A new species of fan-throated lizard of the genus Sitana Cuvier, 1829 is described from northern Karnataka, India. The new species is similar to members of the clade of Sitanaspinaecephalus Deepak et al., 2016, however, can be distinguished based on morphological as well as molecular data. Sitana dharwarensissp. nov. differs from its sister species, S. laticeps Deepak & Giri, 2016 in bearing a much larger dewlap. Data from micro-CT scan of the cranium and jaws further add support to the distinctness of the new species. The rivers, namely Krishna and Tungabhadra, likely act as a biogeographic barrier for terrestrial lizard species
