Liolaemus salitrosus ABDALA, SEMHAN & PAZ, 2021
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Liolaemus salitrosus
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| Higher Taxa | Liolaemidae, Iguania, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | |
| Synonym | Liolaemus salitrosus ABDALA, SEMHAN & PAZ in ABDALA et al. 2021: 13 |
| Distribution | Argentina (Catamarca) Type locality: South shore of Laguna Pozo Bravo, Antofalla, Antofagasta de la Sierra Department, Catamarca Province, Argentina (25° 30’ 59.20’’ S, 67° 34’ 42.12’’ W; 3349 m asl). |
| Reproduction | |
| Types | HOLOTYPE: FML 30363. South shore of Laguna Pozo Bravo, Antofalla, Antofagasta de la Sierra Department, Catamarca Province, Argentina (25 300 59.200 0 S, 67 340 42.120 0 W; 3,349 m asl). Collectors: Cristian S. Abdala and Marcos Maximiliano Paz. 18 February 2018. PARATYPES: FML 30367. Same data as holotype. FML 30364–65. Shores of Laguna Verde, Antofalla, Antofagasta de la Sierra Department, Catamarca Province, Argentina (25 280 37.40 0 S, 67 330 27.10 0 W; 3337m asl). Collectors: Cristian S. Abdala and Marcos Maximiliano Paz. 17 February 2018. FML 30379–80. North shore of Laguna Pozo Bravo, Antofalla, Antofagasta de la Sierra Department, Catamarca Province, Argentina (25 310 4.90 0 S, 67 340 51.20 0 W; 3337m asl). Collector: Cristian S. Abdala. 17 November 2017. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: Liolaemus salitrosus sp. nov., belongs to the L. montanus group within the subgenus Eulaemus because it possesses a blade-like distal posterior process on the tibia, associated with the hypertrophy of the tibialis anticus muscle (Abdala et al., 2006; Etheridge, 1995). 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, L. famatinae, L. griseus, L. insolitus, L. nazca, L. omorfi, L. poconchilensis, L. reichei, L. schmidti, L. stolzmanni, and L. torresi, species with maximum SVL not exceeding 65 mm versus 69.4 mm in L. salitrosus sp. nov. It is distinguished from L. andinus, L. annectens, L. aymararum, L. chlorostictus, L. dorbignyi, L. duellmani, L. fabiani, L. forsteri, L. foxi, L. huayra, L. inti, L. jamesi, L. kunza sp. nov., L. melanogaster, L. nigriceps, L. orientalis, L. pantherinus, L. pachecoi, L. patriciaiturrae, L. pleopholis, L. polystictus, L. puritamensis, L. qalaywa, L. robustus, L. scrocchii, L. signifer, L. vulcanus and L. victormoralesi, L. williamsi, species with maximum SVL exceeding 75 mm versus 69.4 mm in L. salitrosus sp. nov. Liolaemus salitrosus 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. nazca, L. orientalis, L. pantherinus, L. poconchilensis, L. polystictus, L. pulcherrimus, L. robustus, and L. tajzara, which possess imbricate to subimbricate dorsals with a weak keel, and from L. aymararum, L. etheridgei, L. evaristoi, L. fittkaui, L. griseus, L. huacahuasicus, L. montanus, L. orko, L. ortizi, L. pachecoi, L. pulcherrimus, L. qalaywa, L. signifer, L. thomasi, and L. williamsi, which possess imbricate to subimbricate dorsals with an evident keel. The number of scales around midbody in L. salitrosus sp. nov. varies between 66 to 81 (x̅ = 72.3), a character that distinguishes it from various species of the L. montanus group that have means of greater than 80 scales around midbody, as in L. andinus, L. eleodori, L. erguetae, L. erroneous, L. gracielae, L. halonastes, L. molinai, L. multicolor, L. nigriceps, L. patriciaiturrae, L. pleopholis, L. porosus, L. robertoi, L. rosenmannii, L. ruibali, and L. vallecurensis, or means of less than 70 as in L. annectens, L. aymararum, L. balagueri, L. chiribaya, L. chlorostictus, L. dorbignyi, L. etheridgei, L. evaristoi, L. fabiani, L. famatinae, L. fittkaui, L. griseus, L. hajeki, L. huayra, L. huacahuasicus, L. insolitus, L. inti, L. jamesi, L. melanogaster, L. montanus, L. nazca, L. orientalis, L. orko, L. ortizi, L. pachecoi, L. pantherinus, L. poconchilensis, L. polystictus, L. puritamensis, L. reichei, 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. salitrosus sp. nov. varies between 87 and 101 (x̅ = 94.3), and is lower than in species with means of greater than 105 ventrals as in L. andinus, L. cazianiae, 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. balagueri, L. chiribaya, L. chlorostictus, L. dorbignyi, L. etheridgei, L. evaristoi, L. fabiani, L. famatinae, L. fittkaui, L. forsteri, L. griseus, L. huacahuasicus, L. insolitus, L. inti, L. jamesi, L. melanogaster, L. montanus, L. orko, L. ortizi, L. poconchilensis, L. polystictus, L. pulcherrimus, L. puritamensis, L. robustus, L. thomasi, and L. williamsi. Of the eight female L. salitrosus sp. nov. examined, only one presented precloacal pores (0–4, x̅ = 0.6), which distinguishes it from species with females with higher frequency and counts of precloacal pores as in L. aymararum, L. cazianiae, L. chlorostictus, L. dorbignyi, L. eleodori, L. erguetae, L. etheridgei, L. fabiani, L. famatinae, L. griseus, L. hajeki, L. huayra, L. huacahuasicus, L. inti, L. islugensis, L. jamesi, L. kunza sp. nov., L. molinai, L. montanus, L. nigriceps, L. orientalis, L. orko, L. pachecoi, L. pantherinus, L. patriciaiturrae, L. porosus, L. pulcherrimus, L. scrocchii, L. signifer, and L. vulcanus. Liolaemus salitrosus sp. nov. is distinguished from L. kunza sp. nov. by possessing distinctly different dorsal and ventral colour, where male L. salitrosus sp. nov. lack the dorsolateral bands present in L. kunza sp. nov., and the paravertebral blotches in L. salitrosus sp. nov. form transverse lines while in L. kunza sp. nov. they are subquadrangular or rounded (Figs 1c–f, 5a–d). Furthermore, L. salitrosus sp. nov. lacks the scattered white or grey scales on the dorsum of the head and body (Figs 4a–b). The venter of male L. salitrosus sp. nov. is intensely yellow to orange while in male L. kunza sp. nov. the venter is a pale yellow (Figs 1b, 5b). Liolaemus salitrosus sp. nov. differs from L. poecilochromus by possessing a dorsal ground colour of yellow to orange in males while male L. poecilochromus are grey to chestnut dorsally. The paravertebral and lateral markings in L. salitrosus sp. nov. are united, forming transverse bands, while in L. poecilochromus these never form transverse bands. Female L. salitrosus sp. nov. do not present the reddish-brown dorsal colouration that is typical of female L. poecilochromus. The presence of projecting spinose heteronote scales, which are frequently paired, in the juncture of the hand and forearm distinguish L. salitrosus sp. nov. from L. poecilochromus, L. kunza sp. nov., and L. halonastes which lack these characters (Figs 4c–d). Finally, male L salitrosus sp. nov. possess secretory pores on the ventral side of the thigh, a character absent in L. kunza sp. nov. and L. halonastes (Fig. 4e). The combination of morphological and colouration characters described above, added to its strictly halophilous habits (Figs 5g–h), permit us to distinguish L. salitrosus sp. nov. from all previously described species of the genus Liolaemus (Abdala et al. 2021). Colouration in life. (Figs 5a–b) Head chestnut dorsally, with dark scales and spots in the parietal region. Sides of the head uniformly yellow, somewhat paler in the loreolabial-infralabial region (Fig. 5a). Temporal region with two dark parallel bands, the upper band extending from the posterior portion of the eye to the neck above the auditory meatus, and the lower band initiating in the post-subocular and attenuating before reaching the auditory meatus. The body, limbs, and anterior third of the tail of an intense yellow. Indistinct vertebral region, with irregularly scattered black, chestnut, and yellow scales and spots. Black transverse bands joining the paravertebral and lateral blotches, with irregular borders and paler towards the centre (Fig. 5a). Small, rounded, light yellow spots on the sides of the body below the transverse bands. Without vertebral line, dorsolateral bands, or scapular spots. A few chestnut scales are evident dorsally on the limbs. Dorsal surfaces of hands and feet intensely yellow. Tail grey posterior of the anterior third until regenerated portion, with numerous dark spots on the dorsal and lateral surfaces. Ventrally from the mental region to the cloaca, with an intense yellow, but paler in the mental region. Ventral surface of the tail, grey with some yellow scales in the post-cloacal zone (Fig. 5a). In the preserved specimen, the design is the same, the dark colours and grey remain intense, but the yellow colour is not preserved, transforming into pale grey (Abdala et al. 2021). Colouration. (Figs 5 c–f) Liolaemus salitrosus sp. nov. demonstrates notable sexual dichromatism. In males, the head may be yellow, light to dark grey, or almost black. As in the holotype, the temporal region is highlighted by two dark longitudinal lines of varying thickness. The supralabials and infralabials are generally lighter coloured than the dorsum of the head, varying from light grey to yellow or orange. Scapular spots and antehumeral arcs are absent and, in most individuals, the lateral region neck is an immaculate light grey. The body colour is yellow or orange, varying in intensity and tonality (Figs 5c, d). Some individuals show distinct paravertebral and lateral blotches, always united and forming transverse bands or lines across the dorsum (Fig. 5c). These bands are black and irregularly outlined (Fig. 5c). In some individuals, the transverse bands widen below, corresponding to the lateral blotches, which conjoin to form lateral longitudinal bands. The vertebral region of most individuals is not delimited and presents numerous dark scales and spots, but a vertebral line is absent. Above the medial lateral line of the body, there are small rounded yellow or orange spots. The limbs are the same colour as the body (yellow or orange) or grey (Figs 5c, d). The hands and feet are yellow dorsally. The anterior third of the tail is the same colour as the body, then becoming grey (Fig. 5c). When distinct, the paravertebral blotches unite at the base of the tail forming a single blotch in the vertebral region. Ventrally, the entire body is dominated by an intense yellow. The mental region is always a paler colour than the rest of the body. Some specimens present orange tones in the gular zone. In most specimens, the tail is grey ventrally. Females generally have the same patterns as the males but more subdued (Figs 5e, f). The body colour is grey with reddish tones on the sides or on the dorsolateral region (Fig. 5e). The transverse bands are very diffuse and may be discontinuous. Some females, however, show distinct paravertebral dots. The ventral colour of females is an immaculate uniform grey (Fig. 5f) (Abdala et al. 2021). |
| Comment | For additional references see Abdala et al. 2021 (not provided upon request). |
| Etymology | The specific epithet salitrosus refers to the peculiar habitat of this species, closely associated with the salt flat, an extreme environment characterized by a hypersaline soil covered with thick saltpetre crusts. |
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