A new species of “unusually large” alligator-like lizard has been discovered in the treetops of southern Mexico, after scientists spent years searching for the elusive reptile.
A study published in the journal PLOS One last week revealed that the tenacious search to find the scaly creature, called the Coapilla tree caiman lizard, or Abronia cunemica, spanned five separate expeditions between 2015 and 2022, as first reported by the Miami Herald.
The tree-dwelling creatures first appeared on scientists’ radar in 2014, when a handful of “intriguing” photographs emerged taken near the city of Coapilla, Chiapas state.
What followed was a search of “extraordinary difficulty” involving teams of researchers who spent a total of more than 350 hours scouring the ground and climbing the branches and crowns of about 20 trees, according to the publication.
Shown are five Coapilla arboreal caiman lizards discovered by scientists in southern Mexico. Emmanuel Javier-Vázquez/PLOS One
The hard work of scientists finally bore fruit: the result was the discovery of five individuals of the Coapilla lizard. Closer study of the creatures revealed that it was a previously unknown species.
Coapilla arboreal alligator lizards can reach 9.8 inches in length. They have scaly, yellowish-brown bodies covered in darker brown spots, but as seen in photographs published in the study, their coloration can vary.
Lizards’ eyes are pale yellow with dark specks. One of the specimens documented in the study had a broken tail.
According to the investigation, the lizards were found between 11 and 64 feet high in the trees. They were seen most frequently in the morning and afternoon, and two of the creatures were females that “appeared to be pregnant.”
The alligator-like lizards were discovered living in the treetops in the town of Coapilla. Adam G. Clause/PLOS One
The scientists also detected a pair of lizards “in a courtship biting on the forest floor. When the male was captured, he stopped biting the female, but then “recommenced a more persistent bite on her head and neck” later that day.
The new species was baptized “cunemic” in honor of Cuñemo, the name in the “zoque indigenous language” of the town of Coapilla where the lizards were observed.
Alligator lizards are only found in the humid highland forests of Central America. Adam G. Clause/Natural Earth/PLOS One
The scientists said they were “intentionally” vague about the exact location of their discovery in a bid to protect the species.
Alligator lizards are only found in the humid highland forests of Central America. Most species in that group are “mysterious” and rarely seen due to their “cryptic behavior” and limited range.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn