Check List 2007: 3(3)
ISSN: 1809-127X

NOTES ON GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION

Reptilia, Squamata, Liolaemidae, Phymaturus verdugo: Distribution extension,
new provincial records, filling gaps, and geographic distribution map.

Luciano Javier Avila!
Cristian Hernan Fulvio Perez’
Daniel Roberto Perez>
Mariana Morando!

‘Centro Nacional Patagonico (CENPAT — CONICET). Boulevard Almirante Brown 2825.
U9I20ACV, Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina. E-mail: avila@cenpat.edu.ar

"Los Copihues s/n. 8364 Chimpay. Rio Negro, Argentina.

°Catedra Intervencion en Ambientes Degradados, Universidad Nacional del Comahue.
Buenos Aires 1400. Neuquén. 8300, Argentina.

Lizards of the Phymaturus genus are large,
saxicolous, viviparous, and mainly vegetarian
iguanids that inhabit rocky habitats of high Andes
and Patagonian steppe regions. Two species
groups are recognized: palluma and patagonicus.
They are still poorly known, with several recently
described species (Cei and Videla 2003; Scolaro
and Cei 2003; Pincheira Donoso 2004; Lobo and
Quinteros 2005a; 2005b) and several additional
species are waiting for a formal description. A
few years ago, Cei and Videla (2003) described a
new species of the P. palluma group (Figure 1)
from a vague type-locality in southern Andes of
the province of Mendoza, department of Malargiie
("rocky slopes along tributary streams of the Rio
Grande Basin, in the Peteroa volcano area at about
1900 m", Ce and Videla 2003). Phymaturus
verdugo is easily identified by its characteristic
black head, a brilliant yellow-green body and
orange tail. Based on the habitat requirements of
this species, we can deduce that the type-locality
should be very close to Termas del Azufre thermal
post, a few km SE from Peteroa volcano at the
borders of Ruta Provincial 226. Recently, Abdala
and Juarez (2007) cited a second locality SE of
the type-locality.

During field trips carried out in southern Mendoza
and Neuquén provinces we collected individuals
that are morphologically similar to the species
described as P. verdugo. Here we present new
geographic distribution data for this species that
extends significantly its known distribution.

Figure 1. An adult male of Phymaturus verdugo
from southern Mendoza, Argentina.

Lizards were collected by hand or noose,
euthanased with pericardic injection of Tiopental
Sddico (Abbot®), fixed with formalin 20 %, and
transferred to 70 % ethanol after 3-4 days.
Latitude, longitude, and elevation were determined
with a Garmin GPS 12™ Global Position Device.

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Check List 2007: 3(3)
ISSN: 1809-127X

NOTES ON GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION

Voucher specimens are in the collection Luciano
Javier Avila Mariana Morando (LJAMM 5792-5,
5806-7, 6162-3, 6175-6, 7896-7905), housed in
the Centro Nacional Patagonico-CONICET,
Puerto Madryn (Chubut), Argentina.

Collection sites (Figure 2) were: province of
Mendoza Province: department of Malargiie: (1)
rim of the Provincial Road 226, 11.4 km
SE Termas del Azufre (35°17'S0" S, 70°24'48"
W, 2279 m); (2) Arroyo El Montafies, on the
margins of the Provincial Road 226, 43 km SE

Termas del Azufre (35°29'15" S, 70°14'51" W,
1856 m); (3) margins of the Provincial Road 145,
17.3 km E Paso Pehuenche, 23 km W Las Loicas
(35°57'30" S, 70°14'01" W, 1987 m); and (4)
province of Neuquén, department of Chos Malal:
Domuyo volcano, east slope along Chadileu
stream (36°40'48" S, 70°20'35" W, 2375 m).
Localities 1 and 2 are intermediate between the
type-locality of Ce: and Videla (2003) and the
new citation of Abdala and Juarez (2007);
localities 3 and 4 are significant southern
extensions.

Figure 2. Type-locality and new geographic records for Phymaturus verdugo in southern Patagonia,
Argentina. Black triangle: type-locality. White circles with numbers: localities cited in the text; main towns

and geographic landmarks are included.

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Check List 2007: 3(3)
ISSN: 1809-127X

NOTES ON GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION

All collected lizards were basking during the day
above big stones, accumulated on the road sides
by human disturbance with bulldozers; with the
exception of individuals from Domuyo volcano
that were observed basking on old remnants of
lava flows along the margins of Chadileu stream.
The southernmost sample from Domuyo volcano
represent an extension of 150 airline km south
from the type-locality and the first record for this
species in the province of Neuquén.

Literature cited

Abdala, C. and R. Juarez. 2007. Phymaturus verdugo.
Geographic distribution. Herpetological Review
38(1): 101-102.

Cei J. M. and F. Videla. 2003. A new Phymaturus
species from volcanic cordilleran mountains of the
south-western Mendoza _ province, Argentina
(Liolaemidae, Iguania, Lacertilia, Reptilia). Bolletino
Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali (Torino) 20:
291-314.

Pincheira Donoso, D. 2004. Una nueva especie del
genero. Phymaturus (Iguania, =‘ Tropiduridae,
Liolaemidae) del centro-sur de Chile. Multequina 13:
57-70.

Lobo, F. and S. Quinteros. 2005. Taxonomic studies of
the genus Phymaturus (Iguania: Liolaemidae):
Redescription of |§= Phymaturus — patagonicus

Acknowledgments

We acknowledge Fauna authorities of Mendoza
and Neuquén provinces for collection permits.
Field trips were supported by Consejo Federal de
Inversiones (CFI), CONICET (PEI program), and
a National Science Foundation grant (PIRE-OISE
0530267). We thank to the field guide H. Castillo
and park ranger D. Castillo for field work support.

Koslowsky, 1898, and revalidation and redescription
of Phymaturus spurcus Barbour 1921. Journal of
Herpetology 39(4): 13-20.

Lobo, F. and S. Quinteros. 2005. A morphology-based
phylogeny of Phymaturus (Iguania: Liolaemidae)
with the description of four new species from
Argentina. Papeis Avulsos de Zoologia 45(13): 143-
177.

Scolaro, J. A. and J. M. Cei. 2003. Una excepcional
nueva especie de Phymaturus de la precordillera de
Chubut, Argentina (Liolaemidae, Iguania, Lacertilia,
Reptilia). Facena 19: 107-112.

Received May 2007

Accepted August 2007
Published online September 2007

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