REASSESSMENT OF THE CONSERVATION STATUS OF THE CHILEAN DESERT LIZARD Liolaemus torresi (NÚÑEZ, NAVARRO, GARÍN, PINCHEIRA-DONOSO & MERIGGIO, 2003, SQUAMATA, LIOLAEMIDAE): AN ENDANGERED (EN) OR NEAR THREATENED SPECIES (NT)?

Abstract

Liolaemus torresi is a small lizard that inhabits Chile’s Atacama Desert, which is the driest desert in the world. The species was first recorded in 1983, and no more specimens were seen until 2001. Several authors have stated that L. torresi has extremely low population densities and, to date, it has been recorded in only 18 localities. In 2017, the IUCN listed L. torresi as an Endangered species (EN B1abiii,v), based on the B1 criterion of Extent of Occurrence (EOO). However, the EOO polygon did not include the type locality, the paratypes collection localities, the southernmost records, or several of the northernmost records of its distributional range. The Chilean State, through the Ministry of the Environment, initially (2018) proposed a similar conservation category (EN B1abiii + 2abiii), but later (2020) a decree listed L. torresi as Near Threatened (NT). In this paper, we expand the distributional range of L. torresi (four new records) and provide evidence for some previous records that had been lacking it. Since the IUCN (EN) and the Chilean (NT) conservation categories do not match, we reassess the conservation status of L. torresi using updated information and following the IUCN categories and criteria. We conclude that L. torresi should be categorized as NT, and provide all the necessary background for a further Red List update.