Liolaemus neuquensis Müller & Hellmich, 1939

Pincheira-Donoso, Daniel, Scolaro, J. Alejandro & Sura, Piotr, 2008, A monographic catalogue on the systematics and phylogeny of the South American iguanian lizard family Liolaemidae (Squamata, Iguania), Zootaxa 1800, pp. 1-85 : 27

Liolaemus neuquensis Müller & Hellmich

Liolaemus altissimus neuquensis Müller & Hellmich 1939a: 113 (type locality: Copahue Volcano, near Baños de Copahue, 1800 m, Neuquén Province, Argentina); Donoso-Barros 1970a: 180; Cei 1986: 247.

Liolaemus bellii neuquensis Vanzolini 1986: 13 ; Laurent 1992: 31; Etheridge 1995: 33.

Liolaemus neuquensis Videla & Cei 1996: 511, 1998: 63 ; Etheridge & Espinoza 2000: 7; Cei & Videla 2003a: 278; Chebez et al. 2005: 33; Sura 2005: 429; Díaz & Lobo 2006: 264; Scolaro 2006: 44; Pincheira-Donoso & Scolaro 2007: 57.

Observations: Liolaemus neuquensis remains one of the less known species of the genus Liolaemus . So far, only limited information has been provided in general monographs (e.g. Cei 1986). For example, nothing is known about detailed aspects of its ecology (e.g. Cei 1986). Also, hypotheses focusing on the systematic relationships of this lizard with other boreal patagonian species lacking precloacal glands have just recently been developed ( Videla & Cei 1996; Cei & Videla 2002, 2003a). Furthermore, the limited general information available on this lizard has also led to indicate that its variation, and hence its specific boundaries, are poorly documented, and that it might be conspecific to L. coeruleus Cei & Ortiz ( Pincheira-Donoso & Scolaro 2007) . In a recent study, Pincheira-Donoso & Scolaro (2007) compared a series of phenotypic traits measured in L. coeruleus , L. neuquensis and L. tregenzai . These authors observed that only L. tregenzai differed significantly from the other two species in most of these variables, which, in contrast (including aspects of their colour patterns) do not differ clearly between L. coeruleus and L. neuquensis . Although Pincheira-Donoso & Scolaro (2007) suggested that such trait overlap is not powerful enough to consider that L. coeruleus and L. neuquensis are actually the same species, they claimed that their similar patterns of trait variation may be indicative of potential conspecificity. A detailed study is therefore needed to clarify the status of these taxa.