Blue Lizard

Features and description The blue anole or blue Gorgona’s lizard, Anolis gorgonae, is a specie of scaly reptile belonging to the family Polychrotidae. It is identical in morphology to Anolis chloris, which is present in the continent but counts a green coloration. Anolis gorgonae is a mediumsized lizard specie that reaches a length in the body of 5.1 cm. They have a bright blue or pale blue coloration that makes them very rare among the lizards. Males differ from females by the presence of a large, triangular sac of almost transparent white color. The ventral scales are small and overlap each other but are considerably larger than the dorsal scales, which are very thin. The tail is slightly compressed laterally and is covered by large scales. Males are highly territorial individuals so they use their glutton to alert intruders in their territory. In some cases they attack other males with bites that can result in the fall to the ground of both individuals involved. These species have diurnal habits especially in periods of time after rain. Diet The diet of this scaly lizard, Anolis gorgonae, consists mainly of small insects such as crickets, grasshoppers, spiders, among other arthropods. Reproduction Regarding the reproduction of the blue Gorgona’s lizard, it is worth noting that the males woo the females by deploying their gulars sacs and chasing them until they are mated. It is believed that the view of the male courtship triggers ovulatory processes in females. It is not known with certainty where the eggs are deposited by the female, but some authors suggest that they are placed in small depressions on the ground or in fallen logs or leaves. Geographical distribution and habitat of the blue Gorgona’s lizard

The blue anolis or Gorgona blue lizard is endemic to the Gorgona Natural National Park in Colombia. This park is made up of a group of islands and islets located 56 km from the Colombian Pacific coast. The predominant habitat in this ecosystem is that of tropical

rainforest. The blue lizard prefers thick branches of trees to heights of 6 to 10 meters above the ground. It has not been possible to determine specifically the numbers that compose the populations of these species. It is believed that this animal may become classified as vulnerable due to predation caused by the red-headed basilisk. This lizard is not native to the island and when introduced has endangered many endemic species such as the blue lizard. One of the biggest losses of habitat that the species had suffered was the construction in the 1950s, of a prison in the interior of the island, which is now closed.