Liolaemus misti SANTA-CRUZ, CANAZAS-TERÁN, BEJARANO, LÓPEZ, MORALES, VON MAY, CATENAZZI & AGUILAR-PUNTRIANO, 2025
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Liolaemus misti
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| Higher Taxa | Liolaemidae, Iguania, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | |
| Synonym | Liolaemus misti SANTA-CRUZ, CANAZAS-TERÁN, BEJARANO, LÓPEZ, MORALES, VON MAY, CATENAZZI & AGUILAR-PUNTRIANO 2025: 117 Liolaemus tacnae — LOBO & ESPINOZA 1999: 138 Liolaemus tacnae — LOBO & ESPINOZA 2004: 867 Liolaemus tacnae — QUINTEROS 2012: 120, 2013: 28 Liolaemus tacnae — OCAMPO et al. 2012: 417 Liolaemus tacnae — AGUILAR et al. 2013: Supplementary file 4 Liolaemus tacnae — QUINTEROS et al. 2014: 28 Liolaemus tacnae — ABDALA et al. 2015 Liolaemus tacnae — PORTELLI & QUINTEROS 2018: Supplemental file S1. Liolaemus aff. tacnae — CERDEÑA et al. 2021: 34 Liolaemus walkeri — ZEBALLOS et al. 2002: 30 Liolaemus cf. walkeri — GUTIÉRREZ et al. 2010 |
| Distribution | Peru (Arequipa) Type locality: Simbral, Chiguata District, Arequipa Province and Department, Peru, -16.389830º, -71.314909º, 4185 m a.s.l. |
| Reproduction | |
| Types | Holotype. MUSA 5708, adult male, collected by R. Bejarano, A. Canazas-Terán, and R. Santa-Cruz, on 23 December 2020. Paratypes: Eight adult specimens: (MUSM 40545–40546), two males, (MUSA 5709, MUSM 40547–40548), three females, collected from the type locality by R. Bejarano, A. Canazas-Terán, and R. Santa-Cruz, on 23 December 2020. (MUSA 5844–5845), two males, (MUSA 5843), one female, collected near the type locality, -16.385830º, -71.317269º, 4135 m a.s.l., by R. Bejarano, A. Canazas-Terán, Diana Arhuire, Graciela Meza, and R. Santa-Cruz, on 2 May 2021. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: We assign Liolaemus misti sp. n. to the L. walkeri clade, lizards with throat or belly melanistic or with spots in males (Aguilar et al. 2013), small and slender (49.3 mm maximum SVL). Males of L. misti sp. n. differ from L. chavin and L. wari by their smaller size (less than 50 mm SVL vs 51.7–59.3 mm and 51.5–60.8 mm, respectively). Lio laemus misti sp. n. differs from L. tacnae by a lower number of midbody scales and dorsal scales (40–50 vs 48–59, 43–55 vs 53– 61, respectively). The subocular scale and loreal scales are strongly pigmented in L. misti sp. n. whereas in L. walkeri these scales are lighter (Fig. 7). The lateral fields in L. misti sp. n. have scattered black and white scales forming spots (males) or scattered black and brown scales (females), which are absent in L. pachacutec. Paravertebral marks appear as black complete marks or as fragmented lines (more noticeable when parallel to the dorsolateral stripe) in L. misti sp. n. (Figs 8A–9A), but they are absent or fuzzy in L. pachacutec; L. tacnae has paravertebral markings as black dots perpendicular to the dorsolateral stripe, with light scales behind the black scales (Figs 8C–9C). The vertebral line is generally absent or highly fragmented in L. misti sp. n., but it is well differentiated in L. chavin, L. pacachutec, L. walkeri, and L. wari. Liolaemus tacnae has keeled scales on the dorsal side of thighs, which are absent in L. misti sp. n. (Fig. 10). Liolaemus misti sp. n. also differs from L. pachacutec, L. walkeri, and L. wari in males lacking precloacal pores. In Peru, three species of the L. alticolor-bribonii group have been confused with species of the L. walkeri clade: L. alticolor from Puno, L. chungara from Tacna, and L. incaicus from Cusco (Aguilar et al. 2013, Lobo et al. 2007, Quinteros et al. 2014, Valladares et al. 2021). Here we report key morphological differences between these species and L. misti sp. n. Liolaemus misti sp. n. has 49–58 scales around the body, more than L. incaicus (34–46). Liolaemus misti sp. n. lacks keeled temporal scales which are present in L. chungara, L. incaicus (weakly keeled), and L. alticolor (markedly keeled). Dorsal scales in L. misti sp. n. are keeled and without a mucron, whereas a mucron is present in L. chungara. Liolaemus misti sp. n. has partial or total ventral melanism, which is absent in L. alticolor and L. incaicus. Liolaemus misti sp. n. lacks precloacal pores in males and females, which are present in some or all females of L. incaicus, and present in males of L. alticolor, L. chungara and L. incaicus. (Santa-Cruz et al. 2025) Additional details (5737 characters) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. |
| Comment | Distribution: For a map see SANTA-CRUZ et al. 2025: 120 (Fig. 6). Elevation: 4135–5400 m a.s.l., which is probably the highest of any reptile. |
| Etymology | Named after the type locality, the volcano Misti, which in Quechua language means “a white man” referred to the snow or white blanket that covers the volcano, one of the greatest symbols and the most striking element of the landscape of the city of Arequipa. |
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