''Enyalioides altotambo'', the Alto Tambo woodlizard, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of lizards in the family

Hoplocercidae Hoplocercidae are a family of lizards native to the tropical forests, woodlands and savanna-like habitats of Central and South America. Alternatively they are recognized as a subfamily, Hoplocercinae. 20 species in three genera are described. Sp ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

to the tropical northwestern

Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...

in Ecuador. It is named after its type locality, Alto Tambo in the

Esmeraldas Province Esmeraldas () is a province in northwestern Ecuador. The capital is Esmeraldas. The province is home to the Afro-Ecuadorian culture. Demographics Ethnic groups as of the Ecuadorian census of 2010: * Mestizo 44.7% * Afro-Ecuadorian 43.9% ...

. It differs from its congeneric species by possessing smooth and homogeneous (size) dorsal scales, a brown

iris Iris most often refers to: *Iris (anatomy), part of the eye *Iris (mythology), a Greek goddess * ''Iris'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants * Iris (color), an ambiguous color term Iris or IRIS may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional ent ...

, and lacking circular and keeled scales on its flanks.

References

Enyalioides Lizards of South America Reptiles of Ecuador Endemic fauna of Ecuador Reptiles described in 2015 Taxa named by Omar Torres-Carvajal Taxa named by Pablo J. Venegas Taxa named by Kevin de Queiroz {{lizard-stub