Biologists Seek Purpose of 'Pinocchio' Lizard's Nose

Scientists can't vouch for whether or not it lies like a rug, but they do think they've extended their knowledge about the horned anole lizard (Anolis proboscis) -- a.k.a., the "pinocchio lizard."

The reptile came by its fictionally famous nickname thanks to its lengthy schnoz, whose exact purpose continues to puzzle researchers and only occurs in males of the species.

Previous researchers of the creature have speculated that the long nose might serve as a weapon of some kind when males interacted with each other. But a research team led by Ignacio Moore, an associate professor of biological sciences at Virginia Tech, says the nose appears to be used for social interactions between males and between males and females.

The pinocchio lizard, once thought extinct for half of a century, until it was rediscovered in Ecuador in 2005, is found only in the cloud forests of Ecuador, making its living atop tall trees.

Moore, Omar Torres-Carvajal, a faculty member at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador in Quito, and Torres-Carvajal's undergraduate student Diego Quirola, climbed up into the lizards' world and captured a few dozen individuals for study.

The lizards were housed in outdoor facilities designed to make them feel right at home, and from there the researchers dialed in on their subjects (which, they note, were returned to their exact forest homes within a few days).

The nose, in their observations, turned out to be a non-violent appendage after all.

"We were able to observe and videotape 11 copulations and two male-male combat scenarios," said Quirola in a statement. "The nasal appendage was not used as a weapon in these interactions but was used as part of the social displays. The appendage is lifted during the social interactions although what role this specific movement plays is unclear."

The researchers say they want to learn more about the evolution of the lizard's distinctive feature. They note that it is found in just two other species among the almost-400 that comprise the anoles.

"Do males with larger appendages dominate those with smaller ones? Do females prefer males with larger appendages? Did the appendix evolve under sexual selection? We hope to get some answers," said Torres-Carvajal.

Read more at Discovery News