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Tropidurus melanopleurus BOULENGER, 1902

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Higher TaxaTropiduridae, Iguania, Sauria, Squamata (lizards)
SubspeciesTropidurus melanopleurus melanopleurus BOULENGER 1902
Tropidurus melanopleurus pictus MÜLLER 1924 
Common NamesE: Black Lava Lizard
G: Schwarzer Anden-Kielschwanzleguan 
SynonymTropidurus melanopleurus BOULENGER 1902: 399
Tropidurus praeornatus MÜLLER 1924: 83
Tropidurus melanopleurus — PETERS et al. 1970: 266
Tropidurus praeornatus — MEIER 1982
Tropidurus melanopleurus — CEI 1993
Tropidurus melanopleurus — DIRKSEN & DE LA RIVA 1999
Tropidurus melanopleurus — SALLES et al. 2025

Tropidurus melanopleurus pictus MÜLLER 1924
Tropidurus pictus MÜLLER 1924: 86
Tropidurus pictus — MEIER 1982
Tropidurus melanopleurus pictus — LAURENT 1982
Tropidurus melanopleurus pictus — HARVEY 1998 
DistributionS Peru, Bolivia (Beni, La Paz, Chuquisaca, Santz Cruz, Tarija), Argentina (Salta)

melanopleurus: Bolivia, La Paz

pictus: S-Bolivia, adjacent Argentina; Type locality: “Gebiet des oberen Pilcomayo, zwischen Tarija und S. Francisco, Bolivien”. Lat -21.6833, Long -65.3000.

Type locality: Tamampoya, Bolivia, elevation 1200 m. Lat -16.2876, Long -67.2579  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesType: BMNH 1946.8.29.66-67 (and possibly additional specimens).
Holotype: ZMB 26413 [pictus]
Syntypes: 2MB 23497, Type locality: “oberer Pilcomayo, zwischen Tarija und S. Francisco, Bolivien”, paratype: ZFMK 95273 [Tropidurus praeornatus] 
DiagnosisUnfortunately we had to temporarily remove additional information as this was scraped by multiple AI companies who sell that data. These details, e.g. detailed descriptions are available for collaborators and contributors. We will relaease that material sometime next year. Please contact us if you need any of this data earlier than that. 
CommentSubspecies: Two subspecies according to LAURENT 1982. Shows dramatic sexual dimorphism, especially in adult specimens.

Habitat: rocks

Distribution: for a map (1 locality) see Salles et al. 2025: Fig. 1. 
EtymologyNamed after Greek melanos (μέλανος), black + Greek pleura (πλευρά), sides or side (of a person or animal). [“...sides of head and body black...”]. (from Esteban Lavilla, pers. comm., May 2024)

T. m. pictus was named after Latin pictus, painted; colored; decorated. 
References
  • AVILA, LUCIANO JAVIER; LORENA ELIZABETH MARTINEZ & MARIANA MORANDO 2013. Checklist of lizards and amphisbaenians of Argentina: an update. Zootaxa 3616 (3): 201–238 - get paper here
  • Boulenger, George A. 1902. Descriptions of new batrachians and reptiles from the Andes of Peru and Bolivia [Elaps regularis not assigned]. Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (7) 10 (59): 394-402 - get paper here
  • Carvalho, ANDRÉ LUIZ GOMES DE 2013. On the distribution and conservation of the South American lizard genus Tropidurus Wied-Neuwied, 1825 (Squamata: Tropiduridae). Zootaxa 3640 (1): 042–056 - get paper here
  • Cei, J.M. 2003. SPECIFIC SUPRAOCULAR SCUTELLATION PATTERNS AS SIGNIFICANT DIAGNOSTIC CHARACTERS: A TAXONOMIC INTER- AND INTRAGENERIC "FINGER-PRINT" IN LACERTILIA. Facena 19: 129-135 - get paper here
  • Dirksen, L. & De la Riva, I. 1999. The lizards and amphisbaenians of Bolivia (Reptilia, Squamata): checklist, localities, and bibliography. Graellsia 55: 199-215 - get paper here
  • Eversole, C. B., Powell, R. L., Rivas, L. R., & Lizarro, D. E. 2024. Reptile Biodiversity and Vulnerability in Bolivia’s Beni Department: Informing Conservation Priorities in a Neglected Frontier. Diversity, 16(6), 335 - get paper here
  • Gómez-Murillo, Pedro; Oliver Quinteros-Muñoz, Enrique Domic, Teresa Camacho-Badani, Romeo Rojas-Estrada, Irene Arellano-Martín, Rodrigo Aguayo, Lucindo Gonzales, Luis F. Esqueda, Carlos Urdiales Alonso, Dennis E. Lizarro (†), Edson Cortez, Mauricio O 2025. Catalogue of the reptiles (Reptilia) of Bolivia: checklist, distribution and literature. Cuadernos de Herpetología 39(S1):2-185 - get paper here
  • HARVEY, Michael B. & RONALD L. GUTBERLET JR 2000. A phylogenetic analysis of the tropidurine lizards (Squamata: Tropiduridae), including new characters of squamation and epidermal microstructure. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 128: 189–233. - get paper here
  • Laurent R F 1982. Variación y dimorfismo sexual en el complejo Tropidurus melanopleurus pictus (|Iguanidae). Act. 8th Congr. Latinoam. Zool. 1: 621-623
  • Meier,H. 1982. Zwei seltene Tropidurus-Arten aus Bolivien [T. pictus, T. praeornatus]. Herpetofauna 4 (19): 10-12 - get paper here
  • Müller, L. 1924. Ueber neue oder seltene Mittel- und Südamerikanische Amphibien und Reptilien. Mitt. Zool. Mus. Berlin 11 (1): 75-93 [1923]
  • Peñaranda-Barrios, E.M. & J.M. Castro (Eds.). 2017. Huacareta, un área de exploración entre el bosque Tucumano boliviano, Chaco serrano y Chaqueño al sur de Bolivia. Historia Natural y Guía Ilustrada de Flora y Fauna. Shell Bolivia Corporation, Sucursal Bolivia-GeoAmbiente Ltda., Departamentos de Tarija y Chuquisaca-Bolivia. 495 p
  • Perez-Mellado, Valentin; De la Riva, Ignacio 1993. Sexual size dimorphism and ecology: The case of a tropical lizard, Tropidurus melanopleurus (Sauria: Tropiduridae). Copeia 1993 (4): 969-976 - get paper here
  • Salles, M.M.A., Carvalho, A.L.G., Leaché, A.D., Martinez, N., Bauer, F., Motte, M., Espínola, V., Rodrigues, M.T., Piantoni, C., Pie, M.R., Olivotto, A., Colli, G.R., Choueri, E.L., Werneck, F.P. and Domingos, F.M.C.B. 2025. Ancient Introgression Explains Mitochondrial Genome Capture and Mitonuclear Discordance Among South American Collared Tropidurus Lizards. Mol Ecol, 34: e70130 - get paper here
  • Schumacher, R. & Barts, M. 2003. Tropidurus melanopleurus BOULENGER. Sauria (Suppl.) 25 (3): 591-596 - get paper here
 
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