covered by CatchRules.
Confirmed by 8,575 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with California, Arizona, and Nevada the top jurisdictions by observation count.
Notable details
- When threatened, it inflates its body inside a rock crevice to make extraction nearly impossible.
- Strictly herbivorous, feeding on flowers, leaves, and fruit of desert plants.
- Adults can reach up to 16 inches in length and weigh nearly 2 pounds.
- Males develop bright orange or red coloration on their backs during the breeding season.
- Can live more than 15 years in the wild.
Where Common Chuckwalla are seen
Background
Sauromalus ater (common chuckwalla) is a species of lizard in the family Iguanidae. It inhabits the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts of the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Its range extends from eastern California, Utah, and Nevada south to Baja California and Sonora.
Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Common Chuckwalla article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.
Other reptiles on CatchRules
Frequently asked questions
What is Common Chuckwalla?
Common Chuckwalla (Sauromalus ater) is an IUCN Least Concern reptile with specific harvest rules tracked in 1 of 66 jurisdictions covered by CatchRules.
What is the scientific name for Common Chuckwalla?
Common Chuckwalla is Sauromalus ater.
Are there fishing rules for Common Chuckwalla?
Common Chuckwalla does not currently have published fishing rules in CatchRules' curated jurisdictions. Identification, range, and habitat are still tracked above.
How can I identify Common Chuckwalla?
Take a photo with the free CatchRules iPhone app — on-device identification recognizes Common Chuckwalla along with ~1,500 other species. No sign-up, unlimited use.
Photo credit: iNaturalist / Wikipedia. Identification reference only — verify regulations with the issuing wildlife agency before retaining a catch.