Two New Vibrant Lizard Species Discovered in Peru Rainforest

Two new vibrant species of lizards have been discovered in Peru. The lizards, which sport colorful patterns of green and brown that allow them to blend into their rainforest habitat, were found in a little-explored section of the Andes Mountains in the northeast of the country.

The first lizard is named Enyalioides azulae after the national reserve that it calls home, Cordillera Azul National Park. The park is the third largest in the country and protects the largest extent of mountainous rainforest. The male of this species is a bright green color with a whitish throat and intricate patterns of black. The female is a more dour reddish-brown with a pale throat and red-brown eyes.

The second lizard was discovered in the same river valley and was named after the man who helped fund the survey of the area, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.  Named Enyalioides binzayedi, it too possesses a colorful patterning of black and green, though it also has a spikey fringe that runs along the back of its neck.

Both of the new species are a type of woodlizard. This group of reptiles was once thought to contain only a handful of species. Since 2008, though, three new species have been discovered in the group and the latest finds suggest that there may be even more in the wild.

"These species were discovered in recent expeditions to poorly explored areas on both sides of the Andes in Ecuador and Peru, suggesting that more species might be awaiting discovery in other unexplored areas closed to the Andes," the authors wrote in their study, detailing their findings.

In fact, the recent discoveries have now placed Peru firmly in first place for harboring the greatest diversity of woodlizards. "Cordillera Azul National Park is a genuine treasure for Peru, and it must be treated as a precious future source of biodiversity, exploration and preservation," said lead author Pablo Venegas in a press release.

The findings are published in the journal ZooKeys.