[3] It is a small, ornamented lizard that grows up to 157 mm (0.5 ft) long and have very high vertebral crests along their backs.

Amazon broad-headed wood lizards rely on rapid running to move around; however, they spend the vast majority of their time motionless, blending into the rainforest background (branches, palm fronds), and ambushing prey.

[8][9][10] The Amazon broad-headed wood lizard was reported by the French naturalist Alphonse Guichenot in literature in 1855 after his expedition in central parts of South American during the years 1843 to 1847.

The crest is conspicuously high and well developed on the nape (the back of the neck) but low on the dorsal half of the body.

It has a typical Enyalioides lizard four-sided pyramidal head shape, with two ridges formed by the projecting supraciliaris (area above the eye/eyebrows).

[13]  The width of the head is approximately 0.7-0.9 times the length, also being proportionally wide, which is where it gets the name “broad-headed wood lizard”.

Therefore, dorsal scales of the Amazon broad-headed wood lizard varies from dull green to tan to brown, frequently with some blueish area; ventral scales varies from white to cream to tan; while gular region (the ventral throat region, which is relatively inconspicuous for Enyalioids) in males can be dark brown or black.

[15]  The patterns could also be chevrons (V- or inverted V-shaped), with alternating lighter and darker color, superimposed on a dorsal longitudinal series of large, oval, and light areas.

Juvenile males can have a pattern of convergent brown lines running towards, but not reaching, the mental (chin) of the lizard.

[12]  Therefore, several species of wood lizard exist with similar sizes, appearances, behavior and habitats in the Amazonian basin.

The lizard is found to adopt a horizontal position at night time and hug thin sticks during sleep.

[17] The Amazon broad-headed wood lizards are sunlight-loving, diurnal (active during the day) and omnivores (eat both plants and animals).

When threatened, the lizard may stay motionless, flee or attempt a threat display, inflating its gular pouch (the ventral throat region), which would reveal its darker scales (red or black) patches, displaying its impressive jaws and teeth, although attempt was rarely made to bite.

[1] The Amazon broad-headed wood lizard is more adaptable, and not undergoing population declines nor facing major immediate threats of extinction, attributable to their dwarf size, quick running, broad range of inhabitants, and distribution in protected areas.