General Chuckwalla Lizard Info
WikiVividly entry for chuckwalla provides good overall chuckwalla info. The Chuckwalla Sauromalus table, headed by pix of male and female common chuckwallas, has a nice feature of expanding scientific terms by hovering over them. The webpage also has abbreviated sections with pictures for related chuckwallas. Etymological info breaks down the genus name.
The generic name, Sauromalus, is a combination of two Ancient Greek words: … (sauros) meaning "lizard" and … (omalus) meaning "flat".[2] The common name "chuckwalla" derives from the Shoshone word tcaxxwal or Cahuilla caxwal, transcribed by Spaniards as chacahuala."Northern Chuckwalla" provides a good introduction of the common chuckwalla. The site describes physical characteristics, habitat, life cycle, reproduction, and role as predator/prey.
"Chuckwallas [Sauromalus ater]" provides a short overview; the textual contrast between the male and female are helpful.
In the common chuckwalla, depending upon the population, male coloration may include black head, forelegs and upper trunk, and reddish-yellow toward the rear or a showy bright red body. Females are usually a much less showy gray or brown with little pattern."COMMON CHUCKWALLA Sauromalus ater" is an Arizona-centric website. It describes distribution and habitat to be primarily westernish Arizona, accompanied by a "Known Range" map. It has overview descriptions of the animal and includes specimen pictures.
A large (up to 229 mm or 9" from snout to vent) flat and wide lizard with loose folds of skin on the neck and sides of the body. The head, shoulders, and limbs of males are black. ... Females are gray-brown with faint mottling or crossbars and often have faint gray bands on the tail."Common Chuckwalla - Sauromalus ater" is short on content but plentiful for visual items. Its map shows the range as a big splotch that, besides westernish Arizona, also includes parts of southeastern California, southern Nevada, and parts of Mexico adjoining the Gulf of California. Somewhat amusing is that all the still images are chuckwallas in Arizona.
The common chuckwalla is related to the spiny lizard, which I wrote about in "Texas Spiny Lizard and Some Kin". The higher level of reptiles is "squamates" (amphibians, snakes, lizards) > lizards. (Click Taxonomy tab at "Lizards (Suborder Sauria)" to view hierarchy info.)
- Lizards Suborder Sauria > Iguanas and Chuckwallas (Family Iguanidae)—the common chuckwalla is at Iguanas and Chuckwallas (Family Iguanidae) > Chuckwallas (Genus Sauromalus) > Common Chuckwalla (Sauromalus ater).
- Lizards Suborder Sauria > Phrynosomatid Lizards (Family Phrynosomatidae)—the Texas spiny lizard is at Phrynosomatid Lizards (Family Phrynosomatidae) > Subfamily Phrynosomatinae > Subfamily Sceloporinae > Spiny Lizards (Genus Sceloporus) > Texas Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus olivaceus).
"Chuckwalla" made me think of "walla" text, which shows up in diverse places but seem to have little commonality for meaning.
"Odwalla, Inc. History" states the product and origin of the company name.
today one of the country's leading brands of fresh juice … The company's name came from a character in an Art Ensemble of Chicago song-poem called 'Illistrum.' Odwalla delivered the 'people of the sun' from the 'gray haze.'"Walla Walla… Then & Now" provides basic information about Walla Walla.
Walla Walla is a First Nations name meaning "many waters." In 1805, when Lewis and Clark traveled by the mouth of a small river flowing into the Columbia River, they met a group of Indians who told them their name for the small river was "Wallah Wallah.""Walla Walla – People of Many Waters" provides extensive history of the tribe, area, and current geographical area.
A Shahaptian tribe who lived for centuries on the Columbia River Plateau in northeastern Oregon and southeastern Washington, their name is translated several ways but, most often, as “many waters.” … The tribe included many groups and bands that were often referred to by their village names, such as Wallulapum and Chomnapum."Word of the Day / Walla: What, Really? Walla!" is a different look at walla, but feasible because of pronunciation.
comes from the Arabic word that means “by Allah!” or “I swear to God!” It is made up of the word “Allah” and the “w” sound that can be used in Arabic to represent an oath.An entertaining use of walla walla comes from the very old novelty song "Witch Doctor - Ooh Eeh Ooh Ah Aah Ting Tang Walla Walla Bing".
Remember "Tie Me Kangaroo Down"? View "Rolf Harris - Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport [Bandstand 1960]". The first animal mentioned is "wallaby", "walla" appended with additional syllable. At Wiktionary's "wallaby":
From wolaba, an Australian Aboriginal word from New South Wales.… Any of several species of marsupial; usually smaller and stockier than kangaroosWell, I now know a lot more about chuckwalla lizards than I did a week ago!
Lizard articles:
