Two New Lizard Species Found In Peru, Findings Open the Door for Future Studies

In an age where an increasing number of species are placed on the worldwide endangered species list, it's inspiring when a new species is discovered. It's estimated that our planet is home to nearly 8.8 million species, only 1.9 billion of which have been found. Sadly, the rate of discovery is overshadowed by the alarming rate of extinction. However, in a recent win for the preservation of species diversity, two new vibrant species of lizards have been discovered in Peru.

The lizards were found in a relatively unexplored region of the Andes Mountains in the northeast of the country. They display vivid patterns of green and brown that allow them to blend into their rainforest habitat, a defense mechanism that makes it difficult for their predators and curious scientists to spot them.

The first lizard has been named Enyalioides azulae after its habitat, Cordillera Azul (Blue Mountain Range) National Park. The male is a bright green and is laced with beautiful black pattered designs, whereas the female is a murky red brown with matching eyes.

The second lizard is called Enyalioides binzayedi, named after the man who helped fund the expedition, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Found in the same river valley as the azulae, the binzayedi also sports elaborate colorful patterns of black and green. The primary difference between the species is the spikey fringe that runs along the back of its neck. Scientists are thrilled with their findings and believe that there are plenty more unknown species in the region.

"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 scientists reported in their study.

Although the findings are small, they mark Peru as the top site for woodlizard diversity and open the door to future exploration. In the ongoing effort to uncover more of earth's beautiful secrets, any discovery is a celebrated victory.