New lizard species discovered in Peru

LIMA, Peru — Scientists have discovered a new lizard species in Peru, the national conservation agency said Tuesday.

The new species, called Liolaemus warjantay, was found in the Peruvian Andes at an altitude of 4,500 meters (14,700 feet), according to a statement from the National Service of Natural Areas Protected by the State.

"A valuable contribution of Peru's protected natural areas to the world is the recent discovery of a new species of lizard," the statement said.

The lizard's head is dark gray, and females have pale yellow eyelids.

Undated picture distributed by the Peruvian National Service of Natural Areas Protected by the State (SERNANP) on September 28, 2021, of a Liolaemus Warjantay, a new species of lizard discovered in the Cotahuasi Reserve, in Arequipa, Peru. The new species belongs to the genus Liolaemus, characterized for having one of the greatest diversities of known lizards, more than 280 different species, which inhabit much of the surface of South America and have the ability to adapt to an extraordinary variety of habitats.

SERNANP / AFP

SERNANP / AFP

SERNANP / AFP

The discovery was registered a few weeks ago in cooperation with scientists from Argentina, Chile and Bolivia.

The Cotahuasi Subbasin Landscape Reserve, where the lizard was found, is a protected area in the Arequipa region in southwestern Peru, with an area of 490,550 hectares (1,900 square miles).