CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

We examined specimens of Phymaturus from four locations in central Chile, between 34º50´S and 36º00´S (from Termas del Flaco and from Lircay and its surroundings), where the only recognized species is P. maulense. We found several differences in the scalation and in the color pattern among them. The samples from Lircay and its surroundings correspond to topotypes of P. maulense and two more populations assignable to this species (Termas del Campanario and Laguna del Maule, new records), but the specimens from Termas del Flaco are a new species: P. damasense. It is characterized by: dorsal pattern of the male formed by a thin reticulation over greenish background color with yellowish-brown tail, subocular scale fragmented in three or four scales, scales in the anterior border of the auditory meatus are projected posteriorly, females have dark bars on the flanks (formed by small spots), enlarged scales in the center of the gular fold and may have precloacar pores. Also, we call attention to some Chilean populations of the genus Phymaturus referred in the literature which need to be assigned.