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Sauromalus

Sauromalus

9.9
A large plant-eating lizard that lives in dry parts of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico
  • noun
  • /ˌsɔːrəˈmɑːləs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : Sauromalus
  • The desert ecosystem is home to several species within the genus Sauromalus.

Examples

  • The diet of Sauromalus lizards consists primarily of leaves, flowers, and fruits.

  • Researchers observed a Sauromalus basking on a rock in the midday sun.

  • The Sauromalus is often seen basking on rocks.

  • Many Sauromaluses thrive in arid environments.

  • Researchers observed a Sauromalus basking on a rock in the midday sun.

  • The desert ecosystem is home to several species within the genus Sauromalus.

  • The diet of Sauromalus lizards consists primarily of leaves, flowers, and fruits.

Synonyms

chuckwalla
vsSauromalus
  • US
9.9

A large lizard that eats plants and lives on desert rocks

is the taxonomic genus name for that group of lizards

Compounds

Sauromalus obesus
  • Specialized
9.9

A large lizard that eats plants and basks on hot desert rocks

How Big

Sauromalus
  • Specialized
9.9
lizard
103 1.0

Surface Forms

Sauromalus singular
Sauromaluses plural

Etymology

The word Sauromalus comes from Greek parts sauros ('lizard') and homalos ('flat'), so it literally means a 'flat lizard'. You can see sauros in dinosaur, and the name fits the chuckwalla, a large plant-eating lizard with a wide, flat body that often squeezes into rock cracks in dry deserts.