An unknown species of lizard has been discovered in a Peruvian jungle reserve.
It was named in honor of Paul Bruce Dickinson, singer of the British heavy metal group Iron Maiden, the National Service for Protected Natural Areas (Sernanp) announced on Friday, without specifying whether the scientists behind the discovery are among them fans of metal music.
The specimen “Enyalioides dickinsoni”, scientific name of the reptile, was discovered at the same time as another new species, the “Enyalioides cyanocephalus”, in the humid forests of the Cordillera de Colan, Amazonian region of northeastern Peru .
These new species of lagartijas are discovered in the Cordillera de Colán in #Amazonas.
🦎🦎
✅The study also revealed that the herpetological exploration of the Andes of northern Peru allowed it to discover 35 species of gardens.
🗞️ https://t.co/SAZUUB57aP
📸 Pablo Venegas pic.twitter.com/lGOANsHWoI
— SERNANP (@SERNANP) February 7, 2024
Enyalioides dickinsoni is distinguished by its orange head, green body and short legs.
The two species were recently discovered in a study carried out by American experts from the Rainforest Partnership, the Peruvian Institute of Herpetology and the Zoology Museum of the School of Biological Sciences of the Catholic University of Ecuador.
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The Cordillera de Colan National Sanctuary, in the department of Amazonas, covers an area of 39,215 ha and is home to 470 species of birds and some 70 species of mammals.
Bruce Dickinson, 65, is the singer of the group Iron Maiden founded in 1975 in London, considered one of the most important and representative of the genre.
Iron Maiden has legions of fans around the world, particularly in Peru where it has already performed.