Varzea altamazonica Miralles, Barrio-Amoros, Rivas & Chaparro-Auza, 2006

Llanqui, Irbin B., Y. Salas, Cinthya & Oblitas, Melissa P., 2019, A preliminary checklist of amphibians and reptiles from the vicinity of La Nube Biological Station, Bahuaja-Sonene National Park, Peru, Check List 15 (5), pp. 773-796 : 786-787

Varzea altamazonica Miralles, Barrio-Amoros, Rivas & Chaparro-Auza, 2006

Figure 6A, B

Material examined. MUSA 4102; (13°25′42″S, 069°36′ 46″W), 25.IX.2013.

Identification. A relatively large skink, SVL 72.3–97.2 mm. It can be identified by paired prefrontals and fron- toparietals, 7 supralabials, the fifth largest and placed directly below eye. Dorsum variable, typically bronze or light chocolate with many dark brown spots and black lateral stripes. Venter cream, palms and soles are dark brown-black. Similar species in adjacent localities are: Copeoglossum nigropuctatum , which has 8 supralabials, the sixth largest and below eyes; Exila nigropalmata , which has the frontoparietals fused. Morphometrics and pholidosis are presented in Table 5.

Distribution. Varzea altamazonica is widely distributed in western Amazonia in Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, and probably in Ecuador, from 100 to 1239 m a.s.l. ( Miralles et al. 2006, Miralles and Carranza 2010, Koch et al. 2018, Uetz and Hošek 2019).

Remarks. Our individual is a juvenile. Its morphology conforms with the characters provided by Miralles et al. (2006) ( Table 5). This species is distributed throughout almost all of the Peruvian Amazon, especially in its western part including the Tavara basin. Few published studies have recorded this species. Recently, Venegas and Crnobrna (2015) recorded this species at Chocollatillo River, in the western part of BSNP, the first record in Puno Region. Our record is also in Puno Region but represents the southernmost record of this species in Peru. These records suggest that V. altamazonica is relatively common in transition areas between lowland and cloud forest. We agree with Catenazzi et al. (2013), who says V. altamazonica probably also occurs in Manu National Park.