Published May 30, 2022. Updated May 30, 2024. Open access. Peer-reviewed.
Spiny Hedgehog-Lizard (Echinosaura horrida)
Reptiles of Ecuador | Sauria | Gymnophthalmidae | Echinosaura horrida
English common names: Spiny Hedgehog-Lizard, Rough Teiid.
Spanish common names: Corcho de agua, lagartija espinosa terrible.
Recognition: ♂♂ 19.4 cmMaximum distance from the snout to the tip of the tail. Snout–vent length=8.6 cm. ♀♀ 17.3 cmMaximum distance from the snout to the tip of the tail. Snout–vent length=8.0 cm..1,2 Hedgehog-Lizards can be differentiated from other leaf-litter lizards in their area of distribution by their stream-dwelling habits and by having a brownish dorsum with granular scales interspersed with conical scales.2–5 Echinosaura horrida differs from its congeners in Ecuador (E. brachycephala, E. fischerorum, E. keyi, and E. orcesi) by having the following combination of features: a series of spine-like scales forming oblique lines along the flanks, low tubercles on the temporal region, and subconical tubercles on the nuchal region (Fig. 1).1 The Ecuadorian lizard that most resembles E. horrida in external appearance is E. fischerorum, a species that occurs at elevations above 1000 m in which individuals have a pair of spine-like scales on the temporal and nuchal regions.1,6 Adult males of E. horrida differ from adult females by having a wider head and a greater number of femoral pores (14–18 pairs in males versus 1–2 pairs in females).2
Figure 1: Individuals of Echinosaura horrida from Esmeraldas province, Ecuador: FCAT Reserve (); Canandé Reserve (); Itapoa Reserve (). j=juvenile.
Natural history: Echinosaura horrida is a cryptozoic lizard that occurs in high densities in moist, shaded microhabitats within lowland rainforests, particularly along streams, rivers, and swamps.2,7,8 Spiny Hedgehog-Lizards appear to be active both during the day and at night.7–9 They are semi-aquatic, dwelling in water as well as on rocks, among roots, and in damp leaf-litter along small bodies of water.2,7,9 When not active, they hide under leaf-litter, logs, and rocks, sometimes right alongside individuals of E. keyi, E. orcesi,7 and Lepidoblepharis grandis.10 The dietary preferences of this species are not known, but there is a mention of an individual feeding on eggs of the glassfrog Cochranella mache.11 As a defense mechanism, these jittery reptiles usually try to flee; if captured, they can bite or shed the tail as methods of defense and escape.7 There are records of snakes (Leptodeira ornata) preying upon individuals of E. horrida.12 A gravid female in Ecuador contained two eggs,2 but the actual clutch size and nesting sites are not known.
Conservation: Least Concern Believed to be safe from extinction given current circumstances..13 Echinosaura horrida is listed in this category given the species’ wide distribution over areas that retain the majority of their original forest cover, including the southern portion of the Colombian Pacific Coast as well as major national parks in Ecuador: Awá Ethnic and Forest Reserve, Cotacachi Cayapas Ecological Reserve, and Cayapas Mataje Ecological Reserve. Although E. horrida occurs in protected areas and is facing no immediate threat of extinction, the species depends on well-preserved lowland rainforests, an ecosystem declining in extent and quality due to the expansion of the agricultural frontier, mining, and rural-urban development.13
Distribution: Echinosaura horrida occurs in the Chocó biogeographic region from western Colombia to Cotopaxi province in west-central Ecuador (Fig. 2).
Figure 2: Distribution of Echinosaura horrida in Ecuador. The star corresponds to the (presumed) type locality: Paramba, Imbabura province. See Appendix 1 for a complete list of the presence localities included in the map.
Etymology: The generic name Echinosaura, which comes from the Greek words echinos (meaning “hedgehog”) and saurus (meaning “lizard”)14 refers to the large dorsal spines present in some members of the genus.15 The specific epithet horrida is a Latin word meaning “dreadful” or “rough.”14 It probably refers to the dorsal aspect of this lizard, which is bedecked with enlarged spiny scales.15
See it in the wild: Although Spiny Hedgehogs are secretive, they can be surprisingly abundant in suitable well-preserved forest streams throughout the species’ area of distribution in Ecuador. These lizards are easy to find in Canandé Reserve, Bilsa Biological Reserve, and Hacienda Tinalandia. They can be encountered by carefully scanning the rocks and leaf-litter along streams in well-preserved forests.
Special thanks to Remco Stuster for symbolically adopting the Spiny Heghedhod-Lizard and helping bring the Reptiles of Ecuador book project to life.
Click here to adopt a species.
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) Spiny Hedgehog-Lizard (Echinosaura horrida). 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/VQBF2425
Literature cited:
- Yánez-Muñoz MH, Torres-Carvajal O, Reyes-Puig JP, Urgiles-Merchán MA, Koch C (2021) A new and very spiny lizard (Gymnophthalmidae: Echinosaura) from the Andes in northwestern Ecuador. PeerJ 9: e12523. DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12523
- Uzzell TM (1965) Teiid lizards of the genus Echinosaura. Copeia 1965: 82–89.
- Peters JA, Donoso-Barros R (1970) Catalogue of the Neotropical Squamata: part II, lizards and amphisbaenians. Bulletin of the United States National Museum, Washington, D.C., 293 pp.
- Fritts TH, Almendáriz A, Samec S (2002) A new species of Echinosaura (Gymnophthalmidae) from Ecuador and Colombia with comments on other members of the genus and Teuchocercus keyi. Journal of Herpetology 36: 349–355. DOI: 10.1670/0022-1511(2002)036[0349:ANSOEG]2.0.CO;2
- Fritts TH, Smith HM (1969) A new teiid lizard genus from Western Ecuador. Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science 72: 54–59.
- Köhler G, Böhme W, Schmitz A (2004) A new species of Echinosaura (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae) from Ecuador. Journal of Herpetology 38: 52–60. DOI: 10.1670/164-02A
- Field notes, Reptiles of Ecuador book project.
- MECN (2010) Serie herpetofauna del Ecuador: El Chocó esmeraldeño. Museo Ecuatoriano de Ciencias Naturales, Quito, 232 pp.
- Ortega-Andrade HM (2006) Reptilia, Squamata, Gymnophthalmidae, Echinosaura horrida: distribution extension and new geographic distribution map for Ecuador. Check List 2: 3–4. DOI: 10.15560/2.3.2
- Miyata K (1985) A new Lepidoblepharis from the Pacific slope of the Ecuadorian Andes (Sauria: Gekkonidae). Herpetologica 41: 121–127.
- Torres-Carvajal O, Pazmiño-Otamendi G, Salazar-Valenzuela D (2019) Reptiles of Ecuador: a resource-rich online portal, with dynamic checklists and photographic guides. Amphibian & Reptile Conservation 13: 209–229.
- Espinoza Regalado A (2021) Dieta de Leptodeira (Colubridae: Serpentes) (Fitzinger 1843) en Ecuador y notas ecológicas de una población de L. septentrionalis larcorum (Kennicott 1859) en Zapotillo-Loja, Ecuador. Quito, Universidad Central del Ecuador, 57 pp.
- Gutiérrez-Cárdenas P, Cisneros-Heredia DF, Caicedo J, Rivas G, Arredondo JC (2016) Echinosaura horrida. The IUCN Red List of threatened species. Available from: www.iucnredlist.org. DOI: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T203054A2759552.en
- Brown RW (1956) Composition of scientific words. Smithsonian Books, Washington D.C., 882 pp.
- Boulenger GA (1890) First report on additions to the lizard collection in the British Museum (Natural History). Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1890: 77–86.
Appendix 1: Locality data used to create the distribution map of Echinosaura horrida 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 | Cauca | Isla Gorgona | Fritts et al. 2002 |
| Colombia | Nariño | Reserva Natural Biotopo Selva Húmeda | Vera-Pérez et al. 2015 |
| Colombia | Nariño | Reserva Natural Río Ñambí | iNaturalist |
| Colombia | Nariño | San Francisco | Castaño et al. 2004 |
| Colombia | Nariño | Tumaco | Castaño et al. 2004 |
| Ecuador | Carchi | Florida | Yánez-Muñoz et al. 2021 |
| Ecuador | Cotopaxi | El Jardín de los Sueños | Pellet 2017 |
| Ecuador | Cotopaxi | Moraspungo, 10 km NE of | Photo by Gustavo Pazmiño |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Alto Río Mataje | Yánez-Muñoz et al. 2021 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Bilsa Biological Reserve | Ortega-Andrade et al. 2010 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Bosque Protector La Perla | Photo by Plácido Palacios |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Cabeceras de Bilsa | Almendariz & Carr 2007 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Canandé Reserve | This work |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Centro Comunal Mataje | Fritts et al. 2002 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Cerro Zapallo | iNaturalist |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Cresta San Francisco | Yánez-Muñoz et al. 2021 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | El Pan | Fritts et al. 2002 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | El Placer | Fritts et al. 2002 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | El Placer, 5 km S of | Yánez-Muñoz et al. 2021 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | FCAT Reserve | iNaturalist |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Gualpi | This work |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Hacienda Aguilar | iNaturalist |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Itapoa Reserve | This work |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | La Mayronga | Yánez-Muñoz et al. 2021 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Lote Rosero | This work |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Lote Salvadores | This work |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Lote Ventanas | Yánez-Muñoz 2005 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Malimpia | iNaturalist |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Mataje | Köhler et al. 2004 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Pajonal | Morales 2004 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Reserva Tesoro Escondido | iNaturalist |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Río Mataje | Fritts et al. 2002 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Río Pulsandi | MHUA-R 10214 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Río Sapayo | MHNG 744.045 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | San Javier | Uzzell 1965 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Verdecanandé | This work |
| Ecuador | Imbabura | Lita | Köhler et al. 2004 |
| Ecuador | Imbabura | Paramba* | Köhler et al. 2004 |
| Ecuador | Imbabura | Proyecto Minero Cascabel | Cardno Entrix 2021 |
| Ecuador | Imbabura | Río Aguas Verdes | Yánez-Muñoz et al. 2021 |
| Ecuador | Imbabura | Río Bolaniguas | USNM 196099 |
| Ecuador | Imbabura | Río Lita | Uzzell 1965 |
| Ecuador | Imbabura | Santo Domingo, 8 km E of | Uzzell 1965 |
| Ecuador | Imbabura | Yurimaguas | iNaturalist |
| Ecuador | Los Ríos | Centro Científico Río Palenque | Köhler et al. 2004 |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Bilsa Biological Reserve | Ortega-Andrade et al. 2010 |
| Ecuador | Manabí | El Carmen, 38 km NW of | Fritts et al. 2002 |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Jama Coaque Reserve | Lynch et al. 2016 |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Las Delicias | iNaturalist |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Zapote | Yánez-Muñoz et al. 2021 |
| Ecuador | Manabí | El Carmen | Köhler et al. 2004 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Arashá Resort | iNaturalist |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Cabecera del río Sune Chico | This work |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Granja Las Palmeras | iNaturalist |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Kapari Lodge (stream) | This work |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Mangaloma | Fundación Jatun Sacha 2013 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Mashpi Lodge | Yánez-Muñoz et al. 2009 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Near Pacto | Fritts et al. 2002 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Reserva ENDESA | MHNG 2437.070 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Río Mulaule | USNM 196098 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Saguangal | Yánez-Muñoz et al. 2021 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | San José de Alluriquín, 2.5 km NE of | Yánez-Muñoz et al. 2021 |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Centinela | Fritts et al. 2002 |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Crest of Montañas de Ilá | Fritts et al. 2002 |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | El Esfuerzo, 5 km ESE of | Köhler et al. 2004 |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Hacienda Delta | IDIGBIO 123314 |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Hacienda Dyott | Miyata 1985 |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | La Florida, 2 km N of | iNaturalist |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | La Florida, 5 km W of | Fritts et al. 2002 |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Rancho Santa Teresita | Fritts et al. 2002 |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Río Baba, 5 km SSW of Santo Domingo | Köhler et al. 2004 |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Río Toachi | Fritts & Smith 1969 |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Santo Domingo de los Colorados | Fritts et al. 2002 |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Santo Domingo, 3 km NE of | iNaturalist |