CLASS REPTILIA 



555 



of six feet. It inhabits tropical America and is a favorite article 

 of food. It loves to bask in the sun, lying stretched out on a 

 stone fence or the limbs of a tree. The food of this iguana con- 

 sists largely of insects, but it will also take small animals, and 

 certain kinds of vegetation. > 



The swifts belong to the genera Uta and Sceloporus. They 

 are common in western North America, Mexico, and Central 

 America. Most of them are small, and, as their popular name 

 implies, very active. The sixteen species of small-scaled swifts 



FIG. 457. The horned " toad," Phrynosoma coronatum. (From Gadow.) 



are included in the genus Uta. They live in the arid regions 

 of the Southwestern states and are all terrestrial. The genus 

 Sceloporus contains about thirty- five species of spiny swifts. 

 The scales on the dorsal surface of the body terminate in sharp, 

 spine-like points. 



The horned " toads " (genus Phrynosoma, Fig. 457) occur in 

 the western United States and in Mexico. They live in hot, dry 

 regions, many of them inhabiting the deserts, \vhere they run 

 about in search of insects for food. They are viviparous. 

 Horned " toads " can be kept very easily in captivity if placed 

 in a warm, dry place and fed on meal worms. 



Family ANGUID.E. OLD AND NEW WORLD LIZARDS. These 

 lizards have a deep fold on each side of the body. Most of them 



