Eastern Casquehead Iguana

About the Eastern Casquehead Iguana

The eastern casquehead iguana (Laemanctus longipes) is a species of lizard in the family Corytophanidae. The species is native to Mexico and Central America. L. longipes is found in the southern Mexican states of Colima, Oaxaca, Veracruz, and Yucatán, and in the Central American countries of Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

Long and thin, L. longipes can reach 70 cm (28 in) in total length, two-thirds of which is a thin tail. The scales on the forehead are much larger than those on the back of the head. No projecting triangular scales occur on the posterior border of the head. The gular scales are bicarinate or tricarinate.

Sexual dimorphism is present, but is difficult to observe. Males have a somewhat thicker tail root than females, and the hemipenes are sometimes visible when lifting the tail gently. Laemanctus longipes deborrei Boulenger, 1877

Laemanctus longipes longipes Wiegmann, 1834 The eastern casquehead iguana inhabits tropical wet, moist, and seasonally dry forests. It can persist in secondary growth when suitable trees are present. The eastern casquehead iguana is an arboreal... Wikipedia →