Published November 9, 2023. Updated February 8, 2024. Open access. Peer-reviewed. | Gallery ❯ |
Reticulated Creek-Lizard (Arthrosaura reticulata)
Reptiles of Ecuador | Sauria | Gymnophthalmidae | Arthrosaura reticulata
English common names: Reticulated Creek Lizard, Yellowbelly Arthrosaura
Spanish common names: Lagartija hojarasquera reticulada, lagartija de vientre amarillo.
Recognition: ♂♂ 19.7 cmMaximum distance from the snout to the tip of the tail. Snout–vent length=7.1 cm. ♀♀ 19.5 cmMaximum distance from the snout to the tip of the tail. Snout–vent length=7.0 cm..1,2 Arthrosaura reticulata is a long and slender lizard that differs from other Amazonian leaf-litter lizards by having strongly keeled (rather than weakly striated) hexagonal dorsal scales with overlapping pointed ends.1,3 The dorsal scales are separated from the ventral plates by one or two rows of small, granular scales.1,2 The dorsum is a dark reddish-brown hue that becomes progressively darker towards the flanks, encompassing a reticulum of light yellow spots (Fig. 1).1,2 Adult males can be recognized by being more robust, having a more contrasting dark coloration, and a bright orange-red belly.4 This species may be confused with lizards of the genus Alopoglossus, but they lack the combination of elongate hexagonal scales ending abruptly in a sharp point.2,5
Figure 1: Juvenile individual of Arthrosaura reticulata from Sani Lodge, Sucumbíos province, Ecuador.
Natural history: Arthrosaura reticulata is a rarely encountered lizard that inhabits old growth terra-firme forests, igapó (=blackwater-flooded forests), and inundated forests along white-water rivers.2–4 The species occurs in greater densities at the interface between forest and bodies of water such as aguajal swamps, marshes, sandy-bottom streams, dry creek beds, small puddles, and lagoons.3–7 Though primarily active during sunny or bright overcast days between 9:00 am and 4:30 pm,3,6 these lizards may occasionally exhibit nocturnal activity.8 Foraging occurs in thick accumulations of leaf-litter, but individuals have also been found under logs, fallen tree trunks, fallen palm fronds, or hidden amidst leaf-litter at night.1,2,6 The diet in this species consists of sow bugs, roaches, grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, caterpillars, spiders, and centipedes.1–3 In the presence of a disturbance, these wary reptiles quickly disappear into the leaf-litter or run into the base of stumps, buttresses, or stilt palms.3 If near water, they plunge and dive to the bottom.3 They are also quick to shed their fragile tail as a distraction to predators.3 There are records of snakes (Drymoluber dichrous,9 Oxyrhopus occipitalis,1 O. vanidicus,1 and Bothrops atrox4) and spiders10 preying upon individuals of A. reticulata. Gravid females containing two eggs have been found at different times of the year, suggesting a continuous breeding season1,3 and a fixed clutch size of two eggs.11
Conservation: Least Concern Believed to be safe from extinction given current circumstances..12 Arthrosaura reticulata is listed in this category primarily on the basis of the species’ wide distribution, presence in protected areas, and lack of major widespread threats. In Brazil, it is estimated that 89% of the species’ occurrence area is still forested13; in Ecuador, this figure is closer to 90%.14 Nevertheless, some populations are under threat due to the expansion of the agricultural frontier, the creation of new roads, and wildfires.13
Distribution: Arthrosaura reticulata is widely distributed throughout the Amazon basin in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador (Fig. 2), French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.
Figure 2: Distribution of Arthrosaura reticulata in Ecuador. The star corresponds to the type locality: Canelos, Pastaza province. See Appendix 1 for a complete list of the presence localities included in the map.
Etymology: The generic name Arthrosaura comes from the Greek arthron (=joint, link) and sauros (=lizard).15 At the time of description, this genus was believed to be a link between Prionodactylus and Heterodactylus.16 The specific epithet reticulatus is a Latin word meaning “net pattern.” It refers to the pale yellow spots along the flanks, which form a reticulum.17
See it in the wild: Due to their cryptozoic habits, Reticulated Creek Lizards are unlikely to be seen by most visitors to the Amazon rainforest in Ecuador. They are most easily found by actively raking the leaf-litter or by turning over logs along water bodies in primary rainforest. In Ecuador, the area having the greatest number of Arthrosaura reticulata observations is Cuyabeno Reserve.
Author: Alejandro ArteagaaAffiliation: Khamai Foundation, Quito, Ecuador.
Academic reviewer: Jeffrey D CamperbAffiliation: Department of Biology, Francis Marion University, Florence, USA.
Photographer: Jose VieiracAffiliation: Tropical Herping (TH), Quito, Ecuador.,dAffiliation: ExSitu, Quito, Ecuador.
How to cite? Arteaga A (2024) Reticulated Creek-Lizard (Arthrosaura reticulata). In: Arteaga A, Bustamante L, Vieira J (Eds) Reptiles of Ecuador: Life in the middle of the world. Available from: www.reptilesofecuador.com. DOI: 10.47051/KUPA2185
Literature cited:
- 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.
- Avila-Pires TCS (1995) Lizards of Brazilian Amazonia (Reptilia: Squamata). Zoologische Verhandelingen 299: 1–706.
- Vitt LJ, De la Torre S (1996) A research guide to the lizards of Cuyabeno. Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, 165 pp.
- Dixon JR, Soini P (1986) The reptiles of the upper Amazon Basin, Iquitos region, Peru. Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee, 154 pp.
- Harris DM (1994) Review of the teiid lizard genus Ptychoglossus. Herpetological Monographs 8: 226–275. DOI: 10.2307/1467082
- Hoogmoed MS, Avila-Pires TCS (1992) Studies on the species if the South American lizard genus Arthrosaura Boulenger (Reptilia: Sauria: Teiidae), with the resurrection of two species. Zoologische Mededelingen 66: 453–484.
- Almendáriz A (1987) Contribución al conocimiento de la herpetofauna centroriental Ecuatoriana. Revista Politécnica 12: 77–133.
- Hoogmoed MS, Avila-Pires TCS (1989) Observations on the nocturnal activity of lizards in a marshy area in Serra do Navio, Brazil. Tropical Zoology 2: 165–173. DOI: 10.1080/03946975.1989.10539437
- Martins M, Oliveira ME (1998) Natural history of snakes in forests of the Manaus region, Central Amazonia, Brazil. Herpetological Natural History 6: 78–150.
- Reyes-Olivares C, Guajardo-Santibáñez A, Segura B, Zañartu N, Penna M, Labra A (2020) Lizard predation by spiders: a review from the Neotropical and Andean regions. Ecology and Evolution 10: 10953–10964. DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6801
- Meiri S, Avila L, Bauer AM, Chapple DG, Das I, Doan TM, Doughty P, Ellis R, Grismer L, Kraus F, Morando M, Oliver P, Pincheira-Donoso D, Ribeiro-Junior MA, Shea G, Torres-Carvajal O, Slavenko A, Roll U (2020) The global diversity and distribution of lizard clutch sizes. Global Ecology and Biogeography 29: 1515–1530. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.13124
- Calderón M, Perez P, Moravec J, Aparicio J, Avila-Pires TCS, Rodríguez J (2019) Arthrosaura reticulata. The IUCN Red List of threatened species. Available from: www.iucnredlist.org. DOI: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T44578320A44578333.en
- Ribeiro-Júnior MA, Amaral S (2016) Diversity, distribution, and conservation of lizards (Reptilia: Squamata) in the Brazilian Amazonia. Neotropical Biodiversity 2: 195–421. DOI: 10.1080/23766808.2016.1236769
- MAE (2012) Línea base de deforestación del Ecuador continental. Ministerio del Ambiente del Ecuador, Quito, 30 pp.
- Brown RW (1956) Composition of scientific words. Smithsonian Books, Washington D.C., 882 pp.
- Boulenger GA (1885) Catalogue of the lizards in the British Museum. Taylor & Francis, London, 497 pp.
- 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.
Appendix 1: Locality data used to create the distribution map of Arthrosaura reticulata 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 | Laguna La Culebra | Ruiz Valderrama 2021 |
| Colombia | Putumayo | Bajo Mansoyá | Cahueño & Barbosa 2022 |
| Colombia | Putumayo | Finca la Cocha | UMMZ 131065; VertNet |
| Colombia | Putumayo | Inspección Simón Bolivar | Borja-Acosta & Ocampo 2021 |
| Colombia | Putumayo | Puerto Asís | Medem 1969 |
| Colombia | Putumayo | Río Putumayo | FMNH 165778; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Cusuime | AMNH 113755-61; examined |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Macuma | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Villa Ashuara | Ortega-Andrade 2010 |
| Ecuador | Napo | Jatun Sacha Biological Reserve | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Napo | Río Misahuallí | Avila-Pires 1995 |
| Ecuador | Napo | Yachana Reserve | Whitworth & Beirne 2011 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Estación Científica Yasuní | Rodríguez-Guerra & Carvajal-Campos 2020 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Parque Nacional Yasuní | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Orellana | San José de Payamino | Maynard et al. 2016 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Tambococha | Rodríguez-Guerra & Carvajal-Campos 2020 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Tiputini Biodiversity Station | Cisneros-Heredia 2003 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Bataburo Lodge | Ortega-Andrade 2010 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Canelos* | O’Shaughnessyi 1881 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Chichirota | Ribeiro-Júnior & Amaral 2016 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Chuintza | Almendáriz 1987 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Juyuintza | Ortega-Andrade 2010 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Montalvo | Avila-Pires 1995 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Pozo Petrolero Misión | Almendáriz 1987 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Río Bobonaza | USNM 196068; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Río Curaray | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Río Pindo | Ribeiro-Júnior & Amaral 2016 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Río Villano | Ortega-Andrade 2010 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Tigüino | Ortega-Andrade 2010 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Comunidad Zábalo | Cevallos Bustos 2010 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Estación PUCE Cuyabeno | Vitt & de la Torre 1996 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Güeppicillo | Yánez-Muñoz & Venegas 2008 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Lagartococha | Usma et al. 2016 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Lago Agrio | Duellman 1978 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Limoncocha Biological Reserve | UIMNH 66173; collection database |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Lumbaqui, parroquia urbana | Dueñas and Báez 2021 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Río Güeppi | Yanez-Muñoz et al. 2017 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Sani Lodge | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Santa Cecilia | Duellman 1978 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Territorio Cofán Dureno | Yánez-Muñoz & Chimbo 2007 |
| Peru | Amazonas | Aguaruna Village | MVZ 174847; VertNet |
| Peru | Amazonas | Huambisa Village | MVZ 174849; VertNet |
| Peru | Amazonas | La Poza | MVZ 174848; VertNet |
| Peru | Loreto | Centro Unión | Avila-Pires 1995 |
| Peru | Loreto | Mishana | Avila-Pires 1995 |
| Peru | Loreto | Moropon | Avila-Pires 1995 |
| Peru | San Martín | Tarapoto, 33 km NE of | KU 211622; VertNet |
| Peru | San Martín | Tarapoto, 48 km NE of | KU 209522; VertNet |