A new species of “extraordinarily large” crocodile-like lizard has been discovered in a treetop in southern Mexico, after scientists spent years searching for the elusive reptile.
A study published in the journal PLOS One last week revealed that the persistent quest to find the scaly creature, dubbed the Coapilla arboreal crocodile lizard – or Abronia cunemica – spanned five separate expeditions between 2015 and 2022, as reported by the Miami Herald.
The tree-dwelling creature first appeared on scientists’ radar in 2014, when a handful of “interesting” photos taken around the town of Coapilla, Chiapas state, surfaced.
What followed was a search of “extraordinary difficulty” that involved a team of researchers spending more than 350 hours scouring the ground and combing the branches and canopies of about 20 trees, according to the publication.
Five Coapilla arboreal crocodile lizards discovered by scientists in southern Mexico are illustrated. Emmanuel Javier-Vázquez/PLOS One
The scientists’ hard work finally paid off, resulting in the discovery of five individuals of the Coapilla lizard. A closer study of the creature revealed that it was a previously unknown species.
The arboreal coapilla alligator lizard can reach 9.8 inches in length. They have a yellow-brown scaly body covered with darker brown spots, but as seen in the photos published in the study, their color may vary.
The lizard’s eyes are pale yellow with dark spots. One of the specimens documented in the study had a broken tail.
The lizards were found between 11 and 64 feet up the tree, according to the research. They are most often seen in the morning and evening – and two of the creatures are females that “appear to be pregnant.”
A crocodile-like lizard was found living in a tree canopy in the town of Coapilla. Adam G. Clause/PLOS One
The scientists also spotted a pair of lizards “courting with bites on the forest floor. When they caught the male, he stopped biting the female, but then “resumed more persistent bites on her head and neck” later in the day.
The new species was named “cunemica” after Cuñemo, the “native Zoque” name for the town of Coapilla where the lizard was observed.
Alligator lizards are found only in the humid highland forests of Central America. Adam G. Fasal/Natural Earth/PLOS One
The scientists said they were “deliberately” vague about the exact location of their discovery in an effort to protect the species.
Alligator lizards are found only in the humid highland forests of Central America. Most of the species in the group are “mysterious” and rarely seen due to their “cryptic behavior” and limited distribution area.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
