The Daily Croissant

These are the colorful males of the newly described species.

Germán Chávez and Diego Vásquez from the Centro de Ornitología y Biodiversidad (CORBIDI) in Peru have discovered a new colorful lizard which they named Potamites montanicola, or "mountain dweller". The new species was found in Cordillera de Vilcabamba and Apurimac river valley, the Cusco Region of Peru at altitude ranging from 1,600 to 2,100 meters.

Photo: Thor Hakonsen  

"Once seen, the fiery colors of a panther chameleon are never forgotten, and this photograph of the species is surely one of the best. Male panther chameleons are more vibrantly colored than females, and when they encounter one another males will often color-change in shows of dominance. "   Written by Michele Collet