| Giant Ameiva | |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Female | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Lacertila |
| Family: | Teiidae |
| Genus: | Ameiva |
| Species: | A. ameiva |
| Binomial name | |
| Ameiva ameiva (Linnaeus, 1758) |
|
| Subspecies | |
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Ameiva ameiva ameiva |
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| Synonyms | |
|
Lacerta ameiva Linnaeus, 1758 |
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The Giant Ameiva (Ameiva ameiva), also known as Green Ameiva, South American Ground Lizard, and Amazon Racerunner, is a species of lizard in the family Teiidae found in Central and South America and some Caribbean Islands.
Contents |
It is widespread in Central America and South America, including: Panama, Trinidad, Tobago, Brazil, Colombia, Surinam, French Guiana, Guyana, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina, and Paraguay. It is also found on the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, the Grenadines, Margarita, Swan Island, and Isla de la Providencia.[1] It was also once present on Saint Vincent but has since been extirpated.
It has a streamlined body and pointed head, and grows to around 45–50 cm. Both sexes are brown with irregular black spots but the male has a bright green area in the centre of his back.
They live on the forest floor, often sheltering underneath logs and in leaf litter.
The Giant Ameiva's diet consists of mainly insects, frogs, and spiders.
The female lays several clutches of eggs from March to December.
This species has been introduced into the United states.
This species is infected by a number of protist parasites including: