Matuasto

The matuasto is a stout lizard with a broad, angular head, strong short limbs and a tapering tail longer than its body. Dark, pale-edged markings form a broken pattern along the back. Its heavy build is very different from the slender outlines of many other small Patagonian lizards.

It inhabits scrub where the Monte meets Patagonian steppe, often on sandy ground scattered with pebbles. Arthropods form an important part of its food, and it lays eggs. Its mottled pattern blends with the stony ground and dry vegetation.

In our region. A regional resident whose visibility depends on weather, temperature and local shelter. It is an occasional discovery rather than an assured feature of a terrestrial outing.