Liolaemus kunza ABDALA, SEMHAN & PAZ, 2021
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Liolaemus kunza
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| Higher Taxa | Liolaemidae, Iguania, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | |
| Synonym | Liolaemus kunza ABDALA, SEMHAN & PAZ 2021 in ABDALA et al. 2021: 5 Liolaemus poecilochromus — LAURENT 1982 Liolaemus poecilochromus — ABDALA et al. 2008 Liolaemus poecilochromus — LOBO et al. 2009 Liolaemus poecilochromus — LOBO et al. 2010 Liolaemus poecilochromus — Valdecantos et al. 2012 Liolaemus poecilochromus — PAZ 2017 Liolaemus aff. poecilochromus — ABDALA et al. 2020 |
| Distribution | Argentina (Catamarca) Type locality: Vega Quebrada del Diablo, Antofalla, Antofagasta de la Sierra Department, Catamarca Province, Argentina 3969 m asl) (26° 20’ 16.9’’ S, 67° 41’ 05.5’’ W) |
| Reproduction | ovovivparous; two to five young. Pregnant females have been found at the end of winter (September) and giving birth in the spring (November). |
| Types | HOLOTYPE: FML 30359. Collectors: Cristian S. Abdala and Marcos M. Paz. 16 February 2018. PARATYPES: FML 3072: Campo de Antofalla, Antofagasta de la Sierra Department, Catamarca Province, Argentina. 3370 m asl. Collector: Omar Pagaburo. 12–17 January 1994. FML 3074: 17 km from Antofalla along the road to Tolar Grande, Antofagasta de la Sierra Department, Catamarca Province, Argentina. 4050 m asl. Collector: Omar Pagaburo. 12–17 January 1994. FML 30360-30362: Vega Loro Huasi, Antofagasta de la Sierra Department, Catamarca Province, Argentina (25 520 37.10 0 S, 67 540 29.90 0 W; 3370m asl). Collectors: Cristian S. Abdala and Marcos M. Paz. 16 February 2018. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: Liolaemus kunza sp. nov., belongs to the subgenus Eulaemus and within it, to the L. montanus group because it possesses a blade-like distal posterior process on the tibia, associated with the hypertrophy of the tibialis anticus muscle (Etheridge, 1995; Abdala et al., 2006). It differs from the species of the L. boulengeri group (Abdala, 2007; Schulte et al., 2000) by possessing scales of equal size on the posterior surface of the thigh. Within the L. montanus group, it is distinguished from L. audituvelatus (Nuñez & Yañez, 1983–1984), L. balagueri Villegas et al., 2020, L. chiribaya, L. famatinae Cei, 1980, L. griseus Laurent, 1984, L. hajeki Nuñez et al., 2004, L. insolitus Cei & Pefaur, 1982, L. islugensis Ortiz & Marquet, 1987, L. nazca, L. omorfi, L. poconchilensis Valladares, 2004, L. reichei (Werner, 1907), L. ruibali Donoso-Barros, 1961, L. schmidti (Marx, 1960), L. stolzmanni (Steindachner, 1891) and L. torresi (Nuñez et al., 2003), smaller-sized species with maximum SVL of less than 70mm versus 77.5 mm in L. kunza sp. nov. It is distinguished from L. annectens Boulenger, 1901, L. aymararum Veloso et al., 1982, L. chlorostictus Laurent, 1993, L. dorbignyi Koslowskyi,1898,L.duellmani,L.fabiani Nuñez & Yañez, 1983–1984, L. forsteri Laurent, 1982, L. foxi Nuñez et al., 2000, L.huayra Abdala et al., 2008, L. inti Abdala et al., 2008, L. jamesi Boulenger, 1891, L. melanogaster Laurent, 1998, L. nigriceps (Philippi, 1860), L. orientalis M€uller, 1924, L. pachecoi Laurent, 1995, L. patriciaiturrae Navarro & Nuñez, 1993, L. pleopholis Laurent, 1998, L. polystictus Laurent, 1992, L. puritamensis Nuñez & Fox, 1989, L. qalaywa Chaparro et al., 2020, L. robustus Laurent, 1992, L. scrocchii Quinteros et al., 2008, L. signifier Dumeril & Bibron, 1837, L. vulcanus Quinteros & Abdala, 2011, and L. victormoralesi Aguilar et al., 2019, L. williamsi Laurent, 1992, species of larger size with maximum SVL greater than 80 mm versus 77.5 mm in L. kunza sp. nov. Liolaemus kunza sp. nov., possesses smooth, juxtaposed scales on the dorsum, character states that distinguish it from L. annectens, L. dorbignyi, L. famatinae, L. griseus, L. huayra, L. inti, L. jamesi, L. melanogaster, L. multicolor Koslowsky, 1898, L. nazca, L. orientalis, L. poconchilensis, L. polystictus Laurent, 1992, L. pulcherrimus Laurent, 1992, and L. robustus which possess imbricate or subimbricate dorsals with a weak keel, and from L. aymararum, L. etheridgei Laurent, 1998, L. evaristoi Gutierrez et al., 2018, L. fittkaui Laurent, 1986, L. griseus, L. huacahuasicus Laurent, 1985, L. montanus Koslowsky, 1898, L. orko Abdala & Quinteros, 2008, L. ortizi Laurent, 1982, L. pachecoi, L. pulcherrimus, L. qalaywa, L. tajzara Abdala et al., 2019; L. thomasi Laurent, 1998, and L. williamsi which possess imbricate or subimbricate dorsals with an evident keel. The number of scales around midbody in L. kunza sp. nov., varies between 71 to 86 (X = 78.4), a character that distinguishes it from various species of the L. montanus group that have means of greater than 85 scales around midbody, as in L. andinus Koslowsky, 1895, L. eleodori Cei et al., 1985, L. erguetae Laurent, 1995, L. erroneous, L. gracielae Abdala et al., 2009, L. halonastes, L. molinai Valladares et al., 2002, L. nigriceps, L. patriciaiturrae, L. porosus Abdala et al., 2013, L. robertoi Pincheira-Donoso & Nuñez, 2004, L. rosenmanni Nuñez & Navarro, 1992, L. vallecurensis Pereira, 1992, or means of less than 70 as in L. annectens, L. aymararum, L. chlorostictus, L. dorbignyi, L. etheridgei, L. evaristoi, L. fabiani, L. famatinae, L. fittkaui, L. griseus, L. hajeki, L. huayra, L. huacahuasicus, L. inti, L. jamesi, L. igneus, L. melanogaster, L. montanus, L. orientalis, L. orko, L. ortizi, L. pachecoi, L. pantherinus Pellegrin, 1909, L. poconchilensis, L. polystictus, L. puritamensis, L. robustus, L. scrocchii, L. thomasi, L. vulcanus, and L. williamsi. The number of ventrals between the mental and the border of the cloaca in L. kunza sp. nov. varies between 89 and 104 (X = 98.4) and is lower than in species with means of greater than 105 ventrals as in L. andinus, L. cazianiae Lobo et al., 2010, L. gracielae, L. patriciaiturrae, L. rosenmannii, and L. vallecurensis, and greater than in species with means of less than 85 ventrals as in L. annectens, L. aymararum, L. chlorostictus, L. disjunctus Laurent, 1990, L. dorbignyi, L. etheridgei, L. evaristoi, L. fabiani, L. famatinae, L. fittkaui, L. forsteri, L. griseus, L. huacahuasicus, L. inti, L. jamesi, L. melanogaster, L. montanus, L. orientalis, L. orko, L. ortizi, L. poconchilensis, L. polystictus, L. pulcherrimus, L. puritamensis, L. robustus, L. thomasi, and L. williamsi. Female L. kunza sp. nov. possess from 1 to 4 (X = 1.8) precloacal pores, which distinguishes them from female L. poecilochromus, which do not possess precloacal pores. They also differ from L. poecilochromus in their dorsal and ventral colour patterns, with evident dorsolateral bands in male L. kunza sp. nov., and the presence of small white spots distributed irregularly over the dorsal surfaces of the head and body, characters absent in L. poecilochromus. Also, male L. poecilochromus present a more intensely yellow ventral colouration than in L. kunza sp. nov. Female L. poecilochromus present a reddish dorsal colouration and an immaculate venter while female L. kunza sp. nov., present a predominantly grey dorsum and the venter presents small dark circular spots (Abdala et al. 2021). |
| Comment | For additional references see Abdala et al. 2021 (not provided upon request). Diet: the greater part of the diet consists of plant matter (fruits, leaves, and flowers) of the añagua (Adesmia spinosissima Meyen, 1835), complemented by arthropods (ants, arachnids, diplurans, and beetles) (Valdecantos et al. 2012). |
| Etymology | We dedicate the scientific name of this species to the extinct Kunza language, which was spoken until the XIX century by peoples of the Altiplano of Argentina, Plurinational State of Bolivia, and Chile. |
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