A New Species of Colorful Lizard Found Thriving in Harsh Climatic Conditions of Andes Surprises Scientists

Countless species of flora and fauna thrive in the mountainous region of the Peruvian Andes. Several kinds of reptiles also dwell in the Cordillera de Vilcabamba and Apurimac River valley where the altitudes range from 1,600 to 2,100 meters. In this region, a new species of lizards has fascinated scientists, making them look into their ability to thrive in harsh environmental conditions, stated Live Science. These lizards happen to be semi-aquatic and are known for sustaining themselves in freezing temperatures.

This species of lizard is called Potamites Montanicola and is easily recognized by its colorful bodies. They mostly inhabit the cold streams in the Andes mountains. These lizards are small in stature, reaching only up to 2.5 inches. "During the day we didn't find any, but at night we found several individuals, males and females, running and swimming in the stream. That was a great moment for us. The thermoregulation in this lizard is the most important question for us. The reptiles here are amazing. And I can imagine more 'lost places' in the Andes where probably other new species live right now," lead author of a study on the lizards, German Chavez, explained, stated NBC News. ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ

Chavez and his team had spent a long time searching the mountain forests between the altitude of 5,000 to 7,000 feet to find similar specimens like the Potamites Montanicola. "The thermoregulation in this lizard is the most important question for us," he said, according to Live Science. The temperature in the region usually dropped between 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit at night, typically making cold-blooded creatures turn sluggish, unlike these particular lizards. The nocturnal activities of the lizards made the experts wonder what could have caused them to wake up at night.

"The reptiles here are amazing," Chávez added. "And I can imagine more 'lost places' in the Andes where probably other new species live right now." One of the most interesting facts about these lizards is how they manage to regulate their body temperature in a harsh and cold climate. Lizards are cold-blooded animals who depend on external sources of heat to maintain their body temperature. "Further studies are needed to reveal its biology, population structure, and conservation status, and outline its overall distribution," Chavez shared, as reported by Phys.Org. ㅤ ㅤ

"In many cases, two different species of frogs or lizards may look really similar but have profound genetic divergence," said Nick A. Poyarkov, co-author of the study, stated National Geographic. "I am sure that in Southeast Asia, in general, there are still many more new lizard species to discover," Timo Hartmann, a PhD candidate from Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change who was not involved with the study, mentioned. As mentioned in Animalia, Potamites Montanicola is a species of lizard in the family Gymnophthalmidae and is native to Peru. The study was published in the open-access scientific journal, ZooKeys. ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ