Illustration of chuckwalla
chuckwalla
noun
chuck·wal·la
ˈchək-ˌwä-lə 
variants
or chuckawalla
: a large herbivorous lizard (Sauromalus ater) of the iguana family of desert regions of the southwestern U.S.
Examples of chuckwalla in a Sentence
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For example, the common chuckwalla can be found throughout the Southwest and is identified by their red or orange backs.
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Brenna Gauchat, The Arizona Republic, 5 Aug. 2024
If a predator approaches, the chuckwalla will scamper into a narrow crevice and begin gulping air, inflating its wrinkled body like a balloon until firmly wedged in the rocks.
—Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Jan. 2023
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Brenna Gauchat, The Arizona Republic, 5 Aug. 2024
If a predator approaches, the chuckwalla will scamper into a narrow crevice and begin gulping air, inflating its wrinkled body like a balloon until firmly wedged in the rocks.
—Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Jan. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Chuckwalla.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chuckwalla. Accessed 23 Jul. 2025.
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chuckwalla
noun
chuck·wal·la
ˈchək-ˌwäl-ə
: a large plant-eating lizard of the desert regions of the southwestern U.S.
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