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Hello! I was at a pet shop and saw a lizard which was unknown to the people there; I have raised two C. similis and am fairly familiar with diff. Cten. and lizard sps, but this lizard had me stumped.
QUICK QUESTION PART: are there any Ctenosaura sp. that have many "spiny projections" on their bodies (think of a Moloch, but much less spiny than that; more like a bearded dragon, actually)?
This lizard looked basically like a C. similis that one sees in pet stores frequently; same coloration, same banded tail, but with larger spiky rings around it, I believe; the head also seemed a bit stouter, and had some little speckly white markings on the side. Again, I would have thought "Ctenosaura similis" immediately, except for the rounder head and the little spines poking out on its body, especially along its sides.
I don't have a digital camera (1 of 6 in the world, I know), but I hope to borrow a friends and get in there to take a pic. Sorry for rambling, but do any Cten. sp. have little spikes on their bodies? I looked a long time on web, but found nothing; all seem to have smooth bodies; thought maybe C. quinquecarinata(?), but couldn't find pics.
Thanks for any help, and please let me know if a pic is needed (as I assume it probably is...) Matt

Madagascar. They have 2 species of iguana that look very much like a Ctenosaura. Here is a couple links to the 2 different species, http://www.reptilien-center.de/oplurus_cyclurus.htm http://www.reptilien-center.de/oplurus_cuvieri.htm

tgreb: thank you very much for responding so quickly and, I think, accurately. It probably is an Oplurus cuvieri; the tail on the O. cyclurus was different; the lizard's tail I saw in the pet shop had its "spiky" rings (sorry; my terminology is lacking) separated by a ring of "normal" (non-spiky) scales, which, along with the banded coloration (just like a C. similis), made me think Cten., but it's head struck me as almost "agama-like", for some reason; that and the spikes on it's body were what threw me.
The O. cuvieri had a tail more similar to this lizards, being more "spiky" than O. cyclurus; the head also seemed very similar; more "rounded" looking.
So, I'll now try to find out about Oplurus; I've seen the name before, but know nothing about them (reminds me of when I found what turned out to be a Phymaturus palluma, if I remember right; a "Chilean Chuckwalla"; the little guy really did look just like a miniature Chuckwalla, and was mottled green and black; an awesome little guy that I had for about ten years; sorry for un-asked-for story.)
I'll make copies of any photos I can find and take them into the store to compare with O. cuvieri; if I'm still uncertain, I'll try for the digital-pic idea, but I'm pretty sure you're right.
Oh, this lizard didn't have any black neck banding, but I'm wondering if maybe that is a sexually dimorphic thing.
Again, thanks a lot for getting back; much appreciated!!! Off to research now... Matt

Your my hero.

Thanks. HEHE! Anyway hows is it going? You've been quiet lately. Any baby ctenos this year? I would like to try to get some conspics. I have no luck with the varius and hispidus I might as well try ctenos, HAHA. I got 3 baby C. h. macrolopha that are doing well. I really like the conspics though. I also really like the melanosterna. I just receieved the updated copy of the spiney tail book by Gunther Kohler. A lot of nice pictures. I wish I could read it. Tom