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DOI10.47051/YVFD8181 Published June 6, 2022. Open access.

Gallery ❯

Mountain Shade-Lizard (Alopoglossus buckleyi)

Reptiles of Ecuador | Sauria | Alopoglossidae | Alopoglossus buckleyi

English common names: Mountain Shade-Lizard, Buckley’s Shade-Lizard, Buckley’s Teiid.

Spanish common names: Lagartija sombría de montaña, lagartija sombría de Buckley.

Recognition: ♂♂ 15.9 cmMaximum distance from the snout to the tip of the tail. Snout–vent length=6.8 cm. ♀♀ 13.9 cmMaximum distance from the snout to the tip of the tail. Snout–vent length=6.0 cm.. The Buckley’s Shade-Lizard (Alopoglossus buckleyi) is a small, brownish lizard that can be distinguished from other Amazonian leaf-litter lizards by having strongly keeled dorsal scales arranged in oblique rows on the dorsum and arms^1,2 and by the absence of occipital and postparietal scales.³ Within its distribution area, A. buckleyi is often confused with A. atriventris, A. carinicaudatus, and A. copii, from which it differs by having granular neck scales, smooth ventral scales,^4–6 and smooth head scales.^7,8 Alopoglossus buckleyi differs from Loxopholis parietalis by its larger size, lack of red ventral coloration in adult males, and parietal scales not forming a semicircle.^4,9 Adult males of the Mountain Shade-Lizard can be differentiated from adult females by having a black belly (light cream in females).¹⁰

Figure 1: Individuals of Alopoglossus buckleyi from Tzarentza, Pastaza province (); San Pedro, Tungurahua province (); and Cabeceras del Bobonaza, Pastaza province (); Ecuador. j=juvenile.

Natural history: Alopoglossus buckleyi is a frequentlyRecorded weekly in densities below five individuals per locality. encountered lizard that inhabits old-growth to moderately disturbed lowland and foothill rainforests and cloud forests^11,12 as well as pastures and plantations adjacent to these forests.¹¹ Mountain Shade-Lizards are diurnal and terrestrial.^4,6 During warm sunny days, they forage among leaf-litter^4,11 in shaded or partially shaded spots at ground level or on roots up to 20 cm above the ground.¹¹ They may also be seen crossing trails in logged forests.⁴ During cloudy days and at night, individuals have been found hidden under leaf-litter, logs, rocks, in dirt walls, at the base of dense tall grass, or inside bromeliads.^6,11 As a defense mechanism, Mountain Shade-Lizards tend to flee into the leaf-litter or under roots.¹³ If captured, they can shed the tail or bite.¹¹ The snake Xenoxybelis argenteus is confirmed as predator of A. buckleyi.¹⁴

Conservation: Least Concern Believed to be safe from extinction given current circumstances..^15,16 Alopoglossus buckleyi is included in this category mainly on the basis of the species’ wide distribution, presence in protected areas, and presumed large stable populations.¹⁵ Thus, the species is considered to be facing no major immediate extinction threats. However, some populations are in areas experiencing forest fires and deforestation caused by large-scale mining and the expansion of the agricultural frontier.^17,18

Distribution: Alopoglossus buckleyi is native to the upper Amazon basin and adjacent foothills of the Andes in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.¹⁸ The species has been recorded at elevations between 213 m and 2099 m (Fig. 2).

Figure 2: Distribution of Alopoglossus buckleyi in Ecuador. The star corresponds to the type locality: Canelos. See Appendix 1 for a complete list of the presence localities included in the map.

Etymology: The generic name Alopoglossus, which is derived from the Greeks words alopekia (meaning “bare”) and glossa (meaning “tongue”),¹⁹ refers to the tongue of lizards of this genus, which lacks scale-like papillae.^1,20 The specific epithet buckleyi honors Mr. Clarence Buckley (1832–1885), an English naturalist and explorer who collected the type series of the species.^21,22

See it in the wild: Mountain Shade-Lizards can be seen with relative ease in forested areas throughout the species’ area of distribution in Ecuador. These shy reptiles may be spotted during the daytime by scanning the leaf-litter in areas of filtered sunlight reaching the forest floor. At night, they may be located by searching under plant matter or under rocks and logs. In Ecuador, some of the best places to observe Mountain Shade-Lizards are Wildsumaco Wildlife Sanctuary, Narupa Reserve, and Río Anzu Reserve.

Acknowledgments: Thanks to Katherine Cano for helping compile some of the information used in this account.

Author and photographer: Jose Vieira^aAffiliation: Tropical Herping (TH), Quito, Ecuador.^,bAffiliation: ExSitu, Quito, Ecuador.

Editor: Alejandro Arteaga^cAffiliation: Biodiversity Field Lab, Khamai Foundation, Quito, Ecuador.

How to cite? Vieira J (2022) Mountain Shade-Lizard (Alopoglossus buckleyi). In: Arteaga A, Bustamante L, Vieira J, Guayasamin JM (Eds) Reptiles of Ecuador: Life in the middle of the world. Available from: www.reptilesofecuador.com. DOI: 10.47051/YVFD8181

Literature cited:

1. Harris DM (1994) Review of the teiid lizard genus Ptychoglossus. Herpetological Monographs 8: 226–275. DOI: 10.2307/1467082
2. Ribeiro-Júnior MA, Choueri E, Lobos S, Venegas P, Torres-Carvajal O, Werneck F (2020) Eight in one: morphological and molecular analyses reveal cryptic diversity in Amazonian alopoglossid lizards (Squamata: Gymnophthalmoidea). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 190: 227–270. DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlz155
3. Castro Herrera F, Ayala SC (1988) Saurios de Colombia. Unpublished, Bogotá, 692 pp.
4. Avila-Pires TCS (1995) Lizards of Brazilian Amazonia (Reptilia: Squamata). Zoologische Verhandelingen 299: 1–706.
5. Köhler G, Hans-Helmut D, Veselý M (2012) A contribution to the knowledge of the lizard genus Alopoglossus (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae). Herpetological Monographs 26: 173–188. DOI: 10.1655/HERPMONOGRAPHS-D-10-00011.1
6. Camper JD, Torres-Carvajal O, Ron SR, Nilsson J, Arteaga A, Knowles TW, Arbogast BS (2021) Amphibians and reptiles of Wildsumaco Wildlife Sanctuary, Napo Province, Ecuador. Check List 17: 729–751.
7. Duellman WE (1978) The biology of an equatorial herpetofauna in Amazonian Ecuador. Publications of the Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas 65: 1–352.
8. Duellman WE (1973) Descriptions of new lizards from the upper Amazon basin. Herpetologica 29: 228–231.
9. Vitt LJ, De la Torre S (1996) A research guide to the lizards of Cuyabeno. Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, 165 pp.
10. Ruibal R (1952) Revisionary studies of some South American Teiidae. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 106: 475–529.
11. Field notes, Reptiles of Ecuador book project.
12. Almendáriz A (1987) Contribución al conocimiento de la herpetofauna centroriental Ecuatoriana. Revista Politécnica 12: 77–133.
13. Freile J, Moscoso P, Félix C (2010) La magia de los tepuyes del Nangaritza: una guía para conocer a sus habitantes. Conservación Internacional Ecuador, Quito, 68 pp.
14. Gasc JP (1977) Liste commentée de lézards capturés en Amazonie colombienne. Bulletin de la Societé Herpétologique de France 102: 267–276.
15. Calderón M, Perez P, Avila-Pires TCS, Aparicio J, Moravec J (2016) Alopoglossus buckleyi. The IUCN red list of threatened species. Available from: www.iucnredlist.org. DOI: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T44578087A44578096.en
16. Reyes-Puig C (2015) Un método integrativo para evaluar el estado de conservación de las especies y su aplicación a los reptiles del Ecuador. MSc thesis, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, 73 pp.
17. Malhi Y, Roberts JT, Betts RA, Killeen TJ, Li W, Nobre CA (2008) Climate change, deforestation, and the fate of the Amazon. Science 319: 169–172. DOI: 10.1126/science.1146961
18. Pereira AAA, Guerra V, Barbosa MS, Corrêa F (2021) Distribution extension of Alopoglossus buckleyi (O’Shaughnessy, 1881) (Squamata: Alopoglossidae). Brazilian Journal of Biology 81: 842–844. DOI: 10.1590/1519-6984.231235
19. Brown RW (1956) Composition of scientific words. Smithsonian Books, Washington D.C., 882 pp.
20. Boulenger GA (1885) Catalogue of the lizards in the British Museum. Taylor & Francis, London, 497 pp.
21. O’Shaughnessy AWE (1881) An account of the collection of lizards made by Mr. Buckley in Ecuador, and now in the British Museum, with descritions of the new species. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 49: 227–245.
22. Vane-Right RI (1991) A portrait of Clarence Buckley, zoologist. The Linnean 7: 30–33.

Appendix 1: Locality data used to create the distribution map of Alopoglossus buckleyi in Ecuador (Fig. 2). Go to the section on symbols and abbreviations for a list of acronyms used. Asterisk (*) indicates type locality.

Country	Province	Locality	Source
Colombia	Caquetá	Cerro Aguacate	Gutiérrez-Lamus et al. 2020
Colombia	Caquetá	Faldas del Cerro El Aguacate	SINCHI-R 995
Colombia	Cauca	Serranía de los Churumbelos	Hernández-Morales et al. 2020
Colombia	Putumayo	Finca Mariposa	Hernández-Morales et al. 2020
Ecuador	Morona Santiago	9 de Octubre	Tipantiza-Tuguminago et al. 2021
Ecuador	Morona Santiago	Arutam	Köhler et al. 2012
Ecuador	Morona Santiago	Cabeceras del Río Piuntza	Köhler et al. 2012
Ecuador	Morona Santiago	Campamento Sopladora	MZUA.Re.0232
Ecuador	Morona Santiago	Chiguaza	Hernández-Morales et al. 2020
Ecuador	Morona Santiago	Destacamento Militar Coangos	Köhler et al. 2012
Ecuador	Morona Santiago	Guarumales	MZUA.Re.0033
Ecuador	Morona Santiago	Region between Río Pastaza and Río Santiago	Ribeiro-Júnior & Amaral 2016
Ecuador	Morona Santiago	Reserva Ecológica El Paraíso	This work
Ecuador	Morona Santiago	Taisha	Hernández-Morales et al. 2020
Ecuador	Morona Santiago	Trail between Logroño and Yaupi	Köhler et al. 2012
Ecuador	Morona Santiago	Villa Ashuara	Ortega-Andrade 2010
Ecuador	Morona Santiago	Wisui	Chaparro et al. 2011
Ecuador	Napo	Baeza	MCZ 166538
Ecuador	Napo	Cocodrilos	This work
Ecuador	Napo	Cordillera de Guacamayos	Köhler et al. 2012
Ecuador	Napo	Estación de bombeo El Salado	Köhler et al. 2012
Ecuador	Napo	Jondachi, 3.5 km W of	iNaturalist
Ecuador	Napo	Narupa Reserve, higher trails	This work
Ecuador	Napo	Narupa Reserve, lower trails	This work
Ecuador	Napo	Refugio Mirador, Sumaco	This work
Ecuador	Napo	Río Quijos Ecolodge	This work
Ecuador	Napo	Vía Hollín–Loreto, km 13	Avila-Pires 1995
Ecuador	Napo	Wildsumaco Wildlife Sanctuary	Camper et al. 2021
Ecuador	Orellana	Cantón Loreto	Hernández-Morales et al. 2020
Ecuador	Orellana	Río Bigal Biological Reserve	Photo by Thierry García
Ecuador	Pastaza	Bosque Protector Pablo López de Oglán Alto	DHMECN 3091
Ecuador	Pastaza	Cabeceras del Bobonaza	This work
Ecuador	Pastaza	Campo Oglán	Torres-Carvajal et al. 2019
Ecuador	Pastaza	Canelos*	O’Shaughnessy 1881
Ecuador	Pastaza	Cavernas del Anzu	iNaturalist
Ecuador	Pastaza	Centro Ecológico Zanja Arajuno	This work
Ecuador	Pastaza	Comunidad Ingaru	Torres-Carvajal. 2014
Ecuador	Pastaza	Finca de Peter Archer	Photo by Yatin Kalki
Ecuador	Pastaza	Finca Heimatlos	Photo by Ferhat Gundogdu
Ecuador	Pastaza	Mera	iNaturalist
Ecuador	Pastaza	Puyo, 8 km N of	iNaturalist
Ecuador	Pastaza	Río Alpayacu	Köhler et al. 2012
Ecuador	Pastaza	Río Anzu Reserve	MECN 2013
Ecuador	Pastaza	Santana	Köhler et al. 2012
Ecuador	Pastaza	Shell, 5 km N of	iNaturalist
Ecuador	Pastaza	Tinajas del Río Anzu	iNaturalist
Ecuador	Pastaza	Tzarentza	This work
Ecuador	Sucumbíos	El Reventador	Ribeiro-Júnior & Amaral 2016
Ecuador	Tungurahua	Reserva La Candelaria	This work
Ecuador	Tungurahua	Reserva Río Zuñac	DHMECN 5126
Ecuador	Tungurahua	San Pedro	This work
Ecuador	Tungurahua	Trail to Reserva La Candelaria	This work
Ecuador	Zamora Chinchipe	Bosque Protector del Alto Nangaritza	Guayasamin et al. 2011
Ecuador	Zamora Chinchipe	Ciudad Perdida	iNaturalist
Ecuador	Zamora Chinchipe	Concesión Colibrí	DHMECN 8484
Ecuador	Zamora Chinchipe	Estación Científica San Francisco	MZUA.Re.0131
Ecuador	Zamora Chinchipe	Guayzimi alto	This work
Ecuador	Zamora Chinchipe	Miazi Alto	This work
Ecuador	Zamora Chinchipe	Reserva Forestal El Zarza	iNaturalist
Ecuador	Zamora Chinchipe	Subcuenca del Río Tundayme	Betancourt et al. 2018
Ecuador	Zamora Chinchipe	Tepuy Las Orquídeas	This work
Ecuador	Zamora Chinchipe	Valle del Quimi	Betancourt et al. 2018
Ecuador	Zamora Chinchipe	Yantzaza	Online multimedia
Peru	Amazonas	Chiriaco, 20 km SW of	LSUMZ 32580
Peru	Amazonas	Huampami	Hernández-Morales et al. 2020
Peru	Amazonas	Kagka	Hernández-Morales et al. 2020
Peru	Amazonas	Pais	Hernández-Morales et al. 2020
Peru	Amazonas	Puerto Galilea	Hernández-Morales et al. 2020
Peru	Amazonas	Shiringa	Hernández-Morales et al. 2020
Peru	Amazonas	Teniente López, 1.5 km N of	Köhler et al. 2012
Peru	Cajamarca	Santuario Nacional Tabaconas Namballe	Köhler et al. 2012

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