Jose
Common Chuckwalla Ambassador
Male
Coming soon...
Possible pet
About Jose
Jose was found at a Dos Gringos bar. Was not quick to run or escape so was most likely a pet or habituated in some way.
Description
Stout lizards with baggy skin folds near the neck, shoulders, and stomach. Hard scales cover the skin. Five digits on each limb with a tail that is rounded at the tip. Color varies from dark brown to gray to dark yellow depending on location, temperature, surrounding and mood.
Habitat
Found in deserts with hot and dry air. Need rocks and crevices for hiding, such as past lava flow sites, rocky hillsides, and outcrops. Males home range will not overlap with those of other males. Many females may be in the male’s home range.
Range
Found in the deserts in the western US and Mexico as well as some islands in the Gulf of Mexico. Southeastern California and Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, and parts of Colorado.
Life Span
Average lifespan of 15 years in the wild but can live up to 25 years in captivity.
Prey / Food
Herbivores, especially on plants that are higher in fiber and lower in fat and protein. They get water from the plants they eat and produce it metabolically. Will eat some insects for protein.
Babies / Nests
Eggs are laid in an underground nest and hatch after about 30 days. They leave the young once they are hatched.
Native American Folklore
Lizard has remarkable healing abilities. He can lose his tail and regrow it and he can shed his skin and replace it regularly. For this reason, Native people associate Lizard with healing and renewal. The Navajo call Horned Lizard Grandpa (Cheii) and revere him for his sacred healing and protection powers.
One Navajo story tells of Lightning challenging Cheii, boasting that he could kill him in four strikes, Cheii dodged the attacks each time by using songs and defeated Lightning with his spikes. Thus, his songs are used for protection.
Because of its array of spikes, the Cheii is a symbol of protection to Navajo. If Cheii allows you to pick him up, and you rub him on your chest, Cheii will give you protection. Not only protection of your physical body, but also your mind, spirit, and emotions.
In one Navajo story, Coyote tries to play a game with a group of lizards that are sliding downhill on flat rocks. They warn Coyote that this game is for lizards, ignoring their warnings Coyote slides on a large rock that flips and lands on him. As an act of kindness, the lizards circled around him and used their healing powers to bring him back to life.
In Plains Indian tribes, Lizard is associated with healing and survival, and masculinity. In some Plains tribes, a newborn boy's umbilical cord is sewn into an amulet in the shape of a lizard to ensure his health and strength.
In a Pomo creation story, Lizard and Coyote wrestle to decide how human beings should appear. Because Lizard wins human beings are given hands with fingers rather than paws.
The Hopi have Monongya Kachina, a lizard spirit that acts as a link between the spiritual and human world. In ceremonial dances, he arrives wearing a mask with the turquoise color of the collared lizard. Monongya is a warrior who encourages the people to act like true Hopi. In many ceremonies, it is his job to chastise those who act foolishly. He is also known for his matchmaking skills. This lizard warrior and his smaller relatives in the desert remind Hopi people that they are part of a sacred landscape.
In this story, the Cahuilla Tribe prayed to the Great Spirit for healing for their children. The Great Spirit ripped a strip of blue sky from the heavens and rolled it into a Blue Lizard, giving the Lizard healing magic to take to the Cahuilla. The Blue Lizard traveled on a sunbeam to the Earth, shared his magic, and the children of the Tribe were healed. To live safely on earth, Blue Lizard climbed high to the top of San Jacinto Mountain, where he remains to this day. The Cahuilla considered the upper portion of the mountain to be the sacred abode of spirits.
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