Peru: Lizard with nose extension rediscovered after more than 150 years – Anolis laevis

In 1876, the American naturalist Edward Drinker Cope described a small lizard from the montane forests of northeastern Peru. What stood out most was an unusual appendage at the tip of its snout—a feature that set it apart from most other species. Cope originally described the species under a different genus name; today it is classified as Anolis laevis, also known as the smooth anole or swordsman anole.

The species remained enigmatic: there was only a single specimen, with no illustration and no additional records. For more than 150 years, Anolis laevis was never documented again and became something of a myth of the Andean forests. Today it is clear: the lizard had never truly vanished, it had simply been overlooked.

A. laevis belongs to the genus Anolis (anoles), one of the most species-rich lizard groups in the Americas. Many of these mostly tree-dwelling species have an extendable dewlap for communication and display a remarkable diversity of adaptations to a wide variety of habitats.

From myth to confirmation: a rediscovery in stages

Between 2003 and 2018, herpetologist Pablo Venegas repeatedly conducted systematic surveys in the montane forests of northeastern Peru—exactly where A. laevis had first been found in the 19th century. Despite intensive searching, however, the species remained undetectable for years, fueling the suspicion that it might long since have gone extinct.

As early as 2008, two adult females were collected at Laguna Negra in Peru’s San Martín department. Their significance initially went unrecognized—not least because females lack a nasal appendage and are therefore difficult to assign.

Only ten years later, in 2018, did the picture change: in Posic and Nuevo Chirimoto, two adult males were discovered, whose conspicuous nasal appendage immediately drew attention. At that point, there was good reason to suspect that this might be the long-lost species A. laevis.

Researchers then compared the new finds in detail with the 19th-century holotype, which is now housed in the collection of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. Despite its age, the decisive features are still recognizable there. In particular, the small nasal appendage of the males and the dorsal crest formed by triangular scales matched the newly discovered animals exactly. Any doubts about their identity could thus be dispelled.

The scientific confirmation was ultimately provided by Fernando Ayala-Varela, Pablo Venegas, Luis García-Ayachi and Steven Poe. Their detailed redescription, which combines fieldwork, morphological analyses, and the evaluation of historical collections and literature, was published in the journal Zootaxa in January 2026.

Nasal appendage and dewlap: conspicuous differences between the sexes

A central finding of the new study is a pronounced sexual dimorphism. While the type specimen from the 19th century was a male, females were not documented for the first time until 2008. This made it clear that only the males carry the characteristic nasal appendage.

This small, flexible appendage at the tip of the snout—also referred to as a proboscis or “trunk”—makes the species almost unmistakable. It sits directly at the tip of the snout and markedly alters the animal’s silhouette.

The dewlap also plays an important role. As in many species of the genus Anolis, it is a fold of skin beneath the chin that can be extended for communication—for example during courtship or territorial behavior. In A. laevis, both sexes possess a dewlap, but with clear differences: females show a dark, almost black throat fan with white scales, whereas the males have a pinkish throat fan with a bluish margin.

Such sex-specific differences are widespread in Anolis lizards and play a central role in visual signaling and sexual selection. The new findings not only complete the outward appearance of A. laevis, but also offer insight into the communication of this previously little-known species from the Andes.

A comparison with other Anolis species with a nasal appendage—such as Anolis phyllorhinus from Brazil or Anolis proboscis from Ecuador—also shows that similar traits evolved independently. Despite their outward similarities, these species belong to different evolutionary lineages.

Earlier studies suggest that the nasal appendage within the genus Anolis evolved independently at least three times. Much suggests that A. laevis is another distinct example of this form of convergent evolution.

In addition to these striking features, the redescription highlights other traits that distinguish A. laevis from similar South American species. These include, among other things, large head scales with only a few scales between the eye and the nose, a pronounced dorsal crest, and the dewlap present in both sexes but differently colored.

How endangered is Anolis laevis?

A. laevis lives in very humid montane forests at elevations of about 1,700 to 1,990 meters. This habitat lies in the Huallaga Basin in northeastern Peru—a region that has been increasingly altered and fragmented by agriculture and settlement in recent decades.

The localities known so far are concentrated in a comparatively small area and lie only about 50 to 100 kilometers from the historical type locality. This spatial proximity suggests that the species has a very limited range and may be tied to specific ecological conditions.

Precisely such specialized habitats are especially sensitive to change. In the region, the montane forests are increasingly being cut into smaller, isolated fragments by logging, agricultural land use, and infrastructure expansion. As a result, local environmental conditions change: shade and humidity decline, populations become separated, and vulnerability to disturbances such as fires or invasive species increases. For a species with an already small range, this development can quickly become existentially threatening.

The risk of extinction is generally assessed using the system of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Species with small ranges are considered particularly at risk—especially when their habitat is being actively destroyed. With an estimated distribution area of only about 1,920 square kilometers, the authors of the study propose classifying A. laevis as Endangered. In the current Red List, however, the species is still listed as Data Deficient.

This makes further research critically important. It is entirely possible that as-yet undiscovered populations exist in neighboring valleys. Systematic field studies could help determine the actual range more precisely and serve as a basis for targeted conservation measures. Equally important is cooperation with local communities, because even relatively small changes in land use can help preserve this species’ sensitive microhabitats.

The potential of targeted fieldwork

Despite the detailed redescription, the authors make it clear that the evolutionary history of A. laevis is not yet fully understood. The species’ molecular phylogeny is currently being studied in order to clarify its exact position within the so-called heterodermus–nasofrontalis clade and to better place its evolutionary relationships.

The rediscovery of A. laevis shows how indispensable biological field research still is today. It forms the basis for recognizing, describing, and realistically assessing the conservation status of species in the first place. Without targeted surveys, many species remain invisible—even if they still exist. At the same time, field research not only enables the rediscovery of species thought lost, but also the discovery of previously unknown species and the early detection of population declines.

South Africa provides one example: there, in 2022, targeted fieldwork led to the rediscovery of the orange sandveld lizard (Nucras aurantiaca), allowing its conservation status to be reassessed. Such finds make clear how closely scientific knowledge and practical species conservation are intertwined.

For A. laevis, this process is only just beginning. Whether the species survives in the long term now depends on whether further populations are found and whether the remaining montane forests of its habitat can be effectively protected.

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Sources

• Ayala, F. (2026, February 11). Mythic Peruvian Anoles Rediscovered. Anole Annals.
  https://www.anoleannals.org/2026/02/11/mythic-peruvian-anoles-rediscovered/
• Ayala-Varela, F., Venegas, P. J., García-Ayachi, L. A. & Poe, S. (2026). Mythic lizard rediscovered: redescription of Anolis laevis Cope 1876 (Squamata: Anolidae) from recent collections in Peru. Zootaxa, 5752 (4), 516–530. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5752.4.4
• Villellas, A. (2026, February 18). Lost Peruvian lizard reappears after 150 years. Earth.com
  https://www.earth.com/news/lost-peruvian-lizard-reappears-after-150-years