Phymaturus is a genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 of iguania

Iguania

Iguania is the suborder of Squamata that contains the iguanas, chameleons, agamids, and "New World lizards" such as anoles and Phrynosomatidae...

n "lizard

Lizard

Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...

s" of the family

Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...

 Liolaemidae

Liolaemidae

Liolaemidae are a family of iguanian lizards. They are traditionally included in the Iguanidae as subfamily Liolaeminae, which some more recent authors prefer to delimit in a more restricted way...

, which is traditionally included in the Iguanidae

Iguanidae

Iguanidae is a family of lizards, composed of iguanas and related species.-Classification of Iguanidae:Two different classification schemes have been used to define the structure of this family. These are the "traditional" classification and the classification presented by Frost et al. .Frost et...

 as subfamily but more recently was proposed to warrant distinct family status. It is the mid-sized genus of its family, with 20 species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 altogether known as of 2008; new species are still being discovered however.

They are found in the Andes

Andes

The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...

 region south to Patagonia

Patagonia

Patagonia is a region located in Argentina and Chile, integrating the southernmost section of the Andes mountains to the southwest towards the Pacific ocean and from the east of the cordillera to the valleys it follows south through Colorado River towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean...

 and inhabit a variety of habitat

Habitat

* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...

s. Their habits are mostly conserved from the ancestral iguanians, insofar as that Phymaturus are generally inhabitants of rocky ground that feed on plant

Plant

Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...

s and give birth to fully developed young.

Systematics

The genus can be divided into two lineages, which probably represent clade

Clade

A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...

s:

flagellifer group

Superciliar scales not imbricate, more than four subocular scales, 3-4 rows of lorilabial scales, mental scale narrower than rostral scale and usually touching the sublabial scales. Tail spines well-developed, two annuli

Annulus (zoology)

In zoology, an annulus is an external circular ring. Annuli are commonly found in segmented animals such as earthworms and leeches. The bodies of these annelids are externally marked by annuli that are arranged in series with each other....

 per segment

Segment

Segment may mean:*The divisions found in the internal section of a citrus fruit* Market segment, the smaller subgroups comprising a marketComputing*Segmentation , the division of computer memory into segments...

.

• Phymaturus antofagastensis Pereyra, 1985
• Phymaturus flagellifer (Molina, 1782) (= P. palluma)
• Phymaturus mallimaccii Cei, 1980
• Phymaturus punae Cei, Etheridge & Videla, 1983
• Phymaturus roigorum Lobo & Abdala, 2007
• Phymaturus verdugo Cei & Videla, 2003
• Phymaturus vociferator Pincheira-Donoso, 2004 (= P. dorsimaculatus)

patagonicus group

Superciliar scales elongate and overlapping, one usually unfragmented subocular scale, tail smooth, Meckel's groove fused and closed.

• Phymaturus agilis Scolaro, Ibargüengoytía & Pincheira-Donoso, 2008 (formerly in P. spectabilis)
• Phymaturus calcogaster Scolaro & Cei, 2003
• Phymaturus ceii Scolaro & Ibargüengoytía, 2007
• Phymaturus delheyi Avila et al., 2011
• Phymaturus excelsus Lobo & Quinteros, 2005
• Phymaturus indistinctus Cei & Castro, 1973
• Phymaturus nevadoi Cei & Castro, 1973
• Phymaturus patagonicus Koslowsky, 1898
• Phymaturus payuniae Cei & Castro, 1973
• Phymaturus sitesi Avila et al., 2011
• Phymaturus somuncurensis Cei & Castro, 1973
• Phymaturus spectabilis Lobo & Quinteros, 2005
• Phymaturus spurcus Barbour 1921
• Phymaturus tenebrosus Lobo & Quinteros, 2005
• Phymaturus zapalensis Cei & Castro, 1973