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New species of Andean lizard

4/26/2023

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A team of researchers has discovered a new species of lizard in the montane forest of Huánuco Department in Peru. The team, led by Germán Chávez, collected three specimens of the new terrestrial lizard during a small field survey in June 2018. The team has named the new species Selvasaura candesi, honouring CANDES, a Peruvian organization that supported this research.
The discovery of Selvasaura candesi is significant because it expands the understanding of the neotropical lizards of the subfamily Cercosaurinae. 

The western side of the eastern Andes in northern Peru has been poorly explored. However, the pacification process starting in the early 2000s has allowed scientists to explore the region. The discovery of Selvasaura candesi in the montane forest of Huánuco Department in Peru highlights the potential for more new species discoveries in this region.
The Peruvian team used morphological and genetic evidence to support the recognition of Selvasaura candesi as a new species. They also suggests that an integrative taxonomy approach is a critical tool to identify Selvasaura lizards. 
This new discovery of Selvasaura candesi contributes to our understanding of the diversity of this genus, and highlights the need for further exploration in poorly explored areas. The findings of this study have been published in the journal Evolutionary Systematics.
Chávez, G., L. A. Garcia-Ayachi, A. Catenazzi. 2023. A new species of Microteiid Lizard (Gymnophthalmidae, Cercosaurini, Selvasaura) from a remote area in the Peruvian Andes. Evolutionary Systematics 7: 123-132.
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Cover of colombian newspaper

4/6/2023

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Our collaborative study on Ranavirus in Colombia (see a previous blog post here), led by collaborator and first author Vicky Flechas (in the picture holding a copy of the newspaper) was featured on the front page of one of Colombia's most influential newspapers, El Espectador. The newspaper article reports the main findings of the study, along with extracts from interviews to Vicky and Alessandro. The study found Ranavirus in 14 of 274 individuals from 8 of 41 sampled localities, including highland and lowland sites. Little is known about the distribution and consequences of Ranavirus infection in tropical mountains and forests, where emergent diseases such as Ranavirus and chytridiomycosis threaten amphibian biodiversity. Frog species richness is highest in the humid slopes of the Andes, and Colombia is one of the countries with the highest number of amphibian species. 

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Cara receives Honorable Mention at GRFP

4/2/2023

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Cara received an Honorable Mention for her research proposal submitted to the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. Although not funded (so close!), the mention indicates the reviewers and NSF officers highly rated her proposal. Congratulations Cara!
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