Liolaemus qalaywa CHAPARRO, QUIRÓZ, MAMANI, GUTIÉRREZ, CONDORI, DE LA RIVA, HERRERA-JUÁREZ, CERDEÑA, ARAPA & ABDALA, 2020
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Liolaemus qalaywa
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| Higher Taxa | Liolaemidae, Iguania, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | |
| Synonym | Liolaemus qalaywa CHAPARRO, QUIRÓZ, MAMANI, GUTIÉRREZ, CONDORI, DE LA RIVA, HERRERA-JUÁREZ, CERDEÑA, ARAPA & ABDALA 2020 Liolaemus qalaywa — UBALDE-MAMANI et al. 2021: 181 Liolaemus qalawa — UBALDE-MAMANI et al. 2021: 181 (in error) |
| Distribution | Peru (Apurimac) Type locality: Choaquere, District of Challhuahuacho, Province of Cotabambas, Department of Apurimac, Peru, (14°7’20.32”S, 72°13’29.27”W) at 3,740 m elevation. |
| Reproduction | |
| Types | Holotype. MUBI 13286, an adult male, collected on 15 December 2011, by L. Mamani and J.C. Chaparro. Paratypes: MUBI, MUSA, MUSM |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: We assign L. qalaywa sp. nov. to the L. montanus group because it presents a blade-like process on the tibia, associated with the hypertrophy of the tibial muscle tibialis anterior (Abdala et al. 2019b; Etheridge 1995) and based on molecular phylogeny (Fig. 1). The species of the L. montanus group differ from those of the L. boulengeri group by the complete absence of patches of enlarged scales in the posterior part of the thigh (Abdala 2007). Compared to the species of the L. montanus group, L. qalaywa sp. nov. is a robust lizard differing by its larger size (max SVL = 96.06 mm) from L. andinus, L. audituvelatus, L. balagueri, L. cazianiae, L. chiribaya, L. duellmani, L. eleodori, L. erguetae, L. erroneus, L. etheridgei, L. evaristoi, L. fabiani, L. famatinae, L. fittkaui, L. foxi, L. gracielae, L. griseus, L. hajeki, L. halonastes, L. huacahuasicus, L. insolitus, L. islugensis, L. molinai, L. montanus, L. multicolor, L. nazca, L. omorfi, L. orko, L. ortizi, L. pantherinus, L. poconchilensis, L. poecilochromus, L. porosus, L. pulcherrimus, L. reichei, L. robertoi, L. rosenmanni, L. ruibali, L. schmidti, L. stolzmanni, L. tajzara, L. thomasi, L. torresi, L. vallecurensis, and L. williamsi (all with SVL 50–80 mm). The presence of imbricate dorsal scales with keels differentiates L. qalaywa sp. nov. from species with smooth juxtaposed or sub-imbricate scales such as L. andinus, L. audituvelatus, L. balagueri, L. cazianiae, L. chiribaya, L. eleodori, L. erguetae, L. fabiani, L. foxi, L. gracielae, L. halonastes, L. insolitus, L. islugensis, L. jamesi, L. molinai, L. nigriceps, L. omorfi, L. patriciaiturrae, L. pleopholis, L. poconchilensis, L. poecilochromus, L. porosus, L. reichei, L. robertoi, L. robustus, L. rosenmanni, L. ruibali, L. schmidti, L. scrocchii, L. torresi, L. vallecurensis, L. victormoralesii, and L. vulcanus. The new species differs from L. chiribaya, L. evaristoi, L. etheridgei, L. islugensis, L. insolitus, L. multicolor, L. omorfi, L. poconchilensis, L. pulcherrimus, L. robertoi, L. ruibali, and L. schmidti, by the absence of sky blue or celeste scales on the sides and dorsum of the body and tail. The number of scales around midbody in L. qalaywa sp. nov. varies between 52 and 58 (mean = 54.6), which differentiates it from several species of the group with more than 65 scales, such as L. andinus, L. annectens, L. audituvelatus, L. cazianiae, L. duellmani, L. eleodori, L. erguetae, L. forsteri, L. foxi, L. gracielae, L. halonastes, L. inti, L. molinai, L. multicolor, L. nigriceps, L. patriciaiturrae, L. pleopholis, L. poecilochromus, L. porosus, L. pulcherrimus, L. robertoi, L. rosenmanni, L. ruibali, L. schmidti, L. signifer, and L. vallecurensis. The number of ventral scales between the mental scale and the border of the vent in L. qalaywa sp. nov. varies between 71 and 83 (mean = 75.7), and is lower than the number in the following species (with more than 90 ventral scales): L. andinus, L. cazianiae, L. erguetae, L. foxi, L. gracielae, L. halonastes, L. inti, L. multicolor, L. nigriceps, L. pachecoi, L. patriciaiturrae, L. pleopholis, L. poecilochromus, L. porosus, L. robertoi, L. rosenmanni, L. torresi, and L. vallecurensis; and higher than the number in the following species (with less than 70 ventral scales): L. dorbignyi, L. fittkaui, L. melanogaster, L. polystictus, and L. thomasi. Females of L. qalaywa sp. nov. exhibit precloacal pores in contrast to females of L. andinus, L. audituvelatus, L. aymararum, L. balagueri, L. duellmani, L. fabiani, L. fittkaui, L. griseus, L. hajeki, L. islugensis, L. jamesi, L. melanogaster, L. polystictus, L. puritamensis, L. reichei, L. robertoi, L. rosenmanni, L. ruibali, L. signifer, and L. vallecurensis (all lack precloacal pores). Additional measurements of morphometric characteristics in adult specimens are shown in Table 3. The coloration patterns of males and females (especially the deep yellow and orange color around the eye), of the palpebral scales, and on the posterior inner edge of the auditory meatus in females are character states that have not been reported in Liolaemus. This exclusive coloration pattern in both sexes was seen in different individuals throughout the year. Therefore, they differ from all known species in the L. montanus group. |
| Comment | For a table of morphological differences among Liolaemus qalaywa, warjantay, and annectens see UBALDE-MAMANI et al. 2021: 181 (Table 2). |
| Etymology | The specific epithet Qalaywa, refers to the Quechua word for the Liolaemus lizards from the high Peruvian Andes. |
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