''Potamites hydroimperator'' is a species 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 ...
which 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 eastern Peru, where it is known from
El Sira Communal Reserve
El Sira Communal Reserve ( es, Reserva Comunal El Sira) is a protected area in Peru created to preserve the biodiversity of the Sira Mountains and the ancestral sustainable use of the area's resources by the nearby native peoples. It also protec ...
. The species is known to occur in and near streams in the El Sira Mountains. They are under threat from illegal gold mining in the region.
[Chávez, G., Malqui, J., & Catenazzi, A. (2021). A new riparian Andean Potamites (Reptilia, Squamata, Gymnophtalmidae) from El Sira Mountains, central Peru, with comments on P. ecpleopus Cope 1875, and on the taxonomy and biogeography of Potamites. European Journal of Taxonomy, 760(1), 136-159. https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2021.760.1445]
References
hydroimperator
Lizards of South America
Reptiles of Peru
Reptiles described in 2021
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