Opluridae (Malagasy iguanids)

Opluridae – Malagasy iguanas Genus Chalarodon Species Chalarodon madagascariensis Genus Oplurus Species Oplurus cuvieri Species Oplurus cyclurus Species Oplurus fierinensis Species Oplurus grandidieri Species Oplurus quadrimaculatus Species Oplurus saxicola Six species of the family from the genus Oplurus (Fig. 1–6) are rock-dwelling, and one species, Chalarodon madagascariensis (Fig. 7), is arboreal. All species are oviparous, and the teeth of Malagasy iguanas show a clear resemblance to those of true iguanas. Molecular studies indicate that the divergence between true iguanas and Malagasy iguanas occurred approximately 165 million years ago, which is consistent with the estimated time of Madagascar's separation from the African mainland. Fig. 1: Oplurus cuvieri Fig. 2: Oplurus fierinensis Fig. 3: Oplurus cyclurus Fig.

4: Oplurus grandidieri Fig.

5: Oplurus quadrimaculatus Fig.

6: Oplurus saxicola Fig.

7: Chalarodon madagascariensis Sources: https://www.inaturalist.org/ https://eol.org/ https://en.wikipedia.org/