Madagascan iguanas
opluridae latin

The Opluridae, or Madagascan iguanas, are a family of moderately sized lizards native to Madagascar.

The Opluridae, or Madagascan iguanas, are a family of moderately sized lizards native to Madagascar.

Family Opluridae (Madagascar iguanids)

Pleurodonta comprehends all families previously splitted from Iguanidae sensu lato (Corytophanidae, Crotaphytidae, Hoplocercidae, Opluridae, Polychrotidae, etc.), whereas Acrodonta comprises Agamidae and Chamaeleonidae.

A study of mitochondrial DNA sequences has dated the split between Opluridae and Iguanidae (within which Opluridae are sometimes classified as the subfamily Oplurinae) at about 165 million years ago, during the Middle Jurassic.