Microlophus indefatigabilis
—
Santa Cruz Lava Lizard
This species was formerly considered part of Microlophus albemarlensis, which is now restricted to Isabela island and its islets.
![Santa Cruz Lava Lizard (Microlophus indefatigabilis)](../images/herps/standard/120429023PD_lava_lizard.jpg)
![Santa Cruz Lava Lizard (Microlophus indefatigabilis)](../images/herps/standard/120429049PD_lava_lizard.jpg)
We first encountered M. indefatigabilis on the small island of South Plaza, off the coast of Santa Cruz, where they competed for our attention with many large iguanas.
![Santa Cruz Lava Lizard (Microlophus indefatigabilis)](../images/herps/standard/12050222PD_lava_lizard.jpg)
![Santa Cruz Lava Lizard (Microlophus indefatigabilis)](../images/herps/standard/12050253PD_lava_lizard.jpg)
Here's a very robust adult male and a particularly colorful female from North Seymour. The female is doing the classic lizard trick of keeping her toes up in the air to avoid overheating.
![Santa Cruz Lava Lizard (Microlophus indefatigabilis)](../images/herps/standard/12050541PD_lava_lizard.jpg)
We were on Baltra just long enough to get from the dock to a bus to the airport, but that was long enough to see my last Galápagos lava lizard.
Online references:
- Microlophus indefatigabilis account on The Reptile Database
- Microlophus indefatigabilis account on Tropical Herping
- Edgar Benavides, Rebecca Baum, Heidi M. Snell, Howard L. Snell, Jack W. Sites, Jr., 2009. Island Biogeography of Galápagos Lava Lizards (Tropiduridae: Microlophus): Species Diversity and Colonization of the Archipelago