Giant(Green) Ameiva

[Ceratodromeus]

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Lacertilia
Family: Teiidae
Genus: Ameiva
Species: A. ameiva

Description: The Green ameiva is a mid-sized teiid ranging from 120-190mm(4.7-7.4in) SVL in adult animals.{1} Males are substantially larger then the females, and have proportionately larger heads at similar sizes. Males are also distinguished from the females by the fact that they possess large jowls. Standard coloration Is a white with various black speckling(varies from individual to individual), with some tan coloration running from the nape of the neck to mid-body. Shades of green and even blue can be found on some individuals, typically running from mid-body to the vent.

Geographic range: This is a relatively wide-ranging species of lizard, being found throughout Brazil and up into Central America.



Autotomy: Despite its size, this lizard has its fair share of predators such as coral snakes and brown nosed coatis (see below). Like alot of lizards, the Green ameiva can 'cast off' its tail if it feels threatened, providing an ample distraction so the lizard can flee.{2}


Brown nosed coati predation on Green ameiva 

Dietary habits: As large as these lizards are, they can take just about anything they can fit in their jaws and subdue. Prey generally consists of invertebrates(e.g. Grasshoppers, beetles, various insect larvae),But some populations are known to regularly predate on small vertebrates. Anurans, lizards, and even one instance of a fish were noted as prey animals for this ameiva.{3}.There also exists this attempted predation on an amphisbaenian (see screenshot below)


Reproduction: Males reach sexual maturity at 99mm(3.8in) SVL and females reach sexual maturity at 102mm(4in) SVL{4}.Mating occurs for most of the year,with Reproductive females being found primarily October- March, With the eggs being laid in the corresponding months. Like alot of reptiles, Clutch size varies with the size of the female. Anywhere from 1 to 11 eggs can be laid. When the young hatch, they typically measure 40mm(1.57in).{1}


References:
{1}Vitt, Laurie J., and Guarino R. Colli. "Geographical ecology of a neotropical lizard: Ameiva ameiva (Teiidae) in Brazil." Canadian journal of zoology 72.11 (1994): 1986-2008.
{2} Vitt, Laurie J. "Tail loss in lizards: the significance of foraging and predator escape modes." Herpetologica (1983): 151-162.
{3}Sales, Raul FD, Leonardo B. Ribeiro, and Eliza MX Freire. "Feeding ecology of Ameiva ameiva in a caatinga area of northeastern Brazil." The Herpetological Journal 21.3 (2011): 199-207.
{4}Vitt, Laurie J. "Reproductive tactics of Ameiva ameiva (Lacertilia: Teiidae) in a seasonally fluctuating tropical habitat." Canadian Journal of Zoology 60.12 (1982): 3113-3120.

[Ceratodromeus]

Predation on a Tropidurus nest(from the September edition of the Herpetological review)

"Ameiva ameiva is a teiid lizard occurring in edges, forest
clearings and anthropic areas from Panama and the Caribbean
islands to south-central Brazil (Vitt and Colli 1994. Can. J. Zool.
72:1986–2008). It is an active forager, consuming mainly insects,
but other arthropods, leaves and animal eggs have also been reported
in the diet (Silva et al. 2003. Bol. Mus. Biol. Mello Leitão.
N. Sér. 15:5–15). Herein we report three observations of Ameiva
ameiva feeding on the eggs of Peters’ Lava Lizard, Tropidurus
hispidus.

The observations occurred along a forest border area called
Parque Estadual Dois Irmãos (8.002665°S, 34.942679°W; WGS
84), an Atlantic Forest conservation area in the municipality of
Recife, Pernambuco, northeastern Brazil. At 0930 h on 25 November
2015, we observed a female A. ameiva (approximate total
length = 17 cm) excavating the subterranean nest of a T. hispidus.
The Ameiva grasped one egg (1.21 cm long) from the hole, but
fled when a T. hispidus female approached rapidly and chased
the Ameiva. The Tropidurus then re-buried the eggs. At 1057 h
again at 1106 h, the same A. ameiva individual (identified due to
its unique tail) returned to the nest, excavated it, and removed
two more eggs, one at a time, each time moving about 40 cm
from the nest with the egg in its mouth (Fig. 1). The Ameiva ingested
the last two eggs in 46 and 61 s, respectively. The ingestion of eggs by teiid lizards has been reported in Salvator
merianae (Gonçalves et al. 2007. Rev. Bras. Zool. 24:1063–
1070) and in A. ameiva, where traces of unidentified eggs in female’s
stomach were registered (Silva et al. 2003. Biol. Bull. Mus.
Mello Leitão [N. Sér] 15:5–15). Ameiva ameiva also preys upon
turtle eggs (Moll and Legler 1971. Bull Los Angeles Co. Mus. Nat.
Hist. Sci. 11:1–12). However, our observations are apparently the
first record of A. ameiva feeding on lizard eggs.
Saurophagy, in general, has been documented for A. ameiva,
including on young Tropidurus torquatus (Rocha and Vrcibradic
1998. Science and Culture 50:364–368). Although the ingestion of
eggs may be related to the competition between the syntopic A.
ameiva and T. hispidus, it is more likely that the eggs of T. hispidus
provide a high nutrient dietary source that is relatively common.
Images of the events and T. hispidus eggs were deposited in
the Herpetological Collection of Universidade Federal Rural de
Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil (CHPUFRPE 4412). We
thank the management at Parque Estadual de Dois Irmãos for the
authorization and license to conduct the research, and Fundação
de Amparo a Ciència e Tecnologia do Estado de Pernambuco - FACEPE
for the scholarship granted to the first author of this article
and also ICMBio for license number 11218-1."