Bright blue thighs, massive claws – must be the four-toed whiptail lizard!
This lovely little thing is arguably one of the most common lizards in Paraguay – at least, it’s certainly one of the most often seen running away.
The four-toed whiptail lizard, Teius teyou, is so incredibly fast that it’s often just a green and blue blur darting across the sand. However, their speed gives them some confidence, so if you manage to spot it before it spots you, then you can usually get within a few metres for a great view before it speeds off.
Only Superman himself could chase and catch one of these lizards – the one I’m holding in the video had fallen into a bucket trap from which I retrieved it. Bucket traps are designed for exactly that purpose – for animals to fall into! Biologists and conservationists use them to discover what species of small animal, particularly reptiles and amphibians, small mammals and large insects, are living in the area. The traps are checked regularly, a note of any visitors is made, and the bucket guests are then released as quickly as possible into the habitat.
The whiptails are a group of lizards so-called because of their long, slender tails. The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed that there are five big claws on each of this lizard’s front feet – the ‘four-toed’ moniker refers to the back feet, which have four long, spindly toes. Check out the video for more on the four-toed speed-demon!
Four-toed whiptail lizard, Teius teyou
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