Another new lizard genus!

Let us remind you, it was in 2005: Philippe Kok herpetologist at the Vertebrates Department described a new lizard genus, the Kaieteurosaurus hindsi dedicated to the Prime Minister of Guyana.

Philippe keeps on with his race against time inventorying and describing the amphibians and reptiles biodiversity of these remote, but nevertheless threatened – notably by global warming – areas.

It is during an epic expedition in the highlands of Guyana that Philippe – a quite exceptional fact – has discovered a second new lizard genus.

The very shy and difficult to observe animal was collected at about 2100 meters above sea level in the middle of the mist of the summit of Mount Maringma, a very poorly known tepui (table top mountain) located in western Guyana and unknown of most of the maps! It is at least three new species that were discovered in the middle of the dense vegetation of the summit of that tepui, which reaches about 2150 meters above sea level. The new lizard named Pantepuisaurus rodriguesi, in honour of a famous Brazilian herpetologist, Miguel Rodrigues, is very close to Kaieteurosaurus from which it is distinguished by several morphological characters. Two other new species discovered on the summit of the tepui are a lizard belonging to the genus Arthrosaura and a small toad belonging to the genus Oreophrynella, which resembles a goblin straight from a children’s fairy tale.

Philippe and his team walked more than 40 km through dense jungle with 220 kg of equipment and more than 50 kg of food before reaching the summit of the tepui where weather conditions were extreme and visibility greatly reduced most of the time (the summit of the tepui being in the clouds). The end of the expedition was especially eventful since the helicopter chartered for the return almost crashed in the middle of the tropical forest and had to make an emergency landing in Brazil… It is no less than about fifteen new amphibian and reptile species that were discovered by Philippe since the beginning of his research in the area. Most of these new species have already been named and published in scientific literature.

Philippe who just finished a book on the amphibians of Kaieteur National Park, Guyana (*) is planning a two months-long expedition in these inhospitable territories, true terra incognita. He hopes to make new discoveries, which thanks to phylogenetic studies should help to learn more about the origin and the diversification of these fascinating creatures of the highlands of the Guiana Shield.

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