| Goldenscale Anole (Norops chrysolepis (Duméril & Bibron, 1837)) |
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Scientific name: Norops chrysolepis (Duméril & Bibron, 1837) Common name: Goldenscale Anole Other names: Other scientific names: Anolis nitens chrysolepis, Anolis chrysolepis. French name: Anolis à fanon bleu Order: Squamata Suborder: Sauria Family: Dactyloidae Size: Up to 16 cm for the total length. Habitat : Tropical rainforest. Food: Small insects and arthropods. Reproduction : Oviparous. Geographic area: South America, in all the Amazonian Basin; Bolivia, Peru, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Venezuela and Trinidad. |
Norops chrysolepis is a general pale grey brown ground colour. There are five sub-species. Norops chrysolepis chrysolepis is found in the eastern part of the Guiana Shield, that's to say in north-eastern Brazil, in French Guiana, in Suriname and in southern Guyana. Norops chrysolepis planiceps is found in the western part of the Guiana Shield, that's to say in northern Brazil, in Suriname, in north-western Guyana, in Venezuela and in Trinidad. Norops chrysolepis scypheus is found in western Amazonia, that's to say in Colombia, in Ecuador, in Peru and in western Brazil. Norops chrysolepis tandai is found in south western Amazonia, that's to say in Peru and in western Brazil. Norops chrysolepis brasiliensis is found in Brazil in a small area south of Sao Paulo. They are characterized by a rather short head. They usually show a circular keel on the upper size of the eye. The following description only deals with the Norops chrysolepis chrysolepis sub-species which is found in French Guiana. Males can show a paler vertebral band and triangular marks on the back. Females show thin dark brown lines starting at the back of each eye and continuing on the upper size of the body. They delimit a paler dorsal band which darkens towards the tail. Males have a dark blue, or black with blue borders, dewlap. Females have a yellowish or cream dewlap. |
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I have observed this small lizard while walking along the Monts-la-fumée footpath next to the village of Saül. I think that the pale triangular marks that you can see on the back indicate one male. This species tries to escape from predators by staying perfectly immobile among the litter. So the unwanted small motion blur on this picture is not due to the movement of the lizard but to the lack of stability of the photographer's hand. |
André Bon October 2014