Liolaemus frassinettii, a new species of lizard from the heights of Cantillana hill, Metropolitan Region. (Reptilia, Sauria)

Abstract

Liolaemus frassinettii is described as a new species of lizard. This taxon inhabits the summit of Cantillana hill in the Costal range at Western central Chile. Morphologically it is related to Liolaemus valdesianus which is restricted to the upper Andean areas of the Maipo river basin. This species belongs to the "elongatus" group which oversparses its species either in Chilean and Argentinean Andean range. Mountain and valley model of speciation is invoked to explain the existence of this species belonging to a group, so far known only from the Andean areas. As a diagnostic feature can be assessed the striking enlarged infralabials scales, not known in other species of the group nor in the Chilean species of the genus Liolaemus.