Telmatobius solitarius n. sp.: A New Rare Telmatobiid Frog from the Highland Patagonian Territories (Rio Negro, Argentina)

Telmatobius solitarius, a new rare species from the ancient volcanic tableland of Southern Pilcaniyeu (Rio Negro, Argentina), is described. Its general relationships with the recently discovered Telmatobius praebasalticus and T. reverbera are discussed. The general features of such a chain of semiterrestrial telmatobiid frogs from the highland Patagonian territories are pointed out.Material digitalizado en SEDICI gracias a la colaboración del Dr. Jorge Williams (FCNM-UNLP).Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Geographical barriers and serological relationships in some african toads of the Bufo regularis complex

Serological relationships of several African toads of the Bufo regularis group have been studied. Two fundamental assemblies of populations were recognizable by crossed precipitin tests. They seem correpond to the Blair’s «Western» and «Eastern» groups in accordance with their reciprocal rate of genetic compatibility. Between the regularis toads North and South of Cunene river percent values of homo-heterologous precipitin reactions range between 70.4 - 72.9 %. On the other hand the Angolan populations and the isolated regularis populations from Djanet (Sahara: Algeria) show values ranging between 80.6 - 87.0 %, in spite of the wide geographical intervals. Serological distance increases between regularis toads and the several allo- -sympatric species belonging to the same regularis complex, such as pardalis, rangeri or maculatus-pusillus, (range of percent values between 60.5 - 69.0%). Furthermore a noticeable similarity is remarkable between rangeri and pardalis (83.7 - 84.7 %) in accordance with Poynton’s systematic statements (1964). Evolutive features of this troublesome group of toads were briefly discussed. The paleogeographic interest of the pleistocenic climatic cycles of the present Saharian Desert and the ancient Kalahari Basin were also emphasized as very important ecological barriers.Material digitalizado en SEDICI gracias a la colaboración del Dr. Jorge Williams (FCNM-UNLP).Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

The Present Taxo-Serological Works in the Field or Herpetology at the institute Biologia Animal Cuyo University, Mendoza, Argentina

Since several years ago the precipitin immunological tests are utilized as a routine technique in the herpetological works of the Institute of Animal Biology, the Cuyo University, Mendoza, Argentina. ’l'he fitness of the method enables it to contribute very effectively to the solution of, or the adequate approach to, a number of phvletic or taxogenetic problems, which are difficult to solve by the accessible morphological evidence alone, 'l'he discriminating significance of the whole antigenic systems of the sera by means of (he immunological comparisons indicate. the progressive levels of the genetic ami taxonomic relationships, such as at the .subspecific or generic levels. It would be difficult, of course, to establish a rigid yardstick measuring in numerical terms both the phyletic (or genetic) and serological distances. But the repeated quantitative expression of the homo-heterologous precipitin reactions may provide a true biologically objective kind of evidence which is probably more natural than most of the diagnostic characters currently used in taxonomy. I wish to enumerate here a number of works being carried out at this time in our Laboratory, utilizing the Libby’s Photron- reflectomctric technique. They deal with different groups of Sauria and Anura, both from the Neotropical and Palearctic biotas.Material digitalizado en SEDICI gracias a la colaboración del Dr. Jorge Williams (FCNM-UNLP).Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Further comments on the holotype of <i>Liolaemus ruizleali</i> Donoso Barros and Cei, 1971, from northern Patagonia, Argentina (Reptilia, Iguanidae)

To avoid misleading or controversial interpretations of the present taxonomic status of Liolaemus ruizleali Donoso Barros and Cei, 1971, the original description of its holotype is carefully compared with the morphological characters of Liolaemus rothi Koslowsky, 1898. No differences are shown by such a careful checking, thus the taxonomic status of Liolaemus ruizleali as a synonymous of Liolaemus rothi is again supported by unquestionable kinds of evidence.Material digitalizado en SEDICI gracias a la colaboración del Dr. Jorge Williams (FCNM-UNLP).Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

On a Paraguayan sample of a long time confused species: <i>Physalaemus fuscomaculatus</i> (Steindachner, 1864) (Anura, Leptodactylidae)

The poorly known taxon Physalaemus fuscomaculatus (Steindachner, 1864) is now defined and illustrated on the basis of a still unidentified sample of Paraguayan specimens from the Zoological Museum of Turin, Italy, collected in 1893 by A. Borelli close to Rio Apa, atributary of the Paraguay River. The comparison of such a sample with Steindachner’s/holotype was earned out and a suitable iconographie documentation is presented. The identity of Steindachner’s holotype and Borelli’s sample was unquestionably supported, and a new suitable description of the species, on the basis of the original description, is now available. This paper contributes to clarify more than a century of taxonomic confusion, having been long time neglected Physalaemus biligonigerus (Cope, 1860) owing to a misled diagnosis of Physalaemus fuscomaculatus (=Paludicola fuscomaculata) since Boulenger’s time.Una antica raccolta di A. Borelli nella regione di Rio Apa, Paraguay, è stata studiata e confrontata con il tipo di Physalaemus fuscomaculatus (Steindachner, 1864), depositato nel Naturhistorisches Museum di Vienna. Confermata la sua identità con detta specie, rara e poco conosciuta, ne è stata possibile una nuova descrizione, redatta sulla base del lavoro originale di Steindachner e accompagnata da una soddisfacente documentazione iconografica. Si è dato così un contributo alla chiarificazione di una oscura situazione tassonomica, protratta per oltre un secolo e dovuta alla confusione di tale specie con Physalaemus biligonigerus (Cope, 1860), i cui reali limiti morfologici e biogeografici possono ora essere definiti e inquadrati in una generale discussione del genere Physalaemus e dei suoi gruppi naturali di specie affini.Material digitalizado en SEDICI gracias a la colaboración del Dr. Jorge Williams (FCNM-UNLP).Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Revision of the Patagonian Iguanids of the <i>Liolaemus elongatus</i> Complex

Patagonian lizards of the Liolaemus elongatus complex are revised. The proposed taxonomic arrangement consists of the widespread subandean L. elongatus elongatus (Koslowsky) between 33° and 45° south latitude, L. elongatus petrophilus Donoso B. and Cei from Central Rio Negro uplands and Northern Chubut, and a new allosympatric, closely related form, L. austromendocinus sp.nov., here described, from southern Mendoza Province, Argentina. Geographical variation and clinal trends of L. elongatus elongatus are analyzed and discussed. Sympatry and serological relationships of L. elongatus elongatus and L. austromendocinus north of the Barrancas-Colorado river are reported and criticized.Material digitalizado en SEDICI gracias a la colaboración del Dr. Jorge Williams (FCNM-UNLP).Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

A New Endemic Lizard from Sierra Pie de Palo in Western Argentina

Endemic herpetofaunal elements characterize the several extra-Andean or Pampean embossments extending along the Andean mountains of Argentina, from 27° to 32° south latitude. That endemism is in agreement with both the independent tectonic and geological history of the isolated Pampean mountains (Caminos, 1979), and the geographical and ecological barriers resulting from the paleoclimatic events of the late Pleistocene glaciation (Cei, 1980a). The Sierra Pie de Palo is a steep longitudinal Precambrian and Paleozoic relief, 60 km long and 30 km wide, from 31°05' to 31°40' south latitude. It rises about 30 km east of the easternmost precordilleran slopes, at San Juan, central Argentina (Fig. 1). A preliminary ecological and biogeographical study of that still unexplored extra-Andean embossment revealed its peculiar physiognomic features (Cei, 1980b). Three phytogeographical and faunal altitudinal zones were recognized. In the higher zone, from 2800 to 3200 m, up to the summit, the only reptile found was a moderate-sized iguanid lizard of the genus Liolaemus. It is closely related to the Andean-Patagonian bibroni group, but is distinct from all other known taxa in significant morphological characters. Specimens of the new species are in the Museo Zoologico, Florence, Italy (MZUF), the Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas (KU), the Instituto M. Lillo, Universidad Nacional de Tu- cuman, Argentina G*ML) and in J. M. Cei-Diag- nostic Collection (JMC-DC).Material digitalizado en SEDICI gracias a la colaboración del Dr. Jorge Williams (FCNM-UNLP).Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

A new species of Tropidurus (Sauria, Iguanidae) from the arid Chacoan and western regions of Argentina

Se describe una nueva especie del grupo torquatus del genero Tropidurus—T. etheridgei de la región chaqueña, distribuida entre los 33° y 19° de latitud sur, y desde las laderas orientales andinas y los bordes del Paraná, en Paraguay y Corrientes. Esta nueva especie es característica de la amplia cuenca continental de génesis y especiación del dominio chaqueño, y como en el caso de otros elementos herpetofaunisticos de la misma área, ha llegado probablemente a diferenciarse en los periodos mas áridos del Pleistoceno. Se reconoce de las poblaciones limítrofes de la cuenca paranense por una significativa combinación de caracteres, entre estos la ausencia de cavidades o “bolsillos” cutáneos axilares e inguinales, diferencias en la lepidosis cefálica y el mayor tamaño de las escamas (79-84 alreadedor del cuerpo en los machos, 88-94 en las hembras, contra 90-116 y 101-128, respectivamente, en las poblaciones al este del Paraná). Se hace un resumen del presente estado taxonómico del grupo, actualmente en revisión y aparentemente formado por conjuntos de poblaciones, bien diferenciadas y probablemente aisladas a nivel específico: al norte del Rio Amazonas, en la región costera nororiental brasileña, en la costa dunosa al norte de Río de Janeiro, y en la mencionada región de la cuenca del Paraná, en contacto con T. etheridgei.Material digitalizado en SEDICI gracias a la colaboración del Dr. Jorge Williams (FCNM-UNLP).Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Two New Species of Ctenoblepharis (Reptilia, Iguanidae) from the Arid Environments of the Central Argentina (Mendoza Province)

Two new species of the iguanid genus Ctenoblepharis, C. donoso barrosi and C. rabinoi, are described, on the basis of adult specimens collected from the arid lands of the southeastern Mendoza province, Argentina. General notes on the geographical distribution and ecological features of the genus are included.Material digitalizado en SEDICI gracias a la colaboración del Dr. Jorge Williams (FCNM-UNLP).Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Range extension of Leptodactylus bufonius

Recently I reported the presence of the chacoan batrachian Leptodactylus bufonius in the clayey soils of Jarilla, Alto Pencoso and Balde in San Luis, central Argentina (1955, Copeia (4); 291). The possibility was considered that this frog shares the underground social burrows of the rodents of the Lagidium group (vizcacheras) also found analogously in the true chacoan biocenosis. I can state now that some of the rodent communities observed in this xeric area are those of Lagostomus maximus (vizcacha pampeana); also there are many burrows of Galea (cuis) and Microcavia (Cavidae of the Kerodon group) as in the plains of La Rioja.Material digitalizado en SEDICI gracias a la colaboración del Dr. Jorge Williams (FCNM-UNLP).Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse