Added 19 April 2026.
Euspondylus is a genus of smallish lizards found in Venezuela, Ecuador and Peru.
Boulenger characterised the genus as follows: Tongue moderately elongate, arrow-headed. Lateral teeth bi- or tricuspid, Head with large regular shields; frontonasal separating the nasals; prefrontals and frontoparietals present; nostril pierced in a single (or divided) nasal. Eyelids developed, lower with a transparent disk formed of several scales. Ear exposed. Limbs well developed, pentadactyl. Dorsal scales smooth or very feebly keeled, quadrangular, juxtaposed, forming transverse series, separated from the ventrals by small scales ; ventral plates large, smooth, quadrangular, forming regular longitudinal and transverse series. A strong collar fold. Tail cylindrical. Males with femoral pores, females without.
I am unaware of any of these species having been available in the pet trade.
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E. acutirostris, Sharp-Snouted Sun Tegu |
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E. guentheri, Günther’s Sun Tegu |
E. maculatus, Spotted Sun Tegu |
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E. simonsii, Simons’ Sun Tegu |
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Scientific Name |
Common Name |
Distribution |
Size |
Notes |
Euspondylus |
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Sharp-Snouted Sun Tegu |
Venezuela |
TL approx 15.5 cm, SVL approx 5.5 cm |
Description: snout acutely pointed. Scaling apparently very similar to that of E. guentheri, but with the following differences: 19 transverse series of scales from the chin-shields to the edge of the collar; nuchal scales smaller, more hexagonal; dorsal scales feebly keeled; 42 scales from occiput to base of tail, and 27 transverse rows of ventral shields. 10-11 femoral pores on each side. Coloration: greenish brown above; a white, inferiorly black-edged, line on each side, beginning from above the eye and breaking up into spots on the hinder half of the back; sides of body brown, with a series of seven to nine very small ocelli with white centre; lower surface of head and body greenish bronze. [SOURCE: Boulenger] |
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Venezuela |
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Peru |
SVL approx 8 cm |
Diagnosis: (1) Internasal length slightly less than frontal length; (2) nasoloreal suture present or absent; (3) supraoculars four, anteriormost supraocular fused with anteriormost superciliary or not, all supraoculars separated from ciliaries by superciliaries; (4) superciliary series complete, three or four scales (exceptionally five scales), anteriormost superciliary fused with anteriormost supraocular or not; (5) supralabial subocular fusion absent; (6) postoculars three or four; (7) postparietals three; (8) supratympanic temporals three or four, usually three; (9) genials two, transverse sutures perpendicular with respect to midline of body; (10) dorsal scales subhexagonal with rounded posterior margins, juxtaposed, keeled; (11) transverse dorsal count 16-20 in both sexes; (12) longitudinal dorsal count 41-48 in both sexes; (13) longitudinal ventral count 20-22 in both sexes; (14) a lateral band of 2-3 rows of tiny scales, dorsal scales above this band reduced in size; (15) femoral pores in males 7-9, in females 6 9; 6 scales between femoral pores; (16) subdigital scales on 4th finger 15-18, on 4,h toe 22-24; (17) limbs overlapping when adpressed against body in adults (by a distance equal to 10-13 dorsal scale rows ); ( 18) anterior preanal plate scales paired; (19) hemipenis morphology unknown; (20) dorsum uniform blackish olive brown; small lateral ocelli absent; ventral surfaces blackish olive brown; (21) lower palpebral disc an unsectioned oval; (22) prefrontals usually present. [SOURCE: Köhler 2003] |
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Peru |
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Günther’s Sun Tegu |
Ecuador, poss. Peru |
TL approx 25 cm, SVL approx 9.5 cm |
Description: head not distinct from neck, body slender and elongate. Frontonasal longer than broad; interparietal large, longer than parietals, hexagonal; parietals forming an oblique suture with a large supratemporal; a pair of large occipitals; four supraorbitals, anterior smallest; loreal large, no frenoorbital; a series of large infraorbitals; temples with large shields; 7 upper and 6 lower labials; chin-shields, one anterior and four pairs, the two first pairs forming a suture; gular scales large, quadrangular, forming regular transverse series, largest anteriorly; collar-shields eight; 11 transverse series of scales from the chin-shields to the edge of the collar. Dorsal scales large, regular, perfectly smooth, elongate quadrangular, as long as, but narrower than the ventrals; lateral scales very small, suboval; 35 scales round the middle of the body, including ventrals, and 32 from occiput to sacrum inclusively. Ventral plates in ten or twelve longitudinal and twenty-one transverse series. Two large anterior and five narrow posterior preanals. Limbs with large smooth shields; digits elongate. Male with 8 preanal pores on each side. Caudal scales like those of the body. Coloration: pale brown above, with eight transverse black bars on the neck and back, some of which are broken up; similar bars and spots on the tail head above with round black spots; lower surfaces yellowish white, with roundish dark-brown spots, largest on the labial region. [SOURCE: Boulenger] |
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Spotted Sun Tegu |
S Ecuador, Peru |
TL 13.5 cm, SVL 5.5 cm |
Description: head depressed, moderately large; body moderately elongate. The ordinary head-shields *; parietals short, broad, interparietal narrow; four oocipitals; four supraorbitals, anterior smallest; a loreal and a frenoorbital; a row of extremely small infraorbitals; temporal shields large; seven upper and six lower labials; chin-shields, one anterior and four pairs, the two first forming a suture; gular scales subquadrangular, three transverse rows in front of the collar largest; collar-shields 9. Dorsal scales quadrangular, slightly rounded posteriorly, about twice as long as broad, straight, slightly keeled on the posterior part of the body; lateral scales very small, subquadrangular; 40 scales round the middle of the body, including ventrals, and 35 from occiput to sacrum inclusively. Ventrals larger than dorsals, more equilateral, in 10 longitudinal and 22 transverse series. Preanal shields in two rows, anterior composed of two large shields, posterior containing five narrower ones. Limbs with the normal scaling. Digits rather elongate. Male with six femoral pores on each side. Caudal scales quadrangular, forming regular annuli, upper narrower and slightly keeled. Coloration: olive above, with small black spots; a black lateral streak, commencing from the eye, becoming indistinct on the hind part of the body; lips black-spotted; lower surfaces whitish, with indistinct small dark spots. [SOURCE: Boulenger] |
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NE Venezuela |
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Peru |
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Peru |
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Simons’ Sun Tegu |
Peru |
TL approx 11 cm, SVL approx 5 cm |
Description: very closely allied to E. maculatus, Tschudi. Distinguished by the more slender form, the undivided transparent disk of the lower eyelid, the distinctly striated dorsal scales, and by the proportions and dispositions of some of the head-shields, Interparietal much larger than the frontal, in contact with an azygous occipital; third pair of chin-shields widely separated from each other. 34 scales round the middle of the body, 36 from occiput to base of tail. Coloration: brownish above, whitish beneath, dotted with greyish; a dark streak on each side of the head and neck; a dark, light-edged, festooned band along each side of the tail. [SOURCE: Boulenger 1901] |
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“Two new species of Euspondylus (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae) from Peru”, Günther Köhler, Salamandra 39(1), 2003. Gives details for E. caideni and E. (now Wilsonosaura) josyi.