Tree Iguana

''Liolaemus'' is a genus of iguanian lizards, containing many species, all of which are endemic to South America.

Description

Members of the genus ''Liolaemus'' form a dominant part of the lizard fauna of the southern part of the continent of South America, and vary considerably in size ( snout–vent length) and weight ().

Geographic range

''Liolaemus'' species are found in the Andes and adjacent lowlands, from Peru to Tierra del Fuego, at altitudes that can exceed .

''Liolaemus magellanicus'' and ''Liolaemus sarmientoi'' are the world's southernmost reptiles, living as far south as Isla Granda de Tierra del Fuego and the northern shores of the Strait of Magellan respectively.

Diet

Most species of ''Liolaemus'' are omnivorous, but a few purely insectivorous and herbivorous species are known.

Species

There are more than 225 described species in the genus ''Liolaemus'', but the true number of species may be about double this number. ''Liolaemus'' is by far the largest genus of the liolaemid lizards, which are traditionally treated as subfamily Liolaeminae within the Iguanidae but more recently were proposed for upranking to full family Liolaemidae.

The following species are recognised:

*''Liolaemus abaucan''
*'' Liolaemus abdalai''
*'' Liolaemus absconditus''
*'' Liolaemus acostai''
*''Liolaemus albiceps''
*''Liolaemus alticolor''
*'' Liolaemus andinus''
*''Liolaemus annectens''
*''Liolaemus anomalus''
*'' Liolaemus anqapuka'' Huamaní-Valderrama, Quiroz, Gutiérrez, Aguilar-Kirigin, Chaparro, & Abdala, 2020
*'' Liolaemus antonietae''
*''Liolaemus antumalguen''
*'' Liolaemus aparicioi''
*'' Liolaemus arambarensis''
*'' Liolaemus araucaniensis''
*''Liolaemus archeforus''
*''Liolaemus atacamensis''
*''Liolaemus audituvelatus''
*'' Liolaemus aureum''
*'' Liolaemus austromendocinus''
*'' Liolaemus avilae''
*''Liolaemus azarai''
*''Liolaemus baguali''
*'' Liolaemus balagueri''
*'' Liolaemus balerion''
*''Liolaemus basadrei''
*'' Liolaemus bellii''
*'' Liolaemus bibronii''
*'' Liolaemus bitaeniatus''
*'' Liolaemus boulengeri''
*'' Liolaemus brizuelai''
*'' Liolaemus buergeri''
*'' Liolaemus burmeisteri''
*''Liolaemus calchaqui''
*'' Liolaemus calliston''
*''Liolaemus canqueli''
*''Liolaemus caparensis''
*''Liolaemus capillitas''
*'' Liolaemus carlosgarini''
*''Liolaemus casamiquelai''
*'' Liolaemus cazianiae''
*'' Liolaemus chacabucoense''
*'' Liolaemus chacoensis''
*'' Liolaemus chaltin''
*'' Liolaemus chavin''
*''Liolaemus chehuachekenk''
*''Liolaemus chiliensis''
*''Liolaemus chillanensis''
*''Liolaemus chiribaya''
*'' Liolaemus chlorostictus''
*''Liolaemus chungara''
*'' Liolaemus cinereus''
*'' Liolaemus coeruleus''
*''Liolaemus confusus''
*''Liolaemus constanzae''
*'' Liolaemus crandalli''
*'' Liolaemus cranwelli''
*'' Liolaemus crepuscularis''
*'' Liolaemus cristiani''
*'' Liolaemus curicensis''
*'' Liolaemus curis''
*'' Liolaemus cuyanus''
*'' Liolaemus cuyumhue''
*'' Liolaemus cyaneinotatus''
*''Liolaemus cyanogaster''
*''Liolaemus darwinii''
*''Liolaemus diaguita''
*'' Liolaemus dicktracyi''
*'' Liolaemus disjunctus''
*''Liolaemus ditadai''
*''Liolaemus donosobarrosi''
*'' Liolaemus dorbignyi''
*''Liolaemus duellmani''
*'' Liolaemus dumerili''
*'' Liolaemus eleodori''
*'' Liolaemus elongatus''
*'' Liolaemus erguetae''
*'' Liolaemus erroneus''
*''Liolaemus escarchadosi''
*''Liolaemus espinozai''
*'' Liolaemus etheridgei''
*'' Liolaemus evaristoi''
*'' Liolaemus exploratorum''
*''Liolaemus fabiani''
*''Liolaemus famatinae''
*'' Liolaemus fittkaui''
*'' Liolaemus fitzgeraldi''
*'' Liolaemus fitzingerii''
*''Liolaemus flavipiceus''
*'' Liolaemus forsteri''
*'' Liolaemus foxi''
*''Liolaemus frassinettii''
*'' Liolaemus fuscus''
* ''Liolaemus galactostictos''
*'' Liolaemus gallardoi''
*'' Liolaemus gardeli''
*'' Liolaemus goetschi''
*'' Liolaemus gracielae''
*'' Liolaemus gracilis''
*''Liolaemus gravenhorstii''
*'' Liolaemus griseus''
*'' Liolaemus grosseorum''
*''Liolaemus gununakuna''
*''Liolaemus hajeki''
*''Liolaemus halonastes''
*'' Liolaemus hatcheri''
*'' Liolaemus hauthali''
*'' Liolaemus heliodermis''
*''Liolaemus hellmichi''
*'' Liolaemus hermannunezi''
*'' Liolaemus huacahuasicus''
*''Liolaemus huayra''
*'' Liolaemus hugoi''
*'' Liolaemus igneus''
*''Liolaemus inacayali''
*''Liolaemus incaicus''
*'' Liolaemus insolitus''
*'' Liolaemus inti''
*'' Liolaemus irregularis''
*'' Liolaemus isabelae''
*'' Liolaemus islugensis''
*''Liolaemus jamesi''
*'' Liolaemus janequeoae''
*''Liolaemus josei''
*'' Liolaemus juanortizi''
*''Liolaemus kingii''
*''Liolaemus kolengh''
*'' Liolaemus koslowskyi''
*'' Liolaemus kriegi''
*'' Liolaemus kunza''
*''Liolaemus laurenti''
*''Liolaemus lavillai''
*''Liolaemus leftrarui''
*'' Liolaemus lemniscatus''
*'' Liolaemus lentus''
*''Liolaemus lenzi''
*'' Liolaemus leopardinus''
*'' Liolaemus lineomaculatus''
*'' Liolaemus loboi''
*'' Liolaemus lonquimayensis''
*''Liolaemus lopezi''
*'' Liolaemus lorenzmuelleri''
*''Liolaemus lutzae''
*''Liolaemus magellanicus''
*'' Liolaemus maldonadae''
*'' Liolaemus mapuche''
*'' Liolaemus martorii''
*''Liolaemus melaniceps''
*'' Liolaemus melanogaster''
*'' Liolaemus melanopleurus''
*'' Liolaemus melanops''
*'' Liolaemus meraxes''
*'' Liolaemus messii''
*''Liolaemus millcayac''
*''Liolaemus molinai''
*''Liolaemus montanezi''
*''Liolaemus montanus''
*'' Liolaemus monticola''
*''Liolaemus moradoensis''
*''Liolaemus morandae''
*'' Liolaemus morenoi''
*''Liolaemus multicolor''
*'' Liolaemus multiformis''
*'' Liolaemus multimaculatus''
*'' Liolaemus nazca''
*'' Liolaemus neuquensis''
*'' Liolaemus nigriceps''
*'' Liolaemus nigromaculatus''
*'' Liolaemus nigroviridis''
*'' Liolaemus nitidus''
*''Liolaemus normae''
*''Liolaemus occipitalis''
*'' Liolaemus olongasta''
*'' Liolaemus omorfi''
*''Liolaemus orko''
*'' Liolaemus ornatus''
*'' Liolaemus ortizii''
*'' Liolaemus pacha''
*''Liolaemus pachacutec''
*''Liolaemus pachecoi''
*'' Liolaemus pagaburoi''
*'' Liolaemus pantherinus''
*''Liolaemus parthenos''
*'' Liolaemus parvus''
*'' Liolaemus patriciaiturrae''
*'' Liolaemus paulinae''
*''Liolaemus petrophilus''
*'' Liolaemus pictus''
*''Liolaemus pikunche''
*''Liolaemus pipanaco''
*''Liolaemus platei''
*'' Liolaemus pleopholis''
*''Liolaemus poconchilensis''
*'' Liolaemus poecilochromus''
*'' Liolaemus polystictus''
*'' Liolaemus porosus''
*'' Liolaemus pseudoanomalus''
*'' Liolaemus pseudolemniscatus''
*''Liolaemus puelche''
*''Liolaemus pulcherrimus''
*'' Liolaemus puna''
*'' Liolaemus punmahuida''
*''Liolaemus puritamensis''
*'' Liolaemus purul''
*'' Liolaemus pyriphlogos''
*'' Liolaemus qalaywa''
*''Liolaemus quilmes''
*'' Liolaemus quinterosi''
*'' Liolaemus rabinoi''
*'' Liolaemus ramirezae''
*'' Liolaemus reichei''
*'' Liolaemus riojanus''
*'' Liolaemus robertmertensi''
*'' Liolaemus robertoi''
*''Liolaemus robustus''
*'' Liolaemus rosenmanni''
*'' Liolaemus rothi''
*'' Liolaemus ruibali''
*'' Liolaemus sagei''
*'' Liolaemus salinicola''
*''Liolaemus salitrosus''
*'' Liolaemus sanjuanensis''
*''Liolaemus sarmientoi''
*''Liolaemus saxatilis''
*''Liolaemus scapularis''
*'' Liolaemus schmidti''
*'' Liolaemus schroederi''
*'' Liolaemus scolaroi''
*'' Liolaemus scorialis''
*'' Liolaemus scrocchii''
*''Liolaemus senguer''
*'' Liolaemus septentrionalis''
*'' Liolaemus shehuen''
*'' Liolaemus shitan''
*'' Liolaemus signifer''
*'' Liolaemus silvai''
*''Liolaemus silvanae''
*'' Liolaemus sitesi''
*'' Liolaemus smaug''
*'' Liolaemus somuncurae''
*'' Liolaemus stolzmanni''
*'' Liolaemus tacnae''
*''Liolaemus tacora''
*'' Liolaemus tajzara''
*''Liolaemus talampaya''
*''Liolaemus tandiliensis''
*'' Liolaemus tari''
*''Liolaemus tehuelche''
*''Liolaemus telsen''
*''Liolaemus tenuis''
*''Liolaemus terani''
*''Liolaemus thermarum''
*''Liolaemus thomasi''
*''Liolaemus tirantii''
*''Liolaemus tolhuaca''
*''Liolaemus torresi''
*''Liolaemus tregenzai''
*''Liolaemus tristis''
*''Liolaemus tromen''
*''Liolaemus tulkas''
*''Liolaemus ubaghsi''
*''Liolaemus umbrifer''
*''Liolaemus uniformis''
*''Liolaemus uptoni''
*''Liolaemus uspallatensis''
*''Liolaemus valdesianus''
*''Liolaemus vallecurensis''
*''Liolaemus variegatus''
*''Liolaemus velosoi''
*''Liolaemus vhagar''
*''Liolaemus victormoralesii''
*'' Liolaemus villaricensis''
*'' Liolaemus vulcanus''
*'' Liolaemus walkeri''
*'' Liolaemus wari''
*'' Liolaemus warjantay''
*'' Liolaemus wiegmannii''
*'' Liolaemus williamsi''
*'' Liolaemus xanthoviridis''
*''Liolaemus yalguaraz''
*'' Liolaemus yanalcu''
*''Liolaemus yarabamba''
*'' Liolaemus yatel''
*'' Liolaemus yauri''
*'' Liolaemus zabalai''
*'' Liolaemus zapallarensis''
*''Liolaemus zullyae''

Pets

Some species of ''Liolaemus'' have been recently kept as pets, and as many of them originate from regions that experience cold conditions, they are named "snow swifts". More generally, the genus is known as "tree iguanas".

References

Further reading

* Boulenger GA (1885). ''Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume II. Iguanidæ ...'' London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiii + 497 pp. + Plates I-XXIV. (Genus ''"Liolæmus"'', p. 138).
* Wiegmann AFA (1834). "''Beiträge zur Zoologie, gesammelt auf einer Reise um die Erde. Siebente Abhandlung. Amphibien'' ". ''Nova Acta Physico-Medica, Academiae Caesare Leopoldino-Carolinae'' 17: 185-268 + Plates XIII-XXII. (''Liolaemus'', new genus, p. 227). (in German and Latin).

External links

*
Cyber Lizard A look at the Iguanids

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1828757

Reptiles of South America
Liolaemidae
Lizard genera
Taxa named by Arend Friedrich August Wiegmann