Liolaemus fabiani facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Liolaemus fabiani |
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| Liolaemus fabiani in the Salar de Atacama | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Liolaemus
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| Species: |
fabiani
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Liolaemus fabiani, also known commonly as Fabian's lizard, Yanez's tree iguana, and lagartija de Fabián in Spanish, is a species of lizard in the family Liolaemidae. The species is native to Chile.
Etymology
The specific name, fabiani, is in honor of Chilean ecologist Fabián Jaksic.
Geographic range
L. fabiani is endemic to the Salar de Atacama, the Atacama salt flat, in northern Chile.
The species was first described by José L. Yáñez and Herman Núñez in 1983, from a sample collected at a high elevation, 2,450 m (8,040 ft), near San Pedro de Atacama in Llano de Vilama in September 1981 by the Chilean National Museum of Natural History.
Habitat
The preferred natural habitat of L. fabiani is hot desert, at altitudes of 2,300–3,000 m (7,500–9,800 ft), where it is found near water, and has been observed swimming in search of prey.
Description
Principle diagnostic features of L. fabiani are: "subtriangular head with temporal and occipital regions more prominent than in other species of the genus; dorsal humeral scales smooth and triangular; color pattern ornamented with red and black spots."
Diet
L. fabiani preys upon mosquitoes and other insects.
Reproduction
L. fabiani is viviparous.
See also
In Spanish: Lagartija de Fabián para niños
