Mexican Spiny-tailed Iguana
Ctenosaura pectinata
(Wiegmann, 1834)
see-tee-no-SOUR-uh — pek-tin-AW-taw
SSAR 9th Edition Comments:
Native to Central America. It was introduced via the pet trade during the 1960s and is established in Miami, Miami-Dade County, Florida (Eggert, 1978, Florida Wildlife 31: 9–10.; Krysko et al., 2003, Florida Scientist 66: 141–146; Townsend et al., 2003, Herpetozoa 16: 67–72; Enge and Krysko, 2019, Ctenosaura pectinata. Pages 383–385 in Krysko et al. (Editors) Amphibians and Reptiles of Florida. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, Florida) and Texas (Smith and Kohler, 1977, Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science 80: 241; Locey et al., 2008, Herpetological Review 39: 328–349).
Range maps are based on curated specimens and provided gratis by CNAH.
(Created by Travis W. Taggart; Version: 2025.04.03.12.38.15)
Download GeoJSON polygon range file: - 0.06 MB
First instance(s) of published English names:
No historic English names have been assigned to this taxon yet.
Catalog of American Amphibians and Reptiles
The Reptile Database
GenBank
USGS - Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database
Selected References:
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1834
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Wiegmann, Arend Friedrich August. Herpetologia Mexicana, seu descriptio amphibiorum Novae Hispaniae, quae itineribus Comitis de
Sack, Ferdinandi Deppe et Chr. Guil. Schiede in Museum Zoologicum Berolinense pervenerunt. Pars prima,
saurorum species. Amplectens. Adiecto systematis saurorum prodromo, additisque multis in hunc amphibiorum
ordinem observationibus. [Herpetologia Mexicana, or a description of the amphibians of New Spain, which were included in the travels of Comte de Sack, Ferdinand Deppe, and Chr. Gil. Schiede arrived at the Zoological Museum in Berlin. The first part, the appearance of the sauri. Embracing With the addition of a system of prodromes of sauri, and with additions to many observations on this order of amphibians.] C. G. Lüderitz, Berolini. 54, plates I–X.pp.
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1977
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Smith, Hobart M. and Anthony J. Kohler. A survey of herpetological introductions in the United States and Canada. Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science 80(1/2):241-
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2002
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McCoid, Michael J. Geographic distribution. Ctenosaura pectinata. Herpetological Review 33(4):321
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2003
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Townsend, J. H., Kenneth L. Krysko, and Kevin M. Enge. The identity of spiny-tailed iguanas, Ctenosaura, introduced to Florida, USA (Squamata: Sauria: Iguanidae). Herpetozoa 16:67-72
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2008
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Locey, Kenneth J., Christopher J. Butler, and David L. Martin. Ctenosaura pectinata. Population status. Herpetological Review 39(3):328-349
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