'Extinct' Pinocchio Lizard Sighted in Northwest Ecuador

[n2doc]

After 50 years of believed extinction, the Pinocchio lizard has been confirmed living in the forests of northwest Ecuador.

First discovered in 1953, the lizard was only sighted on a handful of occasions during the next 15 years, according to Destination Ecuador. In 2005, a group of birdwatchers reported one crossing a road and just five years later an expedition led by Jonathan Losos, a herpetologist from Harvard, discovered the lizard.

The most recent search, conducted by ecotourism company Tropical Herping over the course of three years, found the lizard in northwest Ecuador in Mindo.

Named for a long protuberance growing out of its snout, the lizard is adept at camouflaging -- so adept that it remain hidden from human eyes for decades.

For this reason, the most recent team of researchers took to searching at night when the lizard turns a pale, whitish color.

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http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/4350/20131007/extinct-pinocchio-lizard-sighted-northwest-ecuador-video.htm