Spiky ‘blue-headed’ creature found sleeping in forest of Peru. It’s a new species
High up in the mountains of Peru, a “blue-headed” creature settled in for the night. The spiky animal perched on some plants and fell asleep. Unbeknownst to it, this wasn’t going to be a peaceful night’s rest.
Passing scientists captured the dozing animal — and discovered a new species.
Researchers ventured into the forests of the Cordillera de Colán mountains on several wildlife surveys in 2019 and 2023, according to a study published Jan. 31 in the Journal of Vertebrate Biology. The surveys had one goal: find and identify reptiles.
To do this, researchers went on “slow nocturnal walks along trails and through the forest,” the study said. During these walks, they found dozens of spiky lizards with colorful heads.
Researchers studied the lizards and realized they’d discovered a new species: Enyalioides cyanocephalus, or the blue-headed wood lizard.
Blue-headed wood lizards can reach about 9 inches in length, researchers said. Males and females vary greatly in color, but both have moderately robust bodies covered in “large” spiky scales. A row of larger spikes, known as a crest, runs down their backs.
Photos show a male blue-headed wood lizard. Its head is bright turquoise while the rest of its body is primarily lime green.
Researchers said they named the new species after the Greek words for blue, or “kyanos,” and head, or “cephalus,” because of the male lizard’s coloring.
Other photos show male blue-headed wood lizards with less pronounced coloring. The lizards range from yellow-green to blackish-green. Several still have lime green bodies.
Female blue-headed wood lizards have “brown or greenish brown” bodies, the study said. Several photos show this variation. One female is a tannish orange while another is primarily green.
Blue-headed wood lizards “were found sleeping at night” in mountainous forests between elevations of about 5,100 to about 6,700 feet, researchers said.
So far, blue-headed wood lizards have been found in four locations within the Cordillera de Colán, the study said. This mountain range is in the Amazonas department and about 460 miles north of Lima.
The new species was identified by its coloring and the size, pattern and texture of its scales, the study said. DNA analysis found the new species had at least 2% genetic divergence from other wood lizards.
The research team included Pablo Venegas, Luis García-Ayachi, Juan Chávez-Arribasplata, Axel Marchelie, Santiago Bullard, Eduardo Quispe, Juan Valencia, Jasmín Odar and Omar Torres-Carvajal.
The team also discovered a second new species of wood lizard.
This story was originally published February 2, 2024 at 11:07 AM with the headline "Spiky ‘blue-headed’ creature found sleeping in forest of Peru. It’s a new species."
