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| Liolaemus misti Santa-Cruz, Canazas-Terán, Bejarano, López, Morales, von May, Catenazzi & Aguilar- Puntriano, 2025 Salamandra. 61(2); |
Abstract
We describe a new species of Liolaemus lizard from southwestern Peru, within the volcanic chain represented by the Chachani, Misti and Pichu Pichu volcanoes that surround the city of Arequipa. Te type locality is Simbral, in the district of Chiguata, Department of Arequipa. Te diagnostic characters of the new species include small size (SVL < 50 mm), a pigmented subocular scale, vertebral line generally absent or highly fragmented (when present), scales smooth or slightly keeled on the dorsal side of thighs, partial or total ventral melanism, and absence of precloacal pores in males and females. Te elevational distribution of the new species is 4135–5400 m a.s.l., with the upper limit representing the highest altitude record for a living squamate.
Key words. Andes, high elevation, lizard, systematics, taxonomy.
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| Adult male holotype of Liolaemus misti sp. n. in life (MUSA 5708), SVL 49.1 mm, TL 55.0* mm. (A) Dorsolateral, (B) ventral, (C) lateral head, (D) dorsal, and (E) absent precloacal pores. [* = Regenerated or broken tail.] |
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| Adult female paratype of Liolaemus misti sp. n. in life (MUSA 5709), SVL 45.5 mm, TL 45.2* mm. (A) Dorsolateral, (B) ventral, (C) lateral head, (D) dorsal, and (E) absent precloacal pores. [* = Regenerated or broken tail.] |
Liolaemus misti sp. n.
Diagnosis: We assign Liolaemus misti sp. n. to the L. walkeri clade, lizards with throat or belly melanistic or with spots in males (Aguilar et al. 2013), small and slender (49.3 mm maximum SVL). Males of L. misti sp. n. differ from L. chavin and L. wari by their smaller size (less than 50 mm SVL vs 51.7–59.3 mm and 51.5–60.8 mm, respectively). Liolaemus misti sp. n. difers from L. tacnae by a lower number of midbody scales and dorsal scales (40–50 vs 48–59, 43–55 vs 53– 61, respectively). Te subocular scale and loreal scales are strongly pigmented in L. misti sp. n. whereas in L. walkeri these scales are lighter (Fig. 7). Te lateral felds in L. misti sp. n. have scattered black and white scales forming spots (males) or scattered black and brown scales (females), which are absent in L. pachacutec. Paravertebral marks appear as black complete marks or as fragmented lines (more noticeable when parallel to the dorsolateral stripe) in L. misti sp. n. (Figs 8A–9A), but they are absent or fuzzy in L. pachacutec; L. tacnae has paravertebral markings as black dots perpendicular to the dorsolateral stripe, with light scales behind the black scales (Figs 8C–9C). Te vertebral line is generally absent or highly fragmented in L. misti sp. n., but it is well diferentiated in L. chavin, L. pacachutec, L. walkeri, and L. wari. Liolaemus tacnae has keeled scales on the dorsal side of thighs, which are absent in L. misti sp. n. (Fig. 10). Liolaemus misti sp. n. also difers from L. pachacutec, L. walkeri, and L. wari in males lacking precloacal pores.
In Peru, three species of the L. alticolor-bribonii group have been confused with species of the L. walkeri clade: L. alticolor from Puno, L. chungara from Tacna, and L. incaicus from Cusco (Aguilar et al. 2013, Lobo et al. 2007, Quinteros et al. 2014, Valladares et al. 2021). Here we report key morphological diferences between these species and L. misti sp. n. Liolaemus misti sp. n. has 49–58 scales around the body, more than L. incaicus (34–46). Liolaemus misti sp. n. lacks keeled temporal scales which are present in L. chungara, L. incaicus (weakly keeled), and L. alticolor (markedly keeled). Dorsal scales in L. misti sp. n. are keeled and without a mucron, whereas a mucron is present in L. chungara. Liolaemus misti sp. n. has partial or total ventral melanism, which is absent in L. alticolor and L. incaicus. Liolaemus misti sp. n. lacks precloacal pores in males and females, which are present in some or all females of L. incaicus, and present in males of L. alticolor, L. chungara and L. incaicus.
Etymology: The scientifc epithet “misti” refers to the volcano Misti, in Quechua language means “a white man” referred to the snow or white blanket that covers the volcano, one of the greatest symbols and the most striking element of the landscape of the city of Arequipa. Misti is the most distinctive volcano of the three that surround the city, along with Chachani and Pichu Pichu. Arequipans say: “not in vain is one born at the foot of a volcano”, the presence of the Misti greatly infuences the noble spirit of its inhabitants.
Roy Santa-Cruz, Amaranta Canazas-Terán, Renato Bejarano, Evaristo López,Alberto Morales, Rudolf von May, Alessandro Catenazzi and César Aguilar-Puntriano. 2025. A New Species of the Liolaemus walkeri clade (Squamata: Liolaemidae) in the volcanic chain of Arequipa, Peru. Salamandra. 61(2); 115-131.
