{"elementGlobalId":102283,"circumscripConfidence":{"id":1,"circumscripConfidenceDescEn":"1 - Strong","circumscripConfidenceDescEs":"1 - Fuerte","circumscripConfidenceDescFr":"1 – Forte"},"classificationLevel":{"id":7,"classificationLevelNameEn":"Species","classificationLevelNameEs":"Especies","classificationLevelNameFr":"Espèce"},"classificationStatus":{"id":1,"classificationStatusDescEn":"Standard","classificationStatusDescEs":"Estándar","classificationStatusDescFr":"Standard"},"iucn":{"id":11,"iucnDescEn":"Least concern","iucnDescEs":"Menos preocupante","iucnDescFr":"Moins préoccupante","iucnCode":"LC"},"nameCategory":{"id":1,"nameCategoryDescEn":"Vertebrate Animal","nameCategoryDescEs":"Animal vertebrado","nameCategoryDescFr":"Animal vertébré","nameTypeCd":"A","nameTypeDesc":"Zoological"},"rankMethodUsed":null,"formattedScientificName":"<i>Sauromalus ater</i>","scientificName":"Sauromalus ater","scientificNameAuthor":"Dumeril, 1856","primaryCommonName":"Common Chuckwalla","relatedItisNames":"<i>Sauromalus ater</i> Duméril, 1856 (TSN 564596)","uniqueId":"ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.102283","elcode":"ARACF13010","conceptRefFullCitation":"Hollingsworth, B. D. 1998. The systematics of chuckwallas (<i>Sauromalus</i>) with a phylogenetic analysis of other iguanid lizards. Herpetological Monographs (12):38-191.","conceptName":"<i>Sauromalus ater</i>","taxonomicComments":"Sumarli et al. (2024) presented results based on genomic RADseq data indicating that populations formerly included in <i>S. ater</i> from most of the Baja California peninsula are potentially a different species from those in the United States and Sonora (and northeastern Baja California), Mexico, although that finding does not affect the name of the species covered in this list (Nicholson 2025).","roundedGRank":"G5","conservationStatusFactorsEditionDate":"2005-06-24","conservationStatusFactorsEditionAuthors":"Hammerson, G., and M. K. Clausen","primaryCommonNameLanguage":"EN","recordType":"SPECIES","elementNationals":[{"elementNationalId":164652,"classifConfidence":null,"nation":{"id":225,"nameEn":"United States","nameEs":"Estados Unidos","nameFr":"États-Unis","isoCode":"US","region":"United States"},"roundedNRank":"N5","elementSubnationals":[{"elementSubnationalId":340947,"subnation":{"id":6,"nameEn":"Arizona","nameEs":"Arizona","nameFr":"Arizona","subnationCode":"AZ","dnationId":225},"roundedSRank":"S4","dataSensitive":{"id":2,"dataSensitiveDescEn":"No","dataSensitiveDescEs":null,"dataSensitiveDescFr":null,"dataSensitiveCode":"N"},"dataSensitiveCategory":null,"srank":"S4","speciesSubnational":{"elementSubnationalId":340947,"hybrid":false,"exotic":false,"native":true}},{"elementSubnationalId":329528,"subnation":{"id":88,"nameEn":"Navajo Nation","nameEs":"La Nación Navajo","nameFr":"Nation Navajo","subnationCode":"NN","dnationId":225},"roundedSRank":"S2","dataSensitive":{"id":2,"dataSensitiveDescEn":"No","dataSensitiveDescEs":null,"dataSensitiveDescFr":null,"dataSensitiveCode":"N"},"dataSensitiveCategory":null,"srank":"S2","speciesSubnational":{"elementSubnationalId":329528,"hybrid":false,"exotic":false,"native":true}},{"elementSubnationalId":386289,"subnation":{"id":40,"nameEn":"Nevada","nameEs":"Nevada","nameFr":"Nevada","subnationCode":"NV","dnationId":225},"roundedSRank":"S3","dataSensitive":{"id":2,"dataSensitiveDescEn":"No","dataSensitiveDescEs":null,"dataSensitiveDescFr":null,"dataSensitiveCode":"N"},"dataSensitiveCategory":null,"srank":"S3","speciesSubnational":{"elementSubnationalId":386289,"hybrid":false,"exotic":false,"native":true}},{"elementSubnationalId":283882,"subnation":{"id":7,"nameEn":"California","nameEs":"California","nameFr":"Californie","subnationCode":"CA","dnationId":225},"roundedSRank":"SNR","dataSensitive":{"id":2,"dataSensitiveDescEn":"No","dataSensitiveDescEs":null,"dataSensitiveDescFr":null,"dataSensitiveCode":"N"},"dataSensitiveCategory":null,"srank":"SNR","speciesSubnational":{"elementSubnationalId":283882,"hybrid":false,"exotic":false,"native":true}},{"elementSubnationalId":381621,"subnation":{"id":52,"nameEn":"Utah","nameEs":"Utah","nameFr":"Utah","subnationCode":"UT","dnationId":225},"roundedSRank":"S1","dataSensitive":{"id":2,"dataSensitiveDescEn":"No","dataSensitiveDescEs":null,"dataSensitiveDescFr":null,"dataSensitiveCode":"N"},"dataSensitiveCategory":null,"srank":"S1","speciesSubnational":{"elementSubnationalId":381621,"hybrid":false,"exotic":false,"native":true}}],"nrankReviewYear":1996,"nrank":"N5","speciesNational":{"elementNationalId":164652,"exotic":false,"native":true}}],"lastModified":"2026-10-02T21:38:34.05282Z","lastPublished":"2026-10-02T21:32:08.892226Z","promotionalDescription":null,"conceptLineageSummary":null,"nsxUrl":"/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.102283/Sauromalus_ater","grankAdjustmentReasons":null,"grankChangeDate":"2001-06-21","grankReviewDate":"2005-06-24","grankReasons":"Fairly common in many areas in a restricted range in the deserts of southwestern North America; little information is available on populations and trends, but apparently secure rangewide; threatened by collecting in some isolated areas, but probably not very threatened rangewide.","grank":"G5","rankInfo":{"elementGlobalId":102283,"aooPercentGood":null,"enviromentalSpecificity":null,"intrinsicVulnerability":{"id":4,"intrinsicVulnerabilityDescEn":"Moderately vulnerable","intrinsicVulnerabilityDescEs":"Moderadamente vulnerable","intrinsicVulnerabilityDescFr":"Moyennement vulnérable"},"longTermTrend":{"id":38,"longTermTrendDescEn":"Decline of <30% to increase of 25%","longTermTrendDescEs":"Disminución de <30% a aumento de 25%.","longTermTrendDescFr":"Diminution de <30 % à augmentation de 25 %"},"numberEos":{"id":14,"numberEosDescEn":"81 to >300","numberEosDescEs":"De 81 a >300","numberEosDescFr":"De 81 à >300"},"numberGoodEos":{"id":19,"numberGoodEosDescEn":"Many (41-125)","numberGoodEosDescEs":"Muchos (41-125)","numberGoodEosDescFr":"Plusieurs (de 41 à 125)"},"numberProtEos":{"id":14,"numberProtEosDescEn":"Many to very many (13 to >40) occurrences appropriately protected and managed","numberProtEosDescEs":"De varios a muchos casos (13 a >40) adecuadamente protegidos y controlados","numberProtEosDescFr":"De plusieurs à beaucoup d’occurrences (de 13 à >40) protégées et contrôlées convenablement"},"popSize":{"id":35,"popSizeDescEn":"100,000 to >1,000,000 individuals","popSizeDescEs":"De 100.000 a >1.000.000 de individuos","popSizeDescFr":"De 100 000 à >1 000 000 individus"},"rangeExtent":{"id":33,"rangeExtentDescEn":"200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)","rangeExtentDescEs":"200.000 a 2.500.000 kilómetros cuadrados (aproximadamente 80.000 a 1.000.000 millas cuadradas)","rangeExtentDescFr":"De 200 000 à 2 500 000 km carrés (de 80 000 à 1 000 000 miles carrés approximativement)"},"shortTermTrend":{"id":40,"shortTermTrendDescEn":"Relatively Stable (<=10% change)","shortTermTrendDescEs":"Relativamente estable (variación = <10%)","shortTermTrendDescFr":"Relativement stable (variation = <10 %)"},"threatImpactAssigned":{"id":8,"threatImpactAssignedDescEn":"Medium","threatImpactAssignedDescEs":"Medio","threatImpactAssignedDescFr":"Moyen"},"rangeExtentComments":"This lizard ranges from southern Nevada, southern Utah, southeastern California, and western Arizona south to southern Baja California and west-central Sonora, Mexico; in Baja California, most of the distribution is away from the west coast (Hollingsworth 1998, Grismer 2002, Stebbins 2003).","areaOfOccupancy":null,"areaOfOccupancyComments":null,"numberEosComments":"This species is represented by a large number of viable occurrences throughout the majority of the range in California, Arizona, and Sonora, Mexico.","popSizeComments":"Abundance information is not available rangewide, but total adult population size is likely more than 100,000. Coombs (1977) estimated a population size of 10,000-15,000 individuals in Washington County, Utah. The abundance in the remainder of the Utah range (Kane, Garfield, and San Juan counties) is likely to be less than in Washington County (George Oliver, pers. comm., 1998).","viabilityComments":null,"threatImpactComments":"Chuckwall populations are locally threatened by excessive collecting and habitat degradation (New Mexico Department of Game and Fish 1997). Collectors not only remove individuals from the habitat may thus may reduce population viability but also often cause microhabitat destruction when tools are used move or break rocks and exfoliations to expose the reptiles (New Mexico Department of Game and Fish 1997). Some populations have been hard hit by collectors. For example, the easily accessible South Mountain population, near Phoenix, Arizona, has a unique color pattern and is highly desired by the pet trade; exploitation of this population and destruction of its habitat are on the rise (Gergus et al. 1998). Historical populations in the Glen Canyon area of Utah have been reduced or eliminated by the damming of the Colorado River. Habitat degradation due to grazing activities of goats, sheep, and burros is also a potential threat. <br><br>Overall, however, the species appears to be moderately to not very threatened across most of its range.  The species is regarded as not very threatened in Sonora, Mexico (Andres Villareal Lazarraga, pers. comm., 1998).","shortTermTrendComments":"The Utah Heritage Program states that the population trend there is unknown but perhaps stable (George Oliver, pers. comm., 1998). Populations in Sonora, Mexico are considered stable (Andres Villareal Lazarraga, pers. comm., 1998).","longTermTrendComments":"Populations may vary with environmental conditions. According to Abts (1987), annual densities are variable with higher densities after relatively mild winters and the occurrence of summer rainfall. During a seven-year study in the Colorado Desert of southwestern California, densities ranged from 15 to 30 individuals per hectare (Abts 1987). Nevertheless, area of occupancy and population size appear to be relatively stable over most of the range.","inventoryNeeds":"Determine rangewide information on population numbers, abundance, and trends. Overcollecting appears to be on the rise in some areas--investigate the extent of collecting and loss of habitat due to collecting.","numberProtEosComments":"Habitat is protected from development in several national parks and monuments and in federal wilderness areas in the United States, and the species occurs within protected sites in Sonora, Mexico (Andres Villareal Lazarraga, pers. comm., 1998). Many sites outside formally protected areas are rugged and remote and thus protected from most potential threats.","protectionNeeds":null,"otherConsiderations":null,"intrinsicVulnerabilityComments":null,"enviromentalSpecificityComments":null},"animalCharacteristics":{"elementGlobalId":102283,"majorHabitat":{"id":3,"majorHabitatDescEn":"Terrestrial","majorHabitatDescEs":"Terrestre","majorHabitatDescFr":"Terrestre"},"nonMigrant":true,"localMigrant":false,"longDistanceMigrant":false,"mobilityMigrationComments":null,"foodHabitsComments":"Browses on a wide variety of leaves, buds, flowers, and fruit (Behler and King 1979). Occasionally eats insects (Stebbins 1985).","animalPhenologyComments":"Basks on rocks during the day. Inactive in cold temperatures or extreme heat. In southeastern California, may be active throughout most of year when winters relatively mild and summer rainfall frequent (Abts 1987).","colonialBreeder":false,"length":42,"width":null,"weight":null,"animalPhenologies":[{"animalCagPhenologyId":101778,"animalPhenology":{"id":1,"animalPhenologyDescEn":"Hibernates/aestivates","animalPhenologyDescEs":"Hibernación/Estivación","animalPhenologyDescFr":"Hiberne/estive","displayOrder":1},"adult":true,"immature":true},{"animalCagPhenologyId":101779,"animalPhenology":{"id":3,"animalPhenologyDescEn":"Diurnal","animalPhenologyDescEs":"Diurno","animalPhenologyDescFr":"Diurne","displayOrder":3},"adult":true,"immature":true}],"animalFoodHabits":[{"animalCagFoodHabitsId":103312,"foodHabits":{"id":4,"foodHabitsDescEn":"Herbivore","foodHabitsDescEs":"Herbívoro","foodHabitsDescFr":"Herbivore","displayOrder":4},"adult":true,"immature":true},{"animalCagFoodHabitsId":103313,"foodHabits":{"id":6,"foodHabitsDescEn":"Frugivore","foodHabitsDescEs":"Frugívoro","foodHabitsDescFr":"Frugivore","displayOrder":6},"adult":true,"immature":true}]},"occurrenceDelineations":[{"eoSpecsDetailId":1652,"locationUseClass":{"id":1,"locationUseClassDescEn":"Not applicable","locationUseClassDescEs":"No se aplica","locationUseClassDescFr":"Sans objet","displayOrder":1},"eoSpecGroupName":null,"subtypes":null,"inferredExtentDistance":0.2,"inferredExtentNotes":null,"minimumEoCriteria":"Occurrences are based on evidence of historical presence, or current and likely recurring presence, at a given location. Such evidence minimally includes collection or reliable observation and documentation of one or more individuals (including eggs) in or near appropriate habitat where the species is presumed to be established and  breeding.","mappingGuidance":null,"separationBarriers":"Busy highway or highway with obstructions such that lizards rarely if ever cross successfully; major river, lake, pond, or deep marsh; urbanized area dominated by buildings and pavement.","separationDistanceUnsuitableHabitatat":1.0,"separationDistanceSuitableHabitatat":5.0,"altSeparationProcedure":null,"separationJustification":"Movement information is scarce, but it seems unlikely that two locations separated by a gap of less than several kilometers of suitable habitat would represent independent occurrences over the long term.","versionDate":"2004-09-10","versionAuthor":"Hammerson, G.","versionNotes":null,"lastModified":"2020-02-25T18:12:02.194588Z"}],"plantCharacteristics":null,"elementManagement":{"elementGlobalId":102283,"eoManagementGroupName":null,"stewardshipOverview":null,"impacts":null,"restorationPotential":null,"siteConservationPlansConsidered":null,"managementMethods":null,"monitoringMethods":null,"managementProgramContacts":null,"monitoringProgramContacts":null,"managementResearchPrograms":null,"managementResearchNeeds":null,"biologicalResearchNeeds":null,"additionalTopics":null},"occurrenceViabilities":[{"eoRankSpecsDetailId":103802,"eoRankSpecsGroupName":null,"locationUseClass":{"id":1,"locationUseClassDescEn":"Not applicable","locationUseClassDescEs":"No se aplica","locationUseClassDescFr":"Sans objet","displayOrder":1},"excellentViability":null,"goodViability":null,"fairViability":null,"poorViability":null,"viabilityJustification":"Use the Generic Guidelines for the Application of Occurrence Ranks (2008).<br>The Key for Ranking Species Occurrences Using the Generic Approach provides a step-wise process for implementing this method.","versionDate":null,"versionAuthor":null,"versionNotes":null,"lastModified":"2020-05-14T02:21:12.927167Z"}],"references":[{"id":158285,"citation":"Abts, M. 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Phylogenomic data reveal cryptic diversity and deep phylogeographical structure within the common chuckwalla, <i>Sauromalus ater</i> (Squamata: Iguanidae). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 141(4):572-588.","shortCitationAuthor":"Sumarli et al.","shortCitationYear":2024,"referenceCode":"A24SUM01NAUS","lastModified":"2026-07-03T01:51:51.129351Z"},{"id":147011,"citation":"Villareal Lizarraga, A. Ecology and Zoology Asst. Centro d Datos para la Conservacion de Sonora, Instituto del Medioambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible de Sonora (IMADES), Reyes y Aguascalientes Esq. Col. San Benito (antes Escuela Carpio), Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico","shortCitationAuthor":"Villareal Lizarraga","shortCitationYear":null,"referenceCode":"PNDVIL01NAUS","lastModified":"2020-02-25T18:12:51.867225Z"},{"id":142221,"citation":"Wiens, J. J., and B. D. Hollingsworth. 2000. War of the iguanas: conflicting molecular and morphological phylogenies and long-branch attraction in iguanid lizards. Systematic Biology 49:143-159.","shortCitationAuthor":"Wiens and Hollingsworth","shortCitationYear":2000,"referenceCode":"A00WIE01NAUS","lastModified":"2020-02-25T18:17:19.730435Z"}],"otherCommonNames":[{"id":145201,"name":"common chuckwalla","language":"EN"}],"speciesGlobal":{"elementGlobalId":102283,"cites":null,"cosewic":null,"fwsRegion":null,"genusSize":{"id":3,"genusSizeDescEn":"Small genus","genusSizeDescEs":"Género pequeño","genusSizeDescFr":"Petit genre"},"jurisEndem":{"id":5,"jurisEndemDescEn":"occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations","jurisEndemDescEs":"Se encuentra en varias naciones (de manera regular, como un taxón nativo)","jurisEndemDescFr":"Se trouve dans plusieurs nations (de façon régulière, tel un taxon indigène)"},"nomenclaturallyEst":null,"usesa":null,"informalTaxonomy":{"informalTaxonomyId":7,"level1":"Animals","level2":"Vertebrates","level3":"Reptiles","level":3,"hasChildren":false,"parentId":2,"distributionStatus":"complete","displayOrder":1100},"parentSpecies":null,"infraspecies":false,"kingdom":"Animalia","phylum":"Craniata","taxclass":"Reptilia","taxorder":"Squamata","family":"Iguanidae","genus":"Sauromalus","americanFisheriesStatus":null,"americanFisheriesStatusDate":null,"saraStatus":null,"saraStatusDate":null,"cosewicDate":null,"interpretedCosewic":null,"cosewicComments":null,"usesaDate":null,"interpretedUsesa":null,"usesaComments":null,"completeDistribution":true,"synonyms":[{"id":110244,"synonym":"Sauromalus obesus","synonymAuthor":"(Baird, 1858)","formattedSynonym":"<i>Sauromalus obesus</i>"}],"infraspeciesList":[{"infraspeciesId":100113,"uniqueId":"ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.100113","formattedScientificName":"<i>Sauromalus ater</i> pop. 1","scientificName":"Sauromalus ater pop. 1","primaryCommonName":"Glen Canyon Chuckwalla","nsxUrl":null},{"infraspeciesId":103183,"uniqueId":"ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.103183","formattedScientificName":"<i>Sauromalus ater</i> pop. 2","scientificName":"Sauromalus ater pop. 2","primaryCommonName":"Western Chuckwalla","nsxUrl":null},{"infraspeciesId":106334,"uniqueId":"ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.106334","formattedScientificName":"<i>Sauromalus ater</i> pop. 3","scientificName":"Sauromalus ater pop. 3","primaryCommonName":"Arizona Chuckwalla","nsxUrl":null}],"ebarId":null,"ebarCanadianScope":false,"ebarGlobalScope":false,"ebarKbaGroup":"Amphibians and Reptiles","caGeneralStatusId":null},"speciesCharacteristics":{"elementGlobalId":102283,"reproductionComments":"Mating apparently occurs May to June. 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Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico, with Comments Regarding Confidence in Our Understanding. Ninth Edition. 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