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Chuckwallas Sauromalus ater are the second largest lizards native to the US, second only to the unique and venomous Gila monster. Chuckwallas are desert lizards that are found mainly in rocky areas. Although impressively large (up to about 45 cm) and equipped with strong claws, they are vegetarians, feeding heavily on new vegetation after rains. Old males are dark and often brick-red on the body (below); juveniles show various amounts of banding, especially on the tail. They tend to be rather shy and most of these photos -- from Jushua Tree National Park, California -- were taken with a long lens. The medium-sized male (above and below at right) was rather confiding and I was able to use a 180 mm macro lens from a distance of less than a meter. |
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