Conolophus
Druze head ( Conolophus subcristatus ) on Seymour Norte
Druze heads ( Conolophus ) or Galapagos Land Iguanas are a genus endemic living in the Galapagos Islands iguanas.
The name Druze head is the translation of the Latin name " Conolophus " and comes from the numerous small suppository -like shields, with which his head is armored like a Kristalldruse from the inside. Strangles is derived from the Old High German gland or bump.
Appearance
Charles Darwin described the Druze heads once little positive: " [ ... ] They are ugly animals, of a yellowish orange beneath, and of a brownish - red color above: . From Their low facial angle theyhave a singularly stupid appearance" ( " [ ... ] they are ugly animals, of a yellowish orange bottom and a brownish- red color above: the small angle between the line from the nostril to the ear and those from the mouth to the foremost part of the front gives them an extraordinarily stupid appearance. " )
Druze heads up about 1.25 meters long. They have a short, rotating round tail, which is typical of his relatives from the mainland breaking points missing, which serve to throw off the tail to distract predators so. Your body is mottled yellowish to brown, often with skin wrinkles on the neck and they have a comb made of horn cores in the neck, which continue on the back, but there are smaller.
Way of life
Males and females of the land iguanas live in close communion. The male marks the territory by sitting it clearly visible on a boulder. They dig a burrow for shelter.
Females lay 3 to 12 leathery eggs, then, buried in a hole in the ground, are incubated by the sun or geothermal about 50 days.
They feed on vegetable, such as leaves, fruit, shoots and flowers of Opuntia that have developed in the Galapagos Islands high tree-like growth forms, presumably to protect from Galapagos giant tortoises and land iguanas. But you also take animal food to him.
Small and medium ground finches rid the land iguanas of ticks and other animal parasites. The iguanas respond to the approach of the finches by rise high on the legs and lift the tail and stand motionless, so the finches can reach any part well.
Land iguanas are not shy, so you easily approaching them to a few meters and they can feed.
System
Druze heads are closely related to the also for the Galapagos Islands endemic marine iguana ( Amblyrhynchus cristatus ), which vary in appearance especially by their long laterally compressed tail rudder from the land iguana.
There are three types:
- The Druze head ( Conolophus subcristatus ), Gray, 1831
- The Santa Fe head drusen ( Conolophus pallidus ), Heller, 1903
- The Rosada head drusen ( Conolophus marthae ), Gentile & Snell, 2009 This type is found only in the area of the volcano Wolf in the north of the island of Isabela.
Symbolic meaning
The Druze head was among many protesters and social critics of the 20th century as a symbol of political resistance and the extra-parliamentary opposition, as well as one against extremism, both from the left and from the right.