CuriOdyssey is proud to welcome our newest resident animal “Charlene” the chuckwalla. Charlene was collected in 2012 by a licensed researcher for a scientific study. After the conclusion of the study, she was kept at the San Francisco State University Herpetology department, only to be recently donated to us in 2021.

Please come stop by and say ‘Hi’ to Charlene. She will be on exhibit in her brand new diorama in the animal habitat hallway right next to our California King Snake.

BACKGROUND: The chuckwalla (Sauromalus ater) is a lizard in the Iguana family, inhabiting arid regions in the South Western United States, and parts of Northern Mexico, including Baja. They are predominantly found on or near-desert regions, scrublands, former lava flows, and rocky hillsides in areas such as the Great Basin, Mojave and Sonoran Deserts, Death Valley, Grand Canyon and other Colorado River valleys. Frequently, their basking temperatures can reach close to 105 degrees Celsius. Their scales are small, coarse and granular giving a sandpaper-like texture.*

Chuckwallas are almost entirely herbivorous, mostly feeding on vegetation, leaves, fruits, vegetables, flowers and insects. In the wild, they can live 10-30 years; 15 years on average, while over 25+ years in captivity.*

FUN FACT: If disturbed, chuckwallas will hide in a crevice and gulp air to inflate their lungs, expanding their body (and loose skin folds) in order to wedge themselves inside for protection.

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_{*Oakland Zoo}