A new lizard species has been discovered in Peru’s Otishi National Park (Parque Nacional Otishi).
It is a new specimen of the genus Proctoporus, which includes species that live in the Yungas forests and high mountain pastures on the Amazon slope of the Andes.
The surveys were conducted in the southern part of the park at six sites located between 3,241 and 3,269 meters above sea level in a Puna valley between the departments of Junín and Cusco.
Among the most prominent features of this new species are the smooth scales on the head, which have no stripes or bumps, and the eyelids with an undivided translucent disc.
Males have dark gray to black necks, breasts, and bellies, while females have pale gray necks, breasts, and bellies with a diffuse dark gray.
The study was conducted by researchers Edgar Lehr, Juan Cusi, Maura Fernández, Ricardo Vera, and Alessandro Catenazzi.
Currently, 20 species of Proctoporus are known, 18 of which are found in Peru.
In addition, eight new species of this genus (40%) have been described in the last ten years (2012-2022).