Two New Species of Liolaemus (Iguania: Liolaemidae) of Central West Argentina

Abstract

We describe two new species of lizards of the genus Liolaemus belonging to the chiliensis group, one found in southwestern Catamarca, and the other in central western Argentina, in Mendoza, San Juan and Catamarca provinces. The species from southwestern Catamarca has morphological characteristics that may relate it to the species of the capillitas group, a northern clade of the elongatus group, whereas the other species has characters that relate it to the southern clade of the elongatus group. Both species exhibit diagnoistic character states in their maximum snout-vent length, squamation, and dorsal and ventral colors, which differentiate them from the other species of the chiliensis group.