Ctenosaura palearis
Guatemalan Spiny-tailed Iguana, Paleate Spiny-tailed Iguana
1899 Ctenosaura palearis Stejneger, Terra typica: Gualán, Guatemala.
Ctenosaura palearis is a medium-sized sized Spiny-tailed Iguana that can attain a total length of 640 mm, with a snout-vent length of 300 mm and a weight of 1500 g. Females remain somewhat smaller. Adults have a much stockier build than juveniles do. Unlike other ctenosaur species, which simply have a gular (throat) fold, Ctenosaura palearis has a well-developed dewlap of up to 40 mm length in males. The dorsal crest is made up of spade-shaped spines which can be up to 23 mm long and are usually held flat against the body. In females the dewlap and dorsal crest are less well developed.
The head and dorsum are predominantly gray brown with a number of more or less distinct broad dark crossbands across the lower back. These extend around to the venter. The throat region is light gray to white with diffuse black markings on the pendulous dewlap and extending onto the shoulders. The venter is grayish with indistinct orange shading along the midline. Front and rear limbs are predominantly gray brown on the dorsal surface and the underside is lighter in color with some whitish stippling. Rear limbs may have more or less distinct dark crossbands. Dorsal spines are broad at the base and forked at the top.
The tail is gray brown with more or less distinct lighter brown crossbands. It is made up of whorls of greatly enlarged, keeled scales, separated by a complete row of small flat scales (intercalaries).
