Image and text by William W. Lamar.

The Common Thornytail (Uracentron flaviceps), pictured here in Amazonian Peru, is a canopy-dwelling tropidurid lizard that is found in the Amazon basin and is one of only two species in the genus. Thornytails live in family groups that occupy hollows in living trees and individuals forage for ants on tree trunks by day. Adult males (see cover image) develop a salmon color on the head and anterior portion of the body during breeding season. Thorny tails are now easily viewed by people from canopy walks that have been constructed by the ecotourism industry.