[8] Chuckwallas defend their territory and communicate with one another using a combination of color and physical displays, namely "push ups", head-hobbing, and gaping of the mouth.

[8] Angel Island chuckwallas are diurnal animals, and as they are exothermic, spend much of their mornings and winter days basking.

These areas are typically vegetated by creosote bush and cholla cacti which form the staple of their diet as the chuckwalla is primarily herbivorous.

Chuckwallas also feed on leaves, fruit, and flowers of annuals and perennial plants; insects represent a supplementary prey if eaten at all.

[5] This was before the founding of America and most of these populations appear to have died out, but the process was repeated by herpeticulturalists in the early 2000s as a way of legally producing a San Esteban-like chuckwalla that the average reptile enthusiast could keep.