The missing leopard lizard: Liolaemus ubaghsi sp. nov., a new species of the leopardinus clade (Reptilia: Squamata: Liolaemidae) from the Andes of the O’Higgins Region in Chile

Abstract

Liolaemus is an extremely species rich genus of iguanid lizards from southern South America. Most of the diversity though is found in the Andes Cordillera, between Argentina and Chile<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3619.1.3">. Here we describe </a>Liolaemus ubaghsi sp. nov., from El Teniente Mine, in the Andean mountains of the O'Higgins Region in Chile. This species pr<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10635150701701083">esents scalation </a>and pattern traits that belong to the leopardinus clade, a group of viviparous, high altitude lizards that inhabit the mountain ranges surrounding Santiago City. The species of this clade in turn belong to the Andean and Patagonian elongatus-kriegi complex. Liolaemus ubaghsi sp. nov. has been previously recognized as L. leopardinus and L. elongatus, nevertheless we present diagnostic traits that allow us to describe it as a new species. It mainly differs from the rest of the leopardinus clade (L. leopardinus, L. ramonensis, L. valdesianus and L. frassinettii) by having the following unique combination of traits: ochre background coloration, a wide dark occipital stripe, dark flanks, white dots dispersed on the dorsum, absence of leopard-like spots and enlarged infralabial scales.

Two new Liolaemus lizards from the Andean highlands of Southern Chile (Squamata, Iguania, Liolaemidae)

“…Recent expeditions to seldom explored highlands and the revision of the taxonomic status of some populations has led to the description of several new species (Escobar-Huerta et al 2015, Esquerré et al 2013, 2014, Núñez 2007, Troncoso-Palacios et al 2015). In fact, it has been thought that Chilean species of the Liolaemus elongatus-kriegi complex have a small distribution in central Chile (Morando et al 2003), but currently it is known that this group of lizards is widely distributed in central and southern Chile, and it is also probable that some populations under study could be described as new species in the future (Troncoso-Palacios unpublished data).…”

“…Laurent 1985, Schulte et al 2000), distributed mainly in Chile and Argentina (Abdala and Quinteros 2014). Recently, the exploration of volcanoes and rarely visited highlands in central and southern Chile has led to the discovery and description of several new species of lizards (Escobar-Huerta et al 2015, Esquerré et al 2013, 2014, Troncoso-Palacios et al 2015, 2016), most of them belonging to the Liolaemus elongatus-kriegi complex of the Liolaemus subgenus. This complex consists of four clades: the punmahuida , petrophilus , kriegi and elongatus groups (Avila et al 2004, 2012, Morando et al 2003).…”

A new species of Liolaemus related to L. nigroviridis from the Andean highlands of Central Chile (Iguania, Liolaemidae)

“…As our work, five species ( Liolaemus antumalguen , Liolaemus burmeisteri , Liolaemus cyaneinotatus , Liolaemus lonquimayensis and Liolaemus ubaghsi ) have been described with only Cyt-b data, and one species has been described with two mtDNA genes ( Liolaemus crandalli ). However, DNA data from all these have not been shared in GenBank or other online databases (Avila et al 2010, 2012, 2015, Escobar-Huerta et al 2015, Esquerré et al 2014, Martínez et al 2011) which does not allow the replication of the provided phylogenies or genetic distances. Two described species (Quinteros 2012, Troncoso-Palacios et al 2015a), Liolaemus abdalai and Liolaemus zabalai , are supported in regards to DNA features by previously published phylogenetic works.…”

Two new species of the Liolaemus elongatus-kriegi complex (Iguania, Liolaemidae) from Andean highlands of southern Chile

“…Later, Avila et al (2010a) based on one mitochondrial locus, added a fourth clade: the punmahuida clade. Finally, Esquerré et al (2014) added a fifth clade comprising only Chilean endemic species: the leopardinus clade. An alternative classification has been proposed by Lobo (2005) and updated by Lobo et al (2010b), based mainly on morphological and lifestyle traits, which classifies these species in three groups: elongatus (which includes the capillitas subgroup), kriegi and leopardinus , with a different arrangement compared with the molecular hypothesis (Table 1 and Table 2).…”

“…Currently, the elongatus - kriegi complex (Avila et al 2012, Esquerré et al 2014, Morando et al 2003) or elongatus , kriegi and leopardinus groups (Lobo 2005, Lobo et al 2010b) includes the following species: Liolaemus antumalguen Avila et al, 2010, Liolaemus austromendocinus Cei, 1974, Liolaemus buergeri Werner 1907, Liolaemus burmeisteri Avila et al 2012, Liolaemus carlosgarini Esquerré et al 2013, Liolaemus capillitas Hulse, 1979, Liolaemus choique Abdala et al 2010, Liolaemus cristiani Núñez et al 1991, Liolaemus dicktracyi Espinoza & Lobo, 2003, Liolaemus elongatus Koslowsky, 1896, Liolaemus flavipiceus Cei & Videla, 2003, Liolaemus frassinettii Núñez, 2007, Liolaemus gununakuna Avila et al 2004, Liolaemus heliodermis Espinoza et al 2000, Liolaemus kriegi Müller & Hellmich, 1939, Liolaemus leopardinus Müller & Hellmich, 1932, Liolaemus parvus Quinteros et al 2008, Liolaemus petrophilus Donoso-Barros & Cei, 1971, Liolaemus punmahuida Avila et al 2003, Liolaemus ramonensis Müller & Hellmich, 1932, Liolaemus shitan Abdala et al 2010, Liolaemus smaug Abdala et al 2010, Liolaemus talampaya Avila et al 2004, Liolaemus thermarum...…”