Some color in the desert: description of a new species of Liolaemus (Iguania: Liolaemidae) from southern Peru, and its conservation status

LING HUAMANÍ-VALDERRAMA, AARÓN J. QUIROZ, ROBERTO C. GUTIÉRREZ, ALVARO J. AGUILAR-KIRIGIN, WILSON HUANCA-MAMANI, PABLO VALLADARES-FAÚNDEZ, JUAN C. CHAPARRO, ROY SANTA CRUZ, CRISTIAN S. ABDALA

Amphibian & Reptile Conservation

Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles

Lugar: Ohio; Año: 2020 vol. 14 p. 1 - 30

1083-446X

The desert of southern Peru and northern Chile is an area with a high degree of endemismin squamate reptiles. In this work, an endemic new species is described in the genus Liolaemus with arestricted geographical distribution on the western slopes of the La Caldera batholith in the Department ofArequipa, southern Peru, that inhabits the Desert province of southern Peru, between 1,800 and 2,756 masl. The new species is characterized by a unique combination of morphological and molecular charactersthat distinguish it from all other Liolaemus species, and it is included in the L. reichei clade within the L.montanus group. Evidence presented shows that the category of threat corresponds to Endangered underthe IUCN Red List criteria.