Published May 12, 2022. Updated November 23, 2023. Open access. Peer-reviewed. | Purchase book ❯ |
Common Root Lizard (Loxopholis parietalis)
Reptiles of Ecuador | Sauria | Gymnophthalmidae | Loxopholis parietalis
English common names: Common Root Lizard, Striped Root-Lizard, Red-bellied Root Lizard, Common Root Teju.
Spanish common name: Lagartija común de raíces.
Recognition: ♂♂ 9.3 cm ♀♀ 9.4 cm.1–3 The Common Root Lizard (Loxopholis parietalis) is a small, slender and brownish lizard having distinctly keeled dorsal head scales and three large, flattened posterior parietal scales forming a semicircle.1,2 Both the dorsal and ventral scales are imbricate, keeled, and leaf-shaped.1,2 In Amazonian Ecuador, L. parietalis can be confused with lizards of the genus Alopoglossus, from which it differs by having keeled dorsal head scales.1 During the reproductive period, males of L. parietalis acquire a bright reddish-orange ventral coloration (Fig. 1); in females and juveniles, the ventral surfaces remain white or cream.1,4 Males also differ from females by having 4 preanal pores in addition to 10–17 femoral pores (0–1 preanal pores and no femoral pores in females).2
Figure 1: Individuals of Loxopholis parietalis from Ecuador: Aguas Negras Lodge, Sucumbíos province (); Huella Verde Lodge, Pastaza province (); Ecuador. j=juvenile.
Natural history: Loxopholis parietalis is usually the most common leaf-litter lizard wherever it occurs. This species inhabits areas of old-growth to4 moderately disturbed lowland rainforest,5 as well as forest edges, clearings,1,6,7 and grasslands.8 Common Root Lizards are diurnal,9 terrestrial, and primarily active whenever filtered sun reaches the forest floor,1 but also during cloudy days and even during heavy rains.4 These lizards are leaf-litter specialists,5,10 but they also utilize logs,2 the base of trees, stemless palm fronds, and tangled vegetation11 up to 50 cm above the ground.10 They occur on dry land10 and sand hills but also in damp areas such as depressions in the forest floor, edge of swamps, and along streams.4,12 When inactive or disturbed, these shy lizard take refuge in the leaf-litter or under logs or piles of wood.1,11 Common Root Lizards are active foragers. Their diet is dominated by invertebrates such as spiders, termites, cockroaches, caterpillars, and a variety of other insects.1,4 Individuals of L. parietalis have been confirmed as prey items of snakes (Oxyrhopus vanidicus,1 Micrurus ortoni,13 and Bothrops atrox2) and lizards (Anolis scypheus,1 Potamites ecpleopus,1 and members of its own species1). The breeding season in L. parietalis is believed to be acyclical,1 since gravid females have been found throughout the year.4,12 The clutch consists of two eggs1,4 and the hatchlings measure 17–19 mm in snout-vent-length.12
Conservation: Least Concern .14–17 Loxopholis parietalis is included in this category because it is a common and widely distributed species believed to have large and stable populations facing no major immediate extinction threats.15 Additionally, L. parietalis is found in dozens of national parks and reserves and occurs over areas that have not been heavily affected by deforestation. Based on maps of Ecuador’s vegetation cover published in 2012,18 the majority (~89%) of the species’ potential distribution in this country still holds large continuous forest habitat, and ~23% of this area is inside national parks.
Distribution: Loxopholis parietalis is native to the Amazon basin of Colombia, Ecuador (Fig. 2), and Perú.2 The species also occurs along the Andean foothills of western Venezuela.19
Figure 2: Distribution of Loxopholis parietalis in Ecuador. See Appendix 1 for a complete list of the presence localities included in the map.
Etymology: The generic name Loxopholis, which comes from the Greek words loxos (=slanting) and pholis (=scale),20 probably refers to the obliquely arranged dorsal scales of L. rugiceps, the type species of the genus.21 The specific epithet parietalis probably refers to the unusual shape and arrangement of the parietal scales in this species.22
See it in the wild: Common Root Lizards can be seen with almost complete certainty in forested areas throughout the species’ area of distribution in Ecuador. The species is particularly abundant in terra-firme forests of Yasuní National Park, Cuyabeno Reserve, and Jatun Sacha Biological Reserve. These lizards can easily be spotted by carefully scanning the leaf-litter along forest trails during sunny days.
Editor: Alejandro Arteagac
Academic reviewer: Jeffrey D Camperd
How to cite? Quezada A (2023) Common Root Lizard (Loxopholis parietalis). 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/DLVU2368
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.
- Esqueda LF (2005) Un nuevo Leposoma (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae) de la reserva forestal de Caparo, estado Barinas, Venezuela. Herpetotropicos 2: 33–42.
- Vitt LJ, De la Torre S (1996) A research guide to the lizards of Cuyabeno. Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, 165 pp.
- Lescure J, Gasc JP (1986) Partage de l’espace forestier par les amphibiens et les reptiles en Amazonie du nord-ouest. Caldasia 15: 707–723.
- Layche JF, Ribeyro BO, Acosta A (2010) Herpetofauna en bosque de varillal del Centro de Investigación y Enseñanza Forestal (CIEFOR) – Puerto Almendras, Iquitos – Perú. Acta Biológica Herreriana 1: 35–42.
- Whitworth A, Beirne C (2011) Reptiles of the Yachana Reserve. Global Vision International, Exeter, 130 pp.
- Beirne C, Burdekin O, Whitworth A (2013) Herpetofaunal responses to anthropogenic habitat change within a small forest reserve in eastern Ecuador. The Herpetological Journal 23: 209–219.
- Almendáriz A (1987) Contribución al conocimiento de la herpetofauna centroriental Ecuatoriana. Revista Politécnica 12: 77–133.
- Vitt LJ, Zani PA (1996) Organization of a taxonomically diverse lizard assemblage in Amazonian Ecuador. Canadian Journal of Zoology 74: 1313–1335.
- Field notes, Reptiles of Ecuador book project.
- Dixon JR, Soini P (1986) The reptiles of the upper Amazon Basin, Iquitos region, Peru. Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee, 154 pp.
- Martins M, Oliveira ME (1998) Natural history of snakes in forests of the Manaus region, Central Amazonia, Brazil. Herpetological Natural History 6: 78–150.
- Morales-Betancourt MA, Lasso CA, Páez VP, Bock BC (2005) Libro rojo de reptiles de Colombia. Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt, Bogotá, 257 pp.
- Rivas G, Calderón M, Moravec J (2016) Loxopholis parietalis. The IUCN Red List of threatened species. Available from: www.iucnredlist.org. DOI: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T178582A44955190.en
- 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.
- Carrillo E, Aldás A, Altamirano M, Ayala F, Cisneros-Heredia DF, Endara A, Márquez C, Morales M, Nogales F, Salvador P, Torres ML, Valencia J, Villamarín F, Yánez-Muñoz M, Zárate P (2005) Lista roja de los reptiles del Ecuador. Fundación Novum Millenium, Quito, 46 pp.
- MAE (2012) Línea base de deforestación del Ecuador continental. Ministerio del Ambiente del Ecuador, Quito, 30 pp.
- Esqueda LF, La Marca E, Natera M, Battiston P (2001) Noteworthy reptilian state records and a lizard species new to the herpetofauna of Venezuela. Herpetological Review 32: 198–200.
- Brown RW (1956) Composition of scientific words. Smithsonian Books, Washington D.C., 882 pp.
- Cope ED (1868) Sixth contribution to the herpetology of tropical America. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 20: 305–313.
- Cope ED (1886) Catalogue of the species of batrachians and reptiles contained in a collection made at Pebas, Upper Amazon, by John Hauxwell. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 23: 94–103.
Appendix 1: Locality data used to create the distribution map of Loxopholis parietalis in Ecuador (Fig. 2). Go to the section on symbols and abbreviations for a list of acronyms used.
| Country | Province | Locality | Source |
| Colombia | Caquetá | Monserrate | Gutiérrez-Lamus et al. 2020 |
| Colombia | Caquetá | Morelia | Uzzell & Barry 1971 |
| Colombia | Caquetá | Río Caguán and Río Caquetá confluence, 6 km N of | Medina-Rangel et al. 2019 |
| Colombia | Caquetá | Río Orotuya and Río Caquetá confluence, 18 km N of | Medina-Rangel et al. 2019 |
| Colombia | Caquetá | Río Yuruyaco | IAvH-R-4887; Borja-Acosta & Galeano Muñoz 2023 |
| Colombia | Caquetá | Villa María | Uzzell & Barry 1971 |
| Colombia | Putumayo | Centro Experimental Amazónico | Betancourth-Cundar & Gutiérrez-Zamora 2010 |
| Colombia | Putumayo | Cocaya | ICN 5484; Borja-Acosta & Galeano Muñoz 2023 |
| Colombia | Putumayo | La Castellana | ICN 5485; Borja-Acosta & Galeano Muñoz 2023 |
| Colombia | Putumayo | Mocoa, 10 km S of | Uzzell & Barry 1971 |
| Colombia | Putumayo | Mocoa, 7 km S of | Uzzell & Barry 1971 |
| Colombia | Putumayo | Puerto Asís | LACM 44672; VertNet |
| Colombia | Putumayo | Santa Rosa de Sucumbíos | Avila-Pires 1995 |
| Colombia | Putumayo | Simón Bolívar | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Colombia | Putumayo | Vereda La Esmeralda | IAvH-R-9283; Borja-Acosta & Galeano Muñoz 2023 |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Cusuime | Ortega-Andrade 2010 |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Estación Biológica Wisui | Chaparro et al. 2011 |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Lagarto Cocha | Uzzell & Barry 1971 |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Marantian Wildlife Refuge | Photo by Alex Achig |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Mirador de la Virgen | Photo by Fernando Ayala |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Río Llushin | Uzzell & Barry 1971 |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Santiago de Tiwintza, 1.5 km NE of | Online multimedia |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Shuin Mamus | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Taisha | Uzzell & Barry 1971 |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Villa Ashuara | Ortega-Andrade 2010 |
| Ecuador | Napo | Ahuano | Photo by Diego Piñán |
| Ecuador | Napo | Gareno Lodge | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Napo | Jatun Sacha Biological Reserve | Narváez & Sanmartín-Villar 2016 |
| Ecuador | Napo | La Cruz Blanca | MCZ R-171943 |
| Ecuador | Napo | Lago Agrio | Duellman 1978 |
| Ecuador | Napo | Pitalala Reserve | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Napo | Río Pucuno | Uzzell & Barry 1971 |
| Ecuador | Napo | San Francisco | Uzzell & Barry 1971 |
| Ecuador | Napo | Suchipakari Lodge | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Napo | Tena | Uzzell & Barry 1971 |
| Ecuador | Napo | Yachana Reserve | Beirne et al. 2013 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Apaika | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Bloque 31 | Libro PetroAmazonas |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Bloque Pindo | Paulina Romero, pers. comm. |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Campo Obe | Carvajal-Campos 2020 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Cordillera de Galeras | Uzzell & Barry 1971 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | El Coca | MHNG 2437.073; collection database |
| Ecuador | Orellana | El Edén | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Guiyero | Almendáriz 2011 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Hacienda Primavera | MHNG 2590.083; collection database |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Kawymeno (Kawimeno) | Comuna Kawimeno Huaorani |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Loreto | Uzzell & Barry 1971 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | NWC Welcome Center | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Río Bigal Reserve | Photo by Thierry García |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Río Yasuní, near Lake Jatuncocha | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Orellana | San José de Payamino | Maynard et al. 2017 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | San Jose Viejo de Sumaco | Uzzell & Barry 1971 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Shiripuno Lodge | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Sitio A65 | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Tigüino | USNM 321092; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Tiputini Biodiversity Station | Cisneros-Heredia 2006 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Yarina Lodge | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Yasuní Scientific Station | Vitt & Zani 1996 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Balsaura | Ortega-Andrade 2010 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Bataburo Lodge | Ortega-Andrade 2010 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Chuintza | Almendáriz 1987 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Conambo | Ortega-Andrade 2010 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Destacamento Militar Shiona | Avila-Pires 1995 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Estación Agro-Ecológica Fátima | Proaño-Morales et al. 2017 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Huella Verde Lodge | This work; Fig. 1 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Jatun Molino | Photo by Morley Read |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Juyuintza | Ortega-Andrade 2010 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Kurintza | Ortega-Andrade 2010 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Montalvo | Almendáriz 1987 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Pindoyacu | Ortega-Andrade 2010 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Pozo Huito | Avila-Pires 1995 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Río Bufeo | Ortega-Andrade 2010 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Sarayacu | Uzzell & Barry 1971 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Aguas Negras Lodge | This work; Fig. 1 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Baboroé, vicinity of | Yánez-Muñoz & Chimbo 2007 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Bermejo | Uzzell & Barry 1971 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Blanca | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Bloque 27 | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Campo Platanillo | Envirotec 2015 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Cofán Bermejo Ecological Reserve | Yanez-Muñoz et al. 2017 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Comunidad Cofán Pisorié | Yánez-Muñoz & Chimbo 2007 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Cuyabeno Wildlife Production Reserve | Pellegrino et al. 2011 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Estación Amazonas OCP | Valencia & Garzón 2011 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Garzacocha | Yáñez-Muñoz & Venegas 2008 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Güeppicillo | Yáñez-Muñoz & Venegas 2008 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | La Balsareña | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Lago Agrio, 7 km NW of | IDIGBIO 43223 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Laguna Grande | Vitt & De la Torre 1996 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Laguna Pañacocha | MHNG 2590.078 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Limoncocha Biological Reserve | Uzzell & Barry 1971 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Lumbaqui | Dueñas-Tituaña 2015 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Puerto Libre | Duellman 1978 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Puerto Ore | Duellman 1978 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Reserva Dureno | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Río Eno | Carvajal-Campos 2020 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Río Pañayacu | USNM 163430; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Sacha Lodge | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | San Pablo de Kantesiya | Avila-Pires 1995 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Sani Lodge | Thomas et al. 2020 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Sansahuari | Yáñez-Muñoz et al. 2010 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Santa Cecilia | Duellman 1978 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Santa Elena | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Tapir Lodge | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Tarapoa, 7 km W of | MCZ R-163234; VertNet |
| Perú | Amazonas | Caterpiza | USNM 568723; VertNet |
| Perú | Amazonas | La Poza, Río Santiago | USNM 568730; VertNet |
| Perú | Amazonas | Shiringa | USNM 568733; VertNet |
| Perú | Loreto | Bellavista, 15 km S of | USNM 565883; VertNet |
| Perú | Loreto | Campo Andoas | Valqui Schult 2015 |
| Perú | Loreto | Güeppí Reserved Zone | Yáñez-Muñoz & Venegas 2008 |
| Perú | Loreto | Lagarto Cocha, Aguas Negras | USNM 521045; VertNet |
| Perú | Loreto | Mashunta | Pérez-Peña et al. 2019 |
| Perú | Loreto | Moropon | Rodrigues & Avila-Pires 2005 |
| Perú | Loreto | Redondococha | Yáñez-Muñoz & Venegas 2008 |