Crossword-Solution: IGUANID 7 letters, 1 clue 🏆 scrabble score: 9

Lizards are mostly represented by peculiar genera of African or tropical families, but several African genera are represented by peculiar species, and there are also some species belonging to two American genera of the Iguanidæ, a family which is exclusively American; while a genus of geckoes, inhabiting America and Australia, also occurs in Madagascar.

The name is now applied to a genus of saurian reptiles (Basiliscus), belonging to the family Iguanidæ;, distinguished by an elevated crest or row of scales, erectable at pleasure, which, like the dorsal fins of some fishes, runs along the whole length of the back and tail.

Two of the lizards belong to the family _Iguanidæ_ of Bell, and to a peculiar genus (_Amblyrhynchus_) established by that naturalist, and so named from their obtusely truncated head and short snout.[279-A] Of these lizards one is terrestrial in its habits, and burrows in the ground, swarming everywhere on the land, having a round tail, and a mouth somewhat resembling in form that of the tortoise.

The iguanid genus _Sceloporus_ is perhaps better known than any other kind of lizard as regards its movements.

The families which range over both South and North America are Chirotidæ, Chalcidæ, Teidæ, and Iguanidæ; the first and second are of small extent, but the other two are very large groups, the Teidæ possessing 12 genera and near 80 species; the Iguanidæ 40 genera and near 150 species; the greater part of which are Neotropical.