Atacamen Pacific iguana
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Iguania
Family: Tropiduridae
Genus: Microlophus
Species:
M. atacamensis
Binomial name
Microlophus atacamensis
Synonyms
  • Tropidurus peruvianus atacamensis Donoso-Barros, 1960
  • Tropidurus peruvianus marianus Donoso-Barros, 1966
  • Tropidurus atacamensis Ortiz-Zapata, 1980

Microlophus atacamensis, the Atacamen Pacific iguana, is a species of lava lizard that is endemic to Chile.[1][2]

Behavioral and ecology

Survival characteristics, such as thermoregulation and migration, are purely based on behavior for Microlophus atacamensis. Being an omnivorous creature, it has the choice to eat both plants and animals that inhabit northern Chile. Depending on the specific population of Microlophus atacamensis, it can reside in the most northern region of northern Chile and depend more on algae for its diet instead of Diptera (fruit flies), as they would in most of the southern region of northern Chile. They abundantly occupy a large coastal area, and can be easily sampled[3]

Thermoregulation levels also suggest behavioral patterns since M. atacamensis not only bask in the sun to retain heat, but they also change their body shape or orientate their body plane perpendicular to the sun. Hence proving that M. atacamensis can make behavioral adjustments to increase heating rates.[4][5]

References

  1. 1 2 Avilés, R.; Garin, C.; Nunez, J.; Ortiz, J.C.; Sallabery, N.; Victoriano, P.; Vidal, M. (2016). "Microlophus atacamensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T48444454A48444502. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T48444454A48444502.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. ↑ Microlophus atacamensis at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 18 April 2021.
  3. ↑ Marambio-Alfaro, Yery; Valdés Saavedra, Jorge A; Ñacari Enciso, Luis; López Marras, Américo; Serrano, Antonio E.; Martínez Peláez, Rodrigo.; Castillo Bruna, Alexis; Álvarez Ávalos, Gabriel & Vial Maldonado, Marcela (15 January 2021). "Microlophus atacamensis as a biomonitor of coastal contamination in the Atacama Desert, Chile: An evaluation through a non-lethal technique". Environmental Pollution. 269. doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115739.
  4. ↑ Ibáñez, Soledad; Vidal, Marcela A; Ortiz, Juan Carlos & Torres-Pérez, Fernando (2 February 2015). "Geometric morphometric analysis of the head of Microlophus atacamensis (Tropiduridae) in a latitudinal gradient". Zoological Studies. 54: e24. doi:10.1186/s40555-014-0099-y. PMC 6661439. PMID 31966111.
  5. ↑ Sepúlveda, Maritza; Vidal, Marcela A.; Fariña, José M. & Sabat, Pablo (April 2008). "Seasonal and geographic variation in thermal biology of the lizard Microlophus atacamensis (Squamata: Tropiduridae)". Journal of Thermal Biology. 33 (3): 141–148. doi:10.1016/j.jtherbio.2007.07.002.


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