biology

Oplurus cyclurus

Oplurus cyclurus is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Oplurus cyclurus rather than just read about it. In short: Oplurus cyclurus, also known commonly as the Madagascar swift and Merrem's Madagascar swift, is a species of lizard in the family Opluridae. The species is endemic to Madagascar.

Key takeaways

Oplurus cyclurus belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Oplurus cyclurus to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Oplurus cyclurus from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Oplurus cyclurus, also known commonly as the Madagascar swift and Merrem's Madagascar swift, is a species of lizard in the family Opluridae. The species is endemic to Madagascar. It is arboreal and mostly insectivorous. Its breeding is timed with the rainy season.

Description Oplurus cyclurus is similar in appearance to Oplurus cuvieri; the two species may be easily confused. Oplurus cyclurus is slightly smaller than Oplurus cuvieri. Both species have a distinctive large spiny tail, and neither has a dorsal crest. Oplurus cyclurus has a dark brown or black band around the neck and similar paler markings on its back.

Behavior, habitat, and geographic range O. cyclurus is mostly arboreal, living in the spiny forests of southern and southwestern Madagascar.

Reproduction O. cyclurus is oviparous.

References

Further reading Merrem B (1820). Versuch eines Systems der Amphibien: Tentamen Systematis Amphibiorum. Marburg: J.C. Krieger. xv + 191 pp. + one plate. (Uromastyx cyclurus, new species, p. 56). (in German and Latin). Savage JM (1952). "The Correct Generic Names for the Iguanid Lizards of Madagascar and the Fiji Islands". Copeia 1952 (3): 182. (Oplurus cyclurus, new combination). Schlüter, Uwe (2013). Madagaskarleguane: Lebensweise, Pflege und Fortpflanzung [= Madagascar Iguanas: Habits, Care and Reproduction]. Rheinstetten: Kirschner & Seufer Verlag. 88 pp. ISBN 978-39808264-8-8. (in German).

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Oplurus cyclurus

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Oplurus cyclurus claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Oplurus cyclurus before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Oplurus cyclurus ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Oplurus cyclurus

In research: Oplurus cyclurus appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Oplurus cyclurus in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Oplurus cyclurus is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Endemic reptiles of Madagascar, IUCN Red List least concern species, Lizard stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Oplurus cyclurus outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Oplurus cyclurus in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Oplurus cyclurus means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Oplurus cyclurus out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Oplurus cyclurus in simple terms?

Oplurus cyclurus, also known commonly as the Madagascar swift and Merrem's Madagascar swift, is a species of lizard in the family Opluridae. The species is endemic to Madagascar.

Why does Oplurus cyclurus matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Oplurus cyclurus?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Oplurus cyclurus.