A New Species of Abronia (Squamata Anguidae) from the Sierra Madre del sur of Oaxaca, Mexico

A newly discovered species of arboreal alligator lizard of the genus Abronia is described from the Sierra Madre del Sur of Oaxaca, Mexico. It appears to be most closely related to A. mixteca and A. oaxacae, but differs from these species (and others in the subgenus Abronia) in a number of features, including the combination of having two primary temporals contacting the postocular series, the anterior superciliary contacting the cantholoreal, six to eight nuchals in a transverse row across the nape, minimally seven to eight scales between large nuchals and ventral scales on neck, and 32-35 transverse rows of dorsal scales. This new species is the only species of Abronia known from the central and western portions of the Sierra de Miahuatlan in the southern part of the Sierra Madre del Sur, although A. oaxacae occurs to the east in this range. Many of the arboreal and secretive species of Abronia have avoided discovery until relatively recently, with about a third of known species described in the last 3 decades.