| Liolaemus fabiani | |
|---|---|
| |
| Liolaemus fabiani in the Salar de Atacama | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Iguania |
| Family: | Liolaemidae |
| Genus: | Liolaemus |
| Species: | L. fabiani
|
| Binomial name | |
| Liolaemus fabiani | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
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.[3] The species is native to Chile.
The specific name, fabiani, is in honor of Chilean ecologist Fabián Jaksic.[4]
L. fabiani is endemic to the Salar de Atacama, the Atacama salt flat, in northern Chile.[5]
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.[6]
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.[1]
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."[6]
L. fabiani preys upon mosquitoes and other insects.[1]
L. fabiani is viviparous.[2]
