THE CENTER FOR NORTH AMERICAN HERPETOLOGY

Reptilia    Squamata (part)    Iguanidae  

Gray’s Spiny-tailed Iguana
Ctenosaura similis (Gray, 1830)

SSAR 9th Edition Comments:
 Native to Central America. It was introduced to Georgia (Brennan et al., 2022, Herpetological Review 53: 272–273) and is established in many areas of Florida since the 1970s (Butterfield et al., 1997, pp. 123–138. In: D. Simberloff, D. C. Schmitz, and T. C. Brown (Editors), Strangers in Paradise: Impact and Management of Nonindigenous Species in Florida. Island Press, Washington, D.C.; Krysko and Nuñez, 2019, Ctenosaura similis. Pages 385–387 in Krysko et al. (Editors) Amphibians and Reptiles of Florida. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, Florida). Based on genetic analysis, most Florida populations are the result of independent introductions with native range origins of Honduras (Nuñez, 2016, M.S. thesis, University of Florida, Gainesville). Cowan (1969, Journal of the Society for the Bibliography of Natural History 5: 137–140) listed the authority date as 1830 (not 1831). The English name Common Spiny-tailed Iguana is used by Hedges et al. (2019, Caribbean Herpetology (67): 1–53).

Range maps are based on curated specimens and provided gratis by CNAH.
(Created by Travis W. Taggart; Version: 2025.04.03.12.35.48)
Download GeoJSON polygon range file: - 0.25 MB

Province/State Distribution:
USA: Arizona

First instance(s) of published English names:
Common Spiny-tailed Iguana (Ctenosaura similis: Hedges, S. Blair, Robert Powell, Robert W. Henderson, Sarah Hanson, and John C. Murphy. 2019. Definition of the Caribbean Islands biogeographic region, with checklist and recommendations for standardized common names of amphibians and reptiles. Caribbean Herpetology (67):1–53);

Taxon Links:

  
Catalog of American Amphibians and Reptiles
  
The Reptile Database
  
NatureServe
  
iNaturalist
  
GenBank
  
USGS - Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database

Selected References:
1830 Gray, John E. A synopsis of the species of the class reptilia. Pages 1-110 in The Animal Kingdom Arranged in Conformity with its Organization by the Baron Cuvier, member of teh Institute of France, with Additional Descriptions of all the Species Hitherto Named, and of many not before noticed. Ninth Volume. Whittaker, Treacher, and Company, London, England. pp.
1969 Cowan, C. F. Notes on Griffth's Animal Kingdom of Cuvier (1824-1835). Journal of the Society for the Bibliography of Natural History 5(2):137-140
2003 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
2009 Krysko, Kenneth K., Kevin M. Enge, E. M. Donlan, E. Z. Golden, J. P. Burgess and K. W. Larson. The non-marine herpetofauna of Key Biscayne, Florida. Herpetological Conservation and Biology 5(1):132-142
2016 Nunez, Leroy P. Molecular analyses of three non-indigenous squamate species in Florida: Testing various hypotheses regarding species introductions. Thesis. University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida. 61pp.
2019 Hedges, S. Blair, Robert Powell, Robert W. Henderson, Sarah Hanson, and John C. Murphy. Definition of the Caribbean Islands biogeographic region, with checklist and recommendations for standardized common names of amphibians and reptiles. Caribbean Herpetology (67):1–53

THE CENTER FOR NORTH AMERICAN HERPETOLOGY — Accessed: Saturday 26 April 2025 22:58 CT