Northern Desert Iguana, Dipsosaurus dorsalis lucasensis

Northern Desert Iguana, Dipsosaurus dorsalis lucasensis. Collection courtesy of Mauricio Correa, Los Cabos, Baja California Sur. Identification reconfirmed by Gary Nafis, Californiaherps.com. This subspecies of the Northern Desert Iguana is found only on the extreme tip of the Baja.

The Northern Desert Iguana, Dipsosaurus dorsalis lucasenis, is a member of the Iguanidae family that are also known as the San Lucan Desert Iguana. The Iguanidae Family consists of seven hundred members placed in forty genera. There are two species in the Dipsosaurus genus. The Northern Desert Iguana is one of two subspecies of the Desert Iguana, Dipsosaurus dorsalis. The Northern Desert Iguana is known in Mexico as In Mexico they are known as Iguana Del Desierto Del Norte.

Northern Desert Iguanas are medium in size with stout, rounded bodies and small heads. Large, oval ear holes lie posterior to their small, black eyes. Like other Iguana species, they have a third “eye” on the top of their head that resembles a pale scale; known as the parietal eye, it cannot discern shapes or color, rather, it senses light and movement to help the Iguana anticipate predatory birds from above. Northern Desert Iguanas appear very similar to Desert Iguanas, however, they can be distinguished by a few structural or color characteristics. Northern Desert Iguanas have fewer femoral pores, larger and fewer midbody scales, longitudinal dark lines on the ventral side of their throat, and a darker, almost black, dorsal pattern. Laterally, on most individuals, there are small distinct light spots with dark borders. Their lateral scales are also conspicuously larger, even to the naked eye, and more strongly keeled. This subspecies can also be distinguished by a single row of nasorostral scales, unlike the two rows of scales found on Desert Iguanas. The Northern Desert Iguana is poorly studied with very limited information available about their lifestyle and behavioral patterns including specific details on age, growth, longevity, movement patterns, diet, habitat use, and reproduction.

Northern Desert Iguanas may be confused with the Western Whiptail, Aspidoscelis tigris, due to their similar appearances and overlapping ranges. These species can be differentiated visually. The Western Whiptail is a slim-bodied lizard with a long, slender tail and pointed snout. Their back and sides are gray, tan, or brown in color and marked with dark spots or bars, which are often very sharply defined.

From a conservation perspective, the Northern Desert Iguana has not been formally evaluated. More information is needed to determine their population trends and susceptibility to human disturbance. While this subspecies has not been evaluated, the Desert Iguana can be considered to be of Least Concern due to their wide distribution, presumed large population size, occurrence within protected areas and limited interest to humans.