Guardian Nature School Team Contact Blog Project Noah Facebook Project Noah Twitter

A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife

Join Project Noah!
nature school apple icon

Project Noah Nature School visit nature school

Puerto Rican ground lizard

Ameiva exsul

Description:

This lizard is endemic to the Puerto Rican Bank and is very abundant. Its common name is the Puerto Rican ground lizard, (Ameiva exsul). This lizard is in the Teiidae family, the same as whiptail lizards.

Habitat:

Puerto Rican national preserve

1 Species ID Suggestions

sttweets
sttweets 12 years ago
Aruban whiptail lizard
Cnemidophorus arubensis


Sign in to suggest organism ID

15 Comments

sttweets
sttweets 12 years ago

Thank you for the additional information and proper ID!
@ca.rodriguezgomez.

ca.rodriguezgomez
ca.rodriguezgomez 12 years ago

I forgot to mention, that the one with the blue coloration is most likely a male.

ca.rodriguezgomez
ca.rodriguezgomez 12 years ago

Hello,

I'm a Biologist that has specialized in Puerto Rican reptiles and amphibians, and that works at Las Cabezas de San Juan Nature Reserve. My name is Carlos A. Rodríguez. The lizard you saw is endemic to the Puerto Rican Bank and is very abundant. Its common name is the Puerto Rican ground lizard, (Ameiva exsul). This lizard is in the Teiidae family, the same as whiptail lizards.

Hope i've been of some help.

Cheers!

Carlos Andrés Rodríguez.

sttweets
sttweets 12 years ago

@Kevin J. What is the main difference between the Ameiva exsul and the Whiptail lizard? Why do you think it's an Ameiva?
I thought it was a Whiptail since it has more spots and more blue in comparison to the Ameiva.

sttweets
sttweets 12 years ago

Thanks @Kevin J. I'll have a closer look.

Kevin J.
Kevin J. 12 years ago

I think thats an Ameiva exsul from the teiidae family

sttweets
sttweets 12 years ago

Color, spots and internet helped out,.. it has to be a whiptail.

Ashish Nimkar
Ashish Nimkar 12 years ago

Wow..you got it...Nice to see new family member.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teiidae

sttweets
sttweets 12 years ago

Correct, spotted in the wild. I'll check on the agama again, but what I've seen so far didn't match at all...

DanielePralong
DanielePralong 12 years ago

I believe Agamids are not found in the New World (from what sstweets writes I'm assuming this spotting is in the wild)

Ashish Nimkar
Ashish Nimkar 12 years ago

I feel Red headed female Agama (Agama agama)

Ashish Nimkar
Ashish Nimkar 12 years ago

Have you checked images of Agama..? Female doesn't have red head and some males. I am looking for such sparking blue dots like a Skink on them.

sttweets
sttweets 12 years ago

I don't think it was blue enough for an agama and it didn't have the typical red head. Thanks though!

Ashish Nimkar
Ashish Nimkar 12 years ago

Agama Lizard..?

sttweets
sttweets 12 years ago

Is there a lizard wizard out there that can tell what this is?

sttweets
Spotted by
sttweets

Spotted on Jun 11, 2011
Submitted on Jun 24, 2011

Related Spottings

Cope's ameiva Central American Ameiva Giant Ameiva Giant Ameiva

Nearby Spottings

Green Iguana Mocking bird Green Iguana Sea Urchin Endoeskeleton

Reference

Noah Guardians
Noah Sponsors
join Project Noah Team

Join the Project Noah Team