Massolacerta

Genus name: Massolacerta

Common names: Grazing Iguana, Cow Lizards

Species count: 6

Size: average length is 3 foot, Massolacerta ornatus males can reach a length of around 5 feet.

Ancestor: Marine Iguana

Diet: Plant material, with a preference for leaves.

Habitat/Range: The tropical rainforest floor of the Crista Islands.

Creator:  @Zach Prime

Description: Whereas many species adapted for oceanic life on Varana, Massolacerta did the opposite. Already a large animal, they evolved to take advantage of the lack of land herbivores. With little competition for plentiful food, they grew to a prodigious size. They lost the ability to swim in deep water, but they have developed stronger jaws and forelimbs better suited for maneuvering the terrain. Among the most derived traits of the genus Massolacerta is a small sail, forming from the rudder of it's tail, as if adapting into a primitive sail of sorts. Along with it's now vestigial rudder, the spines along it's neck and back are quite long in most of the family, with the skin forming a small sail for display purposes. The term "Cow Lizard" is both a reference to their eating habits and size.