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''Microlophus atacamensis'', the Atacamen Pacific iguana, is a species of
lava lizard ''Microlophus'' is a genus of tropidurid lizards native to South America. Around 20 species are recognized and 10 of these are endemic to the Galápagos Islands, where they are commonly known as lava lizards Benavides, Edgar; Baum, Rebecca; Sn ...
that is
endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...
to
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
.


Behavioral and ecology

Survival characteristics, such as thermoregulation and migration, are purely based on behavior for ''Microlophus atacamensis''. Being an omnivorous creature, it has the choice to eat both plants and animals that inhabit northern Chile. Depending on the specific population of ''Microlophus atacamensis'', it can reside in the most northern region of northern Chile and depend more on algae for its diet instead of Diptera (fruit flies), as they would in most of the southern region of northern Chile. They abundantly occupy a large coastal area, and can be easily sampled Thermoregulation levels also suggest behavioral patterns since ''M. atacamensis'' not only bask in the sun to retain heat, but they also change their body shape or orientate their body plane perpendicular to the sun. Hence proving that ''M. atacamensis'' can make behavioral adjustments to increase heating rates.


References

atacamensis Lizards of South America Reptiles of Chile Endemic fauna of Chile Reptiles described in 1960 Taxa named by Roberto Donoso-Barros {{Tropiduridae-stub