Una nueva especie de Liolaemus del grupo alticolor (Iguania: Liolaemidae) de la puna salteña, Argentina.

MARTINEZ OLIVER, M. I. & F. LOBO

CUADERNOS DE HERPETOLOGíA

Asociación Herpetológica Argentina

Lugar: San Miguel de Tucumán; Año: 2002 p. 47 - 64

0326-551X

This paper describes a new Liolaemus species of the alticolor group. Populations of Lioalemus yanalcu n. sp. are distributed around the Nevado del Acay over an estimated area of 400 km2, from 3730 to 4305 m above sea level. Eighty two characters including squamation, coloration patterns, skin foldings, precloacal pores, in-life coloration and reproductive mode were studied. This information was used for making comparions with other members of the group. The new species is characterized by having body coloration from dark brown to black, dark lateral field with almost inconspicuous markings, absence of paravertebral markings, vertebral line often presenet (in males) sometimes broken, fine and dense spotted pattern on ventral surface of tail, among other characters. In this species10% of females exhibit precloacal pores (character observed only in L. bitaeniatus, 41% and L. ramirezae, 94%). Phenetically, the closest specuies to the new one is L ramirezae which inhabits a lower altitudinal range (2820-3200 m). Lioalemus yanalcu n. sp is oviparous, and the only oviparous species of Liolaemus living at such high elevation (3800-4300m). This lizard lives sintopically with L. albiceps and L. poecilochromus (darwinii and andinus groups respectively) in surrounding areas of the Nevado del Acay and with L. irregularis near San Antonio de los Cobres.