Cute or scary? Colorful woodlizard species discovered in Peru

[BlueGin]

Scientists say they're intrigued by two new species of woodlizards found in the Peruvian jungle, and not just because of their scary-cool looks.

The lizards, described in the open-access journal Zookeys, were found in Cordillera Azul National Park, which was created to protect Peru's largest mountain rainforest. The area includes some of the country's least-explored forests.

The males of both species sport distinctive patterns of green spots on a brown and black background. One species, Enyalioides azulae, is known only from a single locality in the mountain rainforest of northeastern Peru's Rio Huallaga basin. The other, E. binzayedi, lives in the same river basin. "Azulae" refers to Cordillera Azul National Park, while "binzayedi" pays tribute to the sponsor of the discoverers' field survey, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and the creator of a conservation fund bearing his name.

These two species take their place alongside 10 others in the genus Enyalioides. Three of those 10 were discovered just in the past five years, and the researchers say that suggests that "more species might be awaiting discovery in other unexplored areas close to the Andes."

Cute or scary? Colorful woodlizard species discovered in Peru - Cosmic Log

 

[Mr. H.]

As lizards go, that's pretty cool.

 

[BlueGin]

Interesting that they say they have found 12 new species of lizzard in the region within the last 10 years. Apparently not a charted/well studied territory? Seems like there have been a lot of articles like this in the last several years though. Most recently about organisms found on the ocean floor.

Pretty cool looking lizzard though...I agree.

 

[Mr. H.]

Scientists with too much time on their hands. And, evidently, ample funding.