| Giant Ameiva (Ameiva ameiva (Linnaeus, 1758)) |
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Scientific name: Ameiva ameiva (Linnaeus, 1758) Common name: Giant Ameiva Other names: Amazon Racerunner French name: Ameive commun Order: Squamata Suborder: Sauria Family: Teiidae Size: Up to 50 cm long. Habitat : Sunny places, clearings caused by fallen trees, savannah, villages inside the forest, roadsides. The Giant Ameiva is observed on the ground in the forest where it is used to hiding under the litter or under pieces of wood. Food: Insects, spiders and frogs. Reproduction : There are several clutches between March and December. In French Guiana, there are generally two clutches matching the dry seasons, in March and August. Geographic area: Central America, South America, Trinidad and Tobago, the Grenadines. Introduced to south Florida. |
The Giant Ameiva is a large lizard which is active during the day and walks out of its burrow as soon as the weather is sunny. It shows a streamlined body, a pointed head and strong hind legs. Adults have a brown head and a brown thorax. The rear of the body and the thighs are green. Females have less green colour and they are duller. The colours are opposite on juveniles on which the front of the body is shiny green and the rear brown. Both sexes bears black marks and mottling along the sides. |
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I have shot this picture on the peninsula of Cayenne while walking along the Montabo footpath. The green colour at the front and the small size indicate one juvenile. |
André Bon March 2014