Liolaemus zabalai TRONCOSO-PALACIOS, DÍAZ, ESQUERRÉ & URRA, 2015
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Liolaemus zabalai
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| Higher Taxa | Liolaemidae, Iguania, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | |
| Synonym | Liolaemus zabalai TRONCOSO-PALACIOS, DÍAZ, ESQUERRÉ & URRA 2015 Liolaemus kriegi — DONOSO-BARROS 1974: 287 (in part) Liolaemus kriegi — CEI 1986: 230 (in part) Liolaemus sp? — TORRES-PÉREZ 1997: 146 Liolaemus kriegi — PINCHEIRA-DONOSO 2001: 11 (in part) Liolaemus sp. A — MORANDO et al., 2003: 179 Liolaemus kriegi — PINCHEIRA-DONOSO & NÚÑEZ 2005: 289 (in part) Liolaemus kriegi — MELLA 2005: 64 (in part) Liolaemus sp. A — MEDINA et al. 2013: 27 Liolaemus sp. A — MEDINA et al. 2014: 256 Liolaemus zabalai — TRONCOSO-PALACIOS et al. 2019 |
| Distribution | Chile (Biobío Region) Type locality: Near Los Barros, Laja Lagoon, Biobío Region, Chile. (37°31'S – 71°15'W, 1460 m elevation). |
| Reproduction | viviparous (not imputed, fide Zimin et al. 2022) |
| Types | Holotype: SSUC Re 602 (Fig. 6). Collected by J. Troncoso-Palacios, F. Urra and H. Díaz. 07/01/2014. Paratypes. SSUC Re 598. Adult male. SSUC Re 597, 599, 600–01. Four adult females. The same data as the holotype (Figs 6 and 8). MZUC 35607, 39567. One male and one female. Malleco, Antuco Volcano, Los Barros. Unknown coll. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: Liolaemus zabalai belongs to the kriegi clade of the elongatus-kriegi complex and is closely related to some undescribed species: Liolaemus sp. C and Liolae- mus sp. D; being more distant from the currently described species L. buergeri, L. kriegi and L. tregenzai (Fig. 7). According to Medina et al. (2014), in regards to the species of the kriegi clade L. zabalai is sympatric only with L. tregenzai at the Copahue Volcano. With respect to the species of the kriegi clade, Liolaemus zabalai differs from L. tregenzai because the latter has 71–85 midbody scales and the males have no precloacal pores (Pincheira-Donoso and Scolaro 2007), whereas L. zabalai has 90–104 midbody scales and the males have 3–5 precloacal pores. In addition, the green-bluish ventral color of L. tregenzai is completely absent in L. zabalai. The uncorrected pairwise diffe- rence (cyt-b) between the species is 3.09% (Medina et al. 2014). Liolaemus zabalai differs from L. kriegi in that the latter reaches 101.1 mm SVL, has reddish cloacal coloration in both sexes and has an unringed tail (Avila et al. 2003), whereas L. zabalai is smaller (max. SVL = 92.0 mm), has yellowish cloacal coloration in both sexes and has a ringed tail (in specimens with original tails). The uncorrected pairwise difference between these species is 3.79% (Medina et al. 2014). Liolaemus zabalai differs from L. buergeri in that the latter has fewer dorsal scales (78–91; x = 84.1 ± 4.4, n = 14) than L. zabalai (86–96; x = 89.4 ± 3.2, n = 8) (Mann– Whitney U = 19.5; P = 0.01, DF = 20). Liolaemus zabalai has more loreal scales be- tween the nasal and the subocular (4–6; x = 4.3 ± 0.6, n = 8) than L. buergeri (3–4; x = 3.3 ± 0.5, n = 14) (Mann–Whitney U = 11.0; P < 0.01, DF = 20). Also, L. buergeri has a vertebral stripe on the tail, whereas L. zabalai has a ringed original tail. The limbs in L. zabalai are black with dispersed light brown spots, whereas L. buergeri has brown limbs with dispersed black spots (Fig. 8). Liolaemus zabalai and L. buergeri share basi- cally the same dorsal coloration pattern, but this is noticeably more marked and darker in L. zabalai (Fig. 8, see discussion). Based on the cyt-b locus, the uncorrected average pairwise difference between L. zabalai and L. buergeri is 2.94% (Medina et al. 2014), greater than the values reported for other Liolaemus widely accepted as valid species (see discussion). Also, L. zabalai can vocalize, a feature only documented for L. chil- iensis in the entire genus Liolaemus (Labra et al. 2013). Finally, although the ranges overlap, males of L. buergeri have 3–4 (x = 3.3) precloacal pores, whereas males of L. zabalai have 3–5 (x = 3.9) precloacal pores (Medina et al. 2014). Compared to the other species of the elongatus-kriegi complex that occur near the known distribution of Liolaemus zabalai, the new species may be diagnosed as follows. Males of L. zabalai have precloacal pores, whereas males of L. flavipiceus and L. punmahuida lack them (Table 3). L. zabalai is larger than L. scorialis; and L. zabalai has more midbody scales than L. antumalguen, L. burmeisteri and L. choique (Table 3). |
| Comment | |
| Etymology | This species is named after Patricio Zabala, collection manager of the “Colección de Flora y Fauna Patricio Sánchez Reyes, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile” (SSUC). We dedicate this species to him because of his support of herpetological research in Chile, allowing us to review and deposit material in SSUC, and especially for his friendship. |
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