5. SAUROMALUS 103 



Base of fifth to end of 



fourth toe 46 54 50 56 53 55 



Distribution. San Esteban Island, Gulf of California, 

 Mexico. 



Remarks. This species grows even larger than S. 

 hispdus. Some specimens are more than 25 inches long 

 and weighed two pounds when caught. While S. hispdus is 

 the most spiny of the chuckwallas, S. varius is the smoothest. 

 Its coloration is very striking, some of the more coarsely 

 blotched individuals suggesting the name Piebald Chuck- 

 walla applied to them by Miss Dickerson. 



Habits. These huge lizards were abundant in the dry 

 washes and small rocky canyons of San Esteban Island. 

 Here they lived under rocky ledges and piles of lava. Nu- 

 merous droppings about the mouths of their dens, and 

 often their protruding tails, made it easy to find them. 

 They were easily captured by pulling them out of their 

 retreats by their tails, and made no attempt to bite when 

 caught. Five were found in a compact mass in the center 

 of a patch of Opuntia. 



