Yucatán spiny-tailed iguana

Description

The Yucatán spiny-tailed iguana (Cachryx defensor) is a species of lizard in the family Iguanidae. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat is tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests. It is threatened by habitat loss. A foot-long specimen was found scurrying across a loading dock on July 29, 2010 at Ford Motor Co.'s Van Dyke Transmission Plant in Sterling Heights, Michigan. The creature was a stowaway in parts crates shipped from the Yucatán peninsula in Mexico. The creature was moved to an enclosure at the Detroit Zoo which it will share with a female black iguana. Cachryx is a genus of lizards in the family Iguanidae.