The Teyukai (meaning monkey-lizard in the Tupi language from South America) is an agile arboreal reptile. Its arms are flexible and able to bend in almost any direction, allowing it to move quickly through the canopy by swinging from tree to tree in its habitat of regularly-flooded rainforests.The prehensile tail works as a fifth limb. A Teyukai can stay suspended by the tail only while manipulating food with its hands. The eponymous red eyes provide detailed color vision during the day and great nigh vision when its dark, so the Teyukai can be active at different times.Arthropods, like the Leaf-Winged Shrimpfly, are the Teyukai’s preferred food source, though it also feeds on fruits, fungi and smaller vertebrates. It can make quick work of different types of food with its oral manipulators, which remain mostly concealed when the mouth is closed.—————————————————————————————————-This is the third organism out of six that I created for a very cool ongoing project created by Tyler Rhodes ! It’s based around teaching evolution to kids in a very creative way, and I was one of the artists tasked with bringing some children doodles to life. Stay tuned for the others throughout this week! My Patreons got to see these creatures before anyone else! If you enjoy my work and would like to see sketches, step-by-step process, exclusive content and even earn a print or commission, consider supporting me on Patreon!