Liolaemus burmeisteri AVILA, PEREZ, MEDINA, SITES & MORANDO, 2012
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Liolaemus burmeisteri
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| Higher Taxa | Liolaemidae, Iguania, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | |
| Synonym | Liolaemus burmeisteri AVILA, FULVIO-PEREZ, MEDINA, SITES & MORANDO 2012 Liolaemus burmeisteri — MEDINA et al. 2017 |
| Distribution | Argentina (Neuquén) Type locality: Ruta Provincial 41,7 km S Caepe Malal, Chos Malal Department, Neuquén, Argentina (37°13’51.4”S, 70°22’24.3”W, 1037 m elevation. |
| Reproduction | Viviparous |
| Types | Holotype: MLP S 2612 (Figs. 1, 2), an adult male, collected 19 January 2007. Paratypes: MLP.S 2613, LJAMM 5241–5242 (male) and MLP.S 2614-2617 (female) from same locality as holotype. Collected 20 January 2003. LJAMM 7639, 7641, 7646 (male) and 7637–7638, 7640, 7642–7645, 7647 (female) from same locality as holotype, collected 19 January 2007. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: Liolaemus burmeisteri can be easily distinguished from all other members of the Liolaemus elonga- tus clade, by its light brown/ochre general coloration not found in any of the other species and by its homogeneous dorsal pattern without bands, stripes or spotted areas (Table 1). Liolaemus burmeisteri lacks of a well-defined body- banding pattern and dark ochre/green, or black general coloration, typical of L. elongatus. Liolaemus smaug has darker coloration and fewer numbers of dorsal scales without overlapping (64–75, 0 = 70.3 vs 76–85, 0 = 81.1 in L. burmeisteri) and higher numbers of ventral scales (107–119, 0 = 111.9 vs 99–110, 0 = 104.7 in L. burmeisteri) with lit- tle overlap. Liolaemus smaug has a dorsal banding pattern characterized by a very variable but always present verte- bral band ranging from a well marked gray-ochre zone to a dark spotted area, and a very wide and dark lateral band, all traits absent in live specimens of L. burmeisteri. Liolaemus chillanensis has a different dorsal coloration pattern, with a vertebral band formed by dark spots, more ochre dark general coloration, more darker lateral bands, and more scales around midbody (81-95 vs 70-81). Liolaemus antumalguen is a larger species (maximum SVL 107.7, 0 = 94.4 vs 85.2 mm, 0 = 74.5), with more enlarged neck pouches, and with fewer scales along the dorsum and little overlap with L. burmeisteri (70-78, 0 = 73.0 vs 76-85, 0 = 81.1). General coloration is darker in L. antumalguen, usually with a dorsal pattern of black dots, and black head and belly, and tail without any pat- tern of tail rings, characteristics never found in L. burmeisteri. Liolaemus shitan has fewer numbers of dorsal scales (66–78, 0 = 70.6 vs 76–85, 0 = 81.1 in L. burmeisteri) and higher numbers of ventral scales (106–129, 0 = 120.6 vs 99–110, 0 = 104.7 in L. burmeisteri) with little overlap. Liolaemus shitan has a general melanic coloration without any apparent pattern, a coloration trait absent in L. burmeisteri. Liolaemus choique has higher numbers of ventral scales (118–135 vs 99–110 in L. burmeisteri) without overlapping. General coloration is yellow in Liolaemus choique with a dorsal pattern of vertebral and lateral black melanic bands never found in L. burmeisteri [from AVILA et al. 2012]. |
| Comment | Abundance: only known from its original description (Meiri et al. 2017). |
| Etymology | The specific name is to honor Karl Hermann Konrad Burmeister, a German naturalist, paleontologist and zoologist. Carlos Germán Conrado Burmeister (as he was known in Argentina) was born in Stralsund, Germany in 1807 and past away in Argentina in 1892 after a prolific work with near 300 publications about animals, plants, geology, and paleontology of South America, including its Description Physique de la République Argentine d’après des observations personnelles et étrangères (with a version in German). He was director of the Museo Público de Buenos Aires (now Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales Bernardino Rivadavia) for 30 years and was in charge of the organization of the National Academy of Sciences in Córdoba, founded by the Argentinean president Domingo F. Sarmiento. |
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