Stenocercus fimbriatus Western Leaf Lizard
Madre Selva Biological Station, Loreto, PeruJanuary 14, 2013
Western Leaf Lizard (Stenocercus fimbriatus)
These ground-dwelling lizards are amazingly good dead-leaf mimics, and they know it. They sit perfectly still, relying on their camouflage, unless approached very closely. Then they race off a ways and freeze once again. This one is not in full camouflage mode because I managed to catch it and get it to pose for a few moments on a small branch.

Here is a complete list of the herps I saw in the wild on my 2013 MT Amazon Expeditions trip.

Madre Selva Biological Station, Loreto, PeruJanuary 15, 2013
Western Leaf Lizard (Stenocercus fimbriatus)
Here's a more typical position, poised in the leaf litter and partly obscured by it.
Madre Selva Biological Station, Loreto, PeruJanuary 17, 2013
Western Leaf Lizard (Stenocercus fimbriatus)
Here's another that I managed to catch and pose in the open.
Madre Selva Biological Station, Loreto, PeruJanuary 15, 2014
Western Leaf Lizard (Stenocercus fimbriatus) Western Leaf Lizard (Stenocercus fimbriatus) Western Leaf Lizard (Stenocercus fimbriatus)
I had good luck with these lizards this year. I saw a number of them either before they ran off, or after they ran just a short distance and then struck a pose of "you can't see me because I am so well-camouflaged".

Here is a complete list of the herps I saw in the wild on my 2014 MT Amazon Expeditions trip.

Madre Selva Biological Station, Loreto, PeruJanuary 16, 2014
Western Leaf Lizard (Stenocercus fimbriatus)
Another nicely self-posed little camouflaged lizard.
Madre Selva Biological Station, Loreto, PeruFebruary 4, 2016
Western Leaf Lizard (Stenocercus fimbriatus) Western Leaf Lizard (Stenocercus fimbriatus) Western Leaf Lizard (Stenocercus fimbriatus)
I laughed out loud when I saw each of these two leaf lizards. (The second and third photos are of the same lizard from opposite angles.) Did they think they were hidden, sitting completely exposed on high-contrast backgrounds? They must have been pretty confident, since neither of them moved when I (and then several others) took their photos. So much for their much-vaunted camouflage.

My Travelogues and Trip Lists page includes a complete list of the herps I saw in the wild on my 2016 MT Amazon Expeditions trip.

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