INTRODUCTION 



The herpetological collections of the Museo Nacional de 

 Historia Natural (MNHNC) contains about 3500 amphibians and 

 reptiles. Nearly 90% of the specimens are lizards, and of 

 these, most are Liolaemus , the most diversified member of the 

 Chilean herpetofauna. The specimens of Liolaemus derive mainly 

 from "central Chile", i.e., the area between the city of La 

 Serena and the Biobio River. Both northern and southern Chile 

 are relatively unexplored; thus, the taxonomy and composition of 

 these herpetof aunas is less well known. 



The distribution of Chilean lizards and snakes has not 

 received much attention (however, see Valencia & Velosa 1981, 

 Velosa & Navarro 1988) beyond the general information provided 

 by Peters & Donoso-Barros (1970) and Donoso-Barros (1966, 1970). 

 The latter do not provide sufficient information to define the 

 exact ranges, especially lacking altitudinal data, and such 

 data are critical for Chile, which is a narrow country bordered 

 on the east by mountains and a complex system of ridges and 

 valleys with numerous isolated populations of lizards and 

 snakes. 



Accurate distributional data are essential in clarifying 

 biogeographical problems, ecological consequences of human 

 intervention, and physiological aspects of latitudinal and 

 altitudinal adaptations. Since the MNHNC collection has 76 

 species of lizards and snakes, representing about 75% of Chilean 

 species, the distributional data of these specimens provide a 

 good baseline for such investigations. My goal has been to 

 provide accurate locality data for the Chilean species of 

 lizards and snakes vouchered by one or more MNHNC specimens. 

 Uncertainties of taxonomy or locality are indicated by numbers 

 in parentheses; these items are discussed at end of the 

 taxonomic section. 



Taxa are listed alphabetically by family, genus, species, 

 and finally by locality. Some localities are too small to 

 appear in the Indice de Nombres Geograficos de Chile (Instituto 

 Geografico Militar, no date) or in the Ruiso Patrdn Index 

 (1942). Similar problems arise when the locality data are too 

 broad (e.g., Magallanes) ; in these cases, I mark the data with 

 sensu lato and report only the administrative region. 

 Latitude and longitude are south and west, respectively, and the 

 first two digits are degrees, the second two are minutes. 

 Altitude is in meters above sea level. The final column provides 

 a major city, town, or other geographic entity 

 near to the specimen's origin. 



Chile contains a Metropolitan Region (RM) and twelve 



