{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "chuckwalla",
  "name": "Chuckwalla",
  "scientificName": "Sauromalus ater",
  "category": "Reptile",
  "summary": "The chuckwalla (Sauromalus ater) is a bulky herbivorous lizard of rocky deserts in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. When threatened it wedges into rock crevices and inflates its body so predators cannot extract it. Adults weigh about 0.9 kg and are listed Least Concern.",
  "conservationStatus": "Least Concern",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Reptilia",
    "order": "Squamata",
    "family": "Iguanidae",
    "genus": "Sauromalus"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 0.9,
    "lengthM": 0.4,
    "topSpeedKmh": 5,
    "lifespanYears": 25
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Sauromalus ater"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Herbivore"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Lava flows, rocky outcrops, and desert scrub"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "Around 25 years in the wild (varies by population and captivity)."
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "About 0.9 kg typical adult mass (sex and region vary)."
    },
    {
      "label": "Top speed",
      "value": "Up to roughly 5 km/h when moving at speed."
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Least Concern (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Rocky deserts of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico.",
    "continents": [
      "North America"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/chuckwalla/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/chuckwalla/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}