Endangered
Anolis proboscis
Anolis proboscis
Anolis proboscis, called the horned anole, Ecuadorian horned anole or Pinocchio lizard, is a small anole lizard in the family Dactyloidae.
Appearance
Males, that are slightly larger than females, possess a conspicuous proboscis, an elongated structure arising from the middle of the snout and about 1–2 cm (0.4–0.8 in) in length. It appears to be used in courtship displays, as is the dewlap that is present in both sexes. There are multiple colour morphs, with the proboscis ranging from greenish yellow to orange-brown, and variety of patterning over the body, among them spots and stripes. The species differs from similar species in the region in its comparatively small, whitish dewlap, and a row of enlarged scales that run along the dorsum.
Anolis proboscis has a total body length (excluding tail) of roughly 5–7.5 cm (2.0–3.0 in).
Range and habitat
Based on the few localities known, the species inhabits montane forest habitats in the Chocó, where it keeps to high trees. Specimens have predominantly been found in primary and secondary vegetation along a well-traveled dirt road. While the area of occurrence includes pasture land and secondary forest, it is likely that the species also lives in other mid-altitude (1,200–1,650 m or 3,940–5,410 ft) areas in the Ecuadorian Andes.
Pins are Wikidata “endemic to” fields. Orange dots, when present, are GBIF occurrence tiles — survey bias included.
Diet and breeding
The species is omnivorous and has a diverse diet. The stomach can hold anywhere between 4-16 prey items.
In captivity, females lay a single egg, that is incubated for roughly 165 days (5.5 months).
In crisis
It has been classified as Endangered by the IUCN due to its restricted distribution and ongoing habitat loss. The species is currently classified as Endangered due to its possibly restricted distribution in combination with ongoing threats in the form of habitat loss from logging, human settlement, agriculture, and grazing. Further, because of the species' rarity and unique appearance, it is at risk of poaching for the international pet trade.
The species was feared to be extinct when it was not seen after the original collection in 1953. It was rediscovered in 2004 when an individual was seen and photographed in a cloud forest near Mindo, Ecuador, by a visiting ornithologist.
Anolis proboscis is Endangered on this catalog because that is the IUCN category stored on Wikidata. Confirm the official criteria and any later count on iucnredlist.org.
Sources
Written for this catalog from the English Wikipedia article on Anolis proboscis, Wikidata item Q2503652. Family and order context is original field-guide writing about the group, not a copied assessment of this one species. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA. Not an IUCN assessment. Counts, when quoted, can change — confirm them on the recovery programme and on iucnredlist.org.
