of the female. Juvenile and immature females perform a courtship that involves extensive body contact. The female nudges, strokes and licks the male's tail, abdomen and head. She climbs onto his back, rubs and strokes his head with her jaws, often remaining for several minutes with her forelegs around his neck. She will also crawl under the male, emerging from the opposite side. Sometimes she lies underneath him with her head under his head. The tyrant's behaviors are limited to circling the female, head bobs and occasional licks and nudges. The elaborate courtship displays of the juveniles and immatures are a puzzle to scientists, since these females are too young to produce eggs. Reproductively mature females have a different type of courtship. They appear to avoid physical contact with males. Instead, courtship consists of circling by the male and pursuit. The male approaches the female and licks or attempts to nudge her tail. The female jerks and runs a few feet away. The male pauses to perform head bobs and then follows the female, again attempting to nudge or lick her. This sequence is often repeated for 30 or more minutes. Courtship occurs between March and early June. Mating takes place at the end of May and in early June, following three months of courtship. The Chuckwalla as a Specialist The chuckwalla lives in the harsh environment of the desert where rainfall is low and unpredictable. It has adapted to the desert conditions by limiting activities primarily to spring when food is available. During a dry spring, when food sources are limited, chuckwallas conserve energy by behavioral and physiological means. They remain inactive, perform few displays, rarely interact in courtship and aggression, and do little travelling. There is little or no reproduction and growth is curtailed. The elaborate social structure with territories and dominance hierarchies only appears when forage is abundant. Chuckwallas are Protected by State Law The chuckwalla is partially protected under State Fish and Game Codes. There is a bag limit of one. Populations can be damaged easily or destroyed by collecting or vandalism, because chuckwallas have a low reproductive potential. The large, old adult males and females are very important for maintaining reproduction. If a few are removed, eggs and young may not be produced for several years. There probably are very few undisturbed populations in the California Desert except in military installations, the State Parks and National Monuments. Most areas have experienced either collections from students and pet shop collectors, or vandalism from plinkers.

Chuckwallas are difficult to keep alive in captivity. They usually die a slow and lingering death because of poor diet, improper foods, lack of appropriate temperatures for feeding and digestion, and lack of sunlight for maintaining a healthy skin. I would suggest seeking chuckwallas with binoculars. If one stays in a vehicle in a canyon, after sighting a "chuck," one might see feeding, travelling, and courtship by this large and exciting lizard.

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