The Chuckwalla Lizard Changes Colors, Inflates Its Body, and Sneezes Salt
by Owen Borville
June 28, 2020
Biology
The Chuckwalla lizard lives in the arid desert climates of the American Southwest. It grows to 20 inches long, and three pounds. It eats plants, including flowers and fruits.
Color Change
The Chuckwalla can change colors throughout the day from a dark color in the cold desert morning that helps to absorb sunlight while a light beige color in the afternoon in the hot, arid climates reflects the sunlight and helps keep it cooler.
Inflating Defense Mechanism
The Chuckwalla lizard has a defense mechanism against larger predators where it will hide between cracks in rocks and expand or inflate its body outward so that the predator cannot get access to it. The chuckwalla will become stuck between the crack and block the predator access. This skin is deflated afterward and makes the body appear to have loose, baggy skin.
Sneezes Salt
The Chuckwalla lizard has a body desalinization feature that will regulate the amount of salt in its body. When the body has too much salt the chuckwalla will sneeze out salt crystals. Special glands in its nostrils remove excess salt from the chuckwalla's blood. If it did not have these special glands, it would die from the excess salt. The unique design of the chuckwalla body enables it to survive in its environment.
Digestion
Chuckwallas will sometimes lay in the incredibly hot sun that helps digest its food, flowers and other desert plants that it eats.
Estivation
Chuckwallas will estivate, a behavior like a summer hibernation in a cool place when the flowers are not blooming.
by Owen Borville
June 28, 2020
Biology
The Chuckwalla lizard lives in the arid desert climates of the American Southwest. It grows to 20 inches long, and three pounds. It eats plants, including flowers and fruits.
Color Change
The Chuckwalla can change colors throughout the day from a dark color in the cold desert morning that helps to absorb sunlight while a light beige color in the afternoon in the hot, arid climates reflects the sunlight and helps keep it cooler.
Inflating Defense Mechanism
The Chuckwalla lizard has a defense mechanism against larger predators where it will hide between cracks in rocks and expand or inflate its body outward so that the predator cannot get access to it. The chuckwalla will become stuck between the crack and block the predator access. This skin is deflated afterward and makes the body appear to have loose, baggy skin.
Sneezes Salt
The Chuckwalla lizard has a body desalinization feature that will regulate the amount of salt in its body. When the body has too much salt the chuckwalla will sneeze out salt crystals. Special glands in its nostrils remove excess salt from the chuckwalla's blood. If it did not have these special glands, it would die from the excess salt. The unique design of the chuckwalla body enables it to survive in its environment.
Digestion
Chuckwallas will sometimes lay in the incredibly hot sun that helps digest its food, flowers and other desert plants that it eats.
Estivation
Chuckwallas will estivate, a behavior like a summer hibernation in a cool place when the flowers are not blooming.
