''Liolaemus duellmani'', also known
commonly as Duellman's tree iguana, is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of
lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia alt ...
in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
Liolaemidae
Liolaemidae are a family of iguanian lizards. They are traditionally included in the Iguanidae as subfamily Liolaeminae, which some more recent authors prefer to delimit in a more restricted way. A common name for this group is liolaemids. Liolae ...
. The species is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
to
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
.
[
]
Etymology
The specific name, ''duellmani'', is in honor of American herpetologist William Edward Duellman.[ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (''Liolaemus duellmani'', p. 76).]
Geographic range
''L. duellmani'' is found in Mendoza Province
Mendoza, officially Province of Mendoza, is a province of Argentina, in the western central part of the country in the Cuyo region. It borders San Juan to the north, La Pampa and Neuquén to the south, San Luis to the east, and the republic o ...
, Argentina.[
]
Habitat
The preferred natural habitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...
of ''L. duellmani'' is shrubland
Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or be the result of human activity. It m ...
and grassland
A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natur ...
, at an altitude of .
Description
''L. duellmani'' may attain a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of about .[
]
Reproduction
''L. duellmani'' is ovoviviparous
Ovoviviparity, ovovivipary, ovivipary, or aplacental viviparity is a term used as a "bridging" form of reproduction between egg-laying oviparous and live-bearing viviparous reproduction. Ovoviviparous animals possess embryos that develop insi ...
.[
]
References
Further reading
* Ávila LJ, Martinez LE, Morando M (2013). "Checklist of lizards and amphisbaenians of Argentina: an update". ''Zootaxa'' 3613 (3): 201–238.
*Ávila LJ, Vrdoljak JE, Morando M (2021). "''Liolaemus deullmani'' Cei, 1978 (Reptilia: Squamata: Liolaemini), redescription of the holotype and variation in a microendemic and inadequately known species of ''Liolaemus'' from Northwestern Patagonia". ''Zootaxa'' 5081 (2): 263–274.
* Cei JM (1978). "A New Species of ''Liolaemus'' (Sauria: Iguanidae) from the Andean Mountains of the Southern Mendoza Volcanic Region of Argentina". ''Occasional Papers of the Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas'' (76): 1–6. (''Liolaemus duellmani'', new species). (in English, with an abstract in Spanish).
* Nenda SJ, Nespiur A, Lobo F, Abdala CS (2020). "Rediscovery of ''Liolaemus duellmani'' Cei, 1978 (Iguania: Liolaemidae): Description of a Female Found Near the Type Locality". ''South American Journal of Herpetology'' 18 (1): 42–45.
duellmani
Lizards of South America
Reptiles of Argentina
Endemic fauna of Argentina
Taxa named by José Miguel Alfredo María Cei
Reptiles described in 1978
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