The four-toed amapasaurus (''Amapasaurus tetradactylus'') is a

lizard Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia alt ...

that was discovered in 1970 by Osvaldo Rodrigues da Cunha. It is the only species in the genus ''Amapasaurus''.

Geographic range

This species is found in

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

and

Guyana Guyana ( or ), officially the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern mainland of South America. Guyana is an indigenous word which means "Land of Many Waters". The capital city is Georgetown. Guyana is bordered by the ...

Description

It has small atrophied legs. It is very similar to the genus ''

Leposoma ''Leposoma'' is a genus of South American lizards in the family Gymnophthalmidae. Species The following six species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of bio ...

'', except for the number of fingers. ''Amapasaurus tetradactylus'' has four digits, and the lizards of the genus ''Leposoma'' have five.

Habitat and behavior

It lives on the forest floor and is diurnal.

Reproduction

''Amapasaurus tetradactylus'' is

oviparous Oviparous animals are animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive method of most fish, amphibians, most reptiles, and all pterosaurs, dinosaurs (including birds), and ...

References

External links

Factsheet from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany.List of publishings, mentioning Cunha's article
*Journal Article: Cunha, Osvaldo Rodrigues da. 1970. Lacertilios da Amazonia IV - Um nôvo gênero e espécie de lagarto do território federal do Amapá (Lacertilia-Teiidae) Boletim do Museu Paraense Emilio Goeldi 74:1-8 Reptiles of Brazil Reptiles of Guyana Gymnophthalmidae Reptiles described in 1970 Taxa named by Osvaldo Rodrigues da Cunha {{Gymnophthalmidae-stub