Enyalioides laticeps

Amazon wood lizard
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Iguania
Family: Hoplocercidae
Genus: Enyalioides
Species:
E. laticeps
Binomial name
Enyalioides laticeps
Guichenot, 1855
Synonyms[2]
  • Enyalioides festae Peracca, 1897
  • Enyalius coerulescens Cope, 1876
  • Enyalius laticeps Guichenot, 1855
  • Enyalius planiceps Guichenot, 1855

Enyalioides laticeps, the Amazon broad-headed wood lizard, is a dwarf iguanian lizard abundantly found in Amazonian rainforests. They are semi-arboreal and mostly live in forests. Other names for it include broad-headed wood lizards, Big-headed stick lizards (lagartijas de palo de cabezonas), Guichenot's Dwarf Iguana, Amazon Forest Dragon, or Amazon Dwarf-Iguana (Iguana enana amazónica).[3]

It is a small, ornamented lizard that grows up to 157 mm (0.5 ft) long and have very high vertebral crests along their backs. They change colors based on environmental factors. Amazon broad-headed wood lizards rely on rapid running to move around; however, they spend the vast majority of their time motionless, blending into the rainforest background (branches, palm fronds), and ambushing prey. When attacked by predators, E. laticeps may stay motionless like a wood stick to avoid predation. When found by predators, it may suddenly spring into motion, quickly reatreting to burrows in the ground.[4]  

  1. ^ Calderón, M.; Aparicio, J.; Avila-Pires, T.C.S.; Perez, P.; Moravec, J. (2019). "Enyalioides laticeps". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T44578903A44578914. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T44578903A44578914.en. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Enyalioides laticeps". The Reptile Database. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ O'Shea, Mark (2021) Lizards of the World: A Guide to Every Family.  Princeton University Press, ISBN 9780691198699, 9780691211831