Phymaturus delheyi AVILA, PEREZ, PEREZ & MORANDO, 2011
Can you confirm these amateur observations of Phymaturus delheyi?
Phymaturus delheyi
Find more photos by Google images search: 
| Higher Taxa | Liolaemidae, Iguania, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | |
| Synonym | Phymaturus delheyi AVILA, PÉREZ, PEREZ & MORANDO 2011 Phymaturus delheyi — LOBO et al. 2021 |
| Distribution | Argentina (NW Patagonia) Type locality: rocky environments of the northern Tromen Vol- cano massif, along Butacó Creek, on Provincial Road 37 (36° 59’ S, 69° 59’ W, 1810 m, datum = WGS 84), Pehuenches Department, Neuquén Province, Argentina. |
| Reproduction | ovovivparous |
| Types | Holotype: MLP S 2609, adult male; L.J. Avila, D.R. Pérez, and C.H.F. Pérez, collectors. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: Phymaturus delheyi is a robust and medium sized member of the clade of Phymaturus lizards referred to as the patagonicus group by Etheridge (1995) because it has flat imbricate superciliaries, non-rugose dorsal scales on tail, and subocular usually not fragmented. Phymaturus delheyi can be distinguished from other species of the patagonicus group (P. agilis, P. calcogaster, P. castillensis, P. ceii, P. desuetus, P. etheridgei, P. excelsus, P. felixi, P. indistinctus, P. manuelae, P. patagonicus, P. somuncurensis, P. spurcus, P. spectabilis, P. videlai, P. tenebrosus) by colour pattern features and geographical distribution. This new species is allopatric and differs from all other members of the clade in its unique dorsal pattern of medium size white spots covering 1–10 scales on a dark-brown background. The presence of sexual dichromatism differentiates Phymaturus delheyi from Phymaturus sitesi sp. nov. and P. nevadoi. Dorsal pattern of P. payuniae is composed by irregular white spots (between 4–40 scales each, sometimes fused) scattered along head and trunk, and becoming enlarged on tail to almost reticulated on limbs, a pattern never observed in P. delheyi. Ventral color- ation in P. payuniae is clearer than in P. delheyi. Phymaturus delheyi has a pink tinge on the chest and belly, becoming an orange coloration on the lower abdomen, and cloacal and femoral regions not observed in P. payuniae. Scales around midbody are higher in P. payuniae than in P. delheyi and show little overlap (221–234 vs 198–227). Dorsal pattern of P. zapalensis is composed by irregular white spots (between 5–14 scales each, sometimes fused) scattered along head and trunk but not in limbs and tail, white spots become smaller in lateral areas, and then lateral dark areas turn into dark bands between shoulder and rump, a pattern never observed in P. delheyi. Ventral color- ation in P. zapalensis is greyish with a dark reticulated only in the gular region, pattern never observed in P. delheyi. Phymaturus nevadoi has a dorsal pattern with spots usually occupying fewer scales (4–9 scales vs 1–10), greater density, and grow to be larger on flanks (not in P. delheyi). Phymaturus delheyi shows a higher ventral scale count (174–202 vs 162–179 in P. nevadoi). Phymaturus delheyi can be distinguished from Phymaturus sitesi new sp. by the dorsal pattern described above. Scales around midbody are fewer in P. delheyi than in P. sitesi (198–227 vs 210–229), and higher in ventral scales with some overlap (174–202 vs 160–190). |
| Comment | Abundance: only known from its original description (Meiri et al. 2017). |
| Etymology | “The species is dedicated to honor our friend Kaspar Delhey from Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Germany, an Argentinean ornithologist and evolutionary biologist who helped to collected this and other species still to be described from northern Patagonia.” |
| References |
|
| External links |