Liolaemus darwinii, commonly known as Darwin's tree iguana, is a species of lizard in the family Liolaemidae. It is endemic to Argentina.
Etymology The specific name, darwinii, is in honor of English naturalist Charles Darwin, the author of On the Origin of Species.Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (Liolaemus darwinii, p. 65).
Habitat The preferred natural habitat of L. darwinii is shrubland, at altitudes from sea level to .
Description The males of L. darwinii are brown with two yellow dorsal stripes that run along the spine, one on each side of the back. The females are solely brown.
Diet L. darwinii eats various insects or less in length, including beetles and locusts.
Behavior L. darwinii is diurnal. During nights and cold days, it burrows underground. It is a solitary and territorial. Males and females compete for territory.
Reproduction L. darwinii is oviparous. The mating season is in mid-February, and the nesting time is eight months later. The hatchlings are long, and clutch size is typically between 10 and 12.
References
Further reading Bell T (1843). The Zoology of H.M.S. Beagle, Under the Command of Captain Fitzroy, R.N., During the Years 1832 to 1836. London: Smith, Elder and Company. (Stewart and Murray, printers). vi + 51 pp. + Plates 1–20. (Proctotretus darwinii, new species, pp. 14–15 + Plate 7, Figures 1, 1a, 1b, 2, 2a). Boulenger GA (1885). Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume II. Iguanidæ .... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiii + 497 pp. + Plates I–XXIV. ("Liolæmus darwinii ", p. 155). Donoso-Barros, Roberto (1966). Reptiles de Chile. Santiago: Ediciones Universidad de Chile. 458 pp.