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Lizard
Guatemala has more than 236 species of reptiles. Of these numbers, 28 of these reptile species exist in no other country and 10 of these species are threatened of endangerment from extinction.
The pictures on this page direct you to different lizards I have seen around the Rio Dulce.
To navigate this site you simply click on a picture to take you to more information on that specific lizard and more about it if I have it. Mind you, all of this information is possibly incomplete and is added to as I collect more data so be patient.
 Anole Norops polylepis
For many years this was known a "chameleon" in the USA because of it's ability to change colors. Males have a large throat fan (dwelap). Some females have a distinct middorsal white stripe or series of diamond-shaped figures.
 Basilisk(Basiliscus basiliscus)
(Chisbala, Garrobo) There are two types here that I know of. The one on the left is a Brown Basilisk. They are also known as the "Jesus Lizards" for their ability to run across water, this species is all over Guatemala anywhere there is a water source. Adult males have a large flaplike crest on their heads when the females don't. For more information on Basilisk's click on the picture.
 Gecko(Lacertilia gekkonidae)
No this isn't an insurance commercial! These little critters are great!
. They have a voracious appetite for bugs and you may think you hear a rat or mouse squeeking at night but chances are better that it's a Gecko you heard. During the day they hide in the thatch roofs and come out at night for their dinner. You might see them hanging around lights waiting for bugs to get attracted to it.
Green Iguana(Iguana iguana)
The Green Iguana is a shy creature that usually lives up in the canopy of the forest. They feed on fruits and vegetables which "sometimes" have fermented and the iguanas get a little intoxicated and been known to fall out of the trees. They love to hide in the larger bromeliads up in the trees.
Yellow Headed Gecko(Gonatodes albogularis)
They are called "Calconetes" locally. OK, I'm cheating here because this is the closest I can find to what I have found so help me out. There are a lot of these around my house and in town but their heads are a rust color, they are about 3 inches long, the body is black and no white on the end of the tails. Unlike many geckos, this species lacks a voice. I know they are geckos, but I'm not sure if the name or species is correct. If you know, please let me know so I can find out more about them and correct this if it is wrong.
 Skink(Lepidophyma flavimaculatum)
There are many beautiful varieties of skinks. Some with royal blue tails, this one with stripes, but all of them will drop their tail practically at the sight of danger. They grow back of course, but that just seems a little drastic to me.
It's a lizard, OK? I think it is a fence lizard, but I'm still trying to figure it out. It wasn't very interesting, but it sat still long enough that I could get a picture. That's more than I can say for most the living things around here!
 Turnip-Tailed Gecko(Thecadactylus rapicauda)
Soft gushy feet, smooth skinned, but the critters like to bite! They don't hurt and they do calm down when they realize you aren't going to hurt them. But they DO have attitude! If you want more information on Geckos click here. Or, if you want another view, click on the picture.
 Rainbow Ameiva(Ameiva undulata)
There are several specoes of Ameivas. At first I believed this was the Ameiva festiva and that could still be the case as I'm still learning. The coloring on this is beautiful but it has a head similar to an aligator lizard or monitor, but what it is, I'm not sure. Click on the image to see its belly. No it is not dead! They just sleep easily when turned upside down and have their belly rubbed.
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