What question did this study set out to answer?

To document the occurrence of the Western Andean Lizard, Andinosaura vespertina, in Peru and assess its conservation status.

April 11, 2026Reptiles & Amphibians0 citationsOpen Access

Crossing frontiers: First record of the Western Andean Lizard, Andinosaura vespertina (Kizirian 1996), in Peru

GCGermán Chávez WAWilmar Aznaran KVKaren Yuliana Victoriano-Cigüeñas

Key Points

To document the occurrence of the Western Andean Lizard, Andinosaura vespertina, in Peru and assess its conservation status.
Conducted targeted visual encounter surveys at altitudes of 2,250-2,600 m ASL.
Employed intensive methods including excavation of moss layers and inspecting root networks.
Surveyed two localities using a team of five researchers over two days.
First record of Andinosaura vespertina in Peru confirmed through field surveys.
Captured and identified four individuals including two adult males, one adult female, and one juvenile.
Findings raise concerns about the conservation status due to ongoing habitat degradation.

Abstract

Listed as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Cisneros-Heredia 2019) largely due to threats from agricultural expansion, cattle grazing, and the replacement of native vegetation with exotic timber plantations, some populations remain in protected areas like the Reserva Biolgica Utuana in southwestern Ecuador (Reyes-Puig et al. 2008).Citing IUCN criteria, Arteaga (2023), due to the existence of only three known populations and ongoing habitat degradation, proposed reclassifying the species from Vulnerable to Endangered (EN).The southernmost locality for Andinosaura vespertina was within about 50 km of the Peruvian border (Reyes-Puig et al. 2008), raising the possibility of its occurrence in adjacent habitats in northern Peru.With this in mind, we conducted targeted visual encounter surveys (VES) between 2,250-2,600 m asl during a field expedition to the Cordillera de Huancabamba in northwestern Peru.Given the species' cryptozoic habits, we employed intensive methods, including excavation of moss layers, overturning rocks, and inspecting root networks in remnant shrublands, forest edges, and even modified agricultural landscapes, during surveys conducted at two localities by a team of five researchers (20 personhours at both sites) on 9 and 15 July 2024 (Fig. 1).Captured lizards were photographed, measured, euthanized using T61, fixed in 10% formalin, and stored in 70% ethanol, following protocols in Beaupre et al. (2004).Voucher specimens were deposited in the Herpetological Collection of the Centro de Ornitologa y Biodiversidad (CORBIDI), Lima, Peru, and the identity of the species was confirmed by Pablo J. Venegas.At midday on 9 July 2024, we collected two adult males (CORBIDI 26885; CORBIDI 26888, Fig. 2A-B), an adult female (CORBIDI 26886), and a juvenile (CORBIDI 26884) on the trail to Bosque de Ramos, about 2.6 km SE of Espindola Village, Ayabaca Province, Piura Region, Peru

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