Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Type: Article
Published: 2009-02-02
Page range: 53–67
Abstract views: 32
PDF downloaded: 2

Lizard in the clouds: a new highland genus and species of Gymnophthalmidae (Reptilia: Squamata) from Maringma tepui, western Guyana

Department of Vertebrates, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, 29 rue Vautier, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium
Reptilia Pantepuisaurus rodriguesi gen. nov. sp. nov. endemism Guiana Shield microteiid Pantepui taxonomy tepuis

Abstract

A new genus is erected for Pantepuisaurus rodriguesi gen. nov. sp. nov., collected at 2080 m elevation on Mount Maringma, a sandstone flat-topped table mountain (tepui) located in the eastern Pakaraima Mountains, at the GuyanaBrazil border. The new genus mainly differs from all other known gymnophthalmids by the following combination of characters: distinctive ear opening and moveable eyelids, limbs pentadactyl with all digits clawed, prefrontals present, interparietal and parietals forming a jagged, irregular posterior margin, three pairs of genials, second pair of genials in contact with only one infralabial, dorsal scales hexagonal, keeled, in transverse rows only, ventral scales imbricate, hexagonal, mucronate, broadly keeled, in transverse rows only, and hemipenis weakly bilobed with series of curved transverse plicae bearing mineralized spicules.

References

  1. Castoe, T.A., Doan, T.M. & Parkinson, C.L. (2004) Data partitions and complex models in Bayesian analysis: The phylogeny of gymnophthalmid lizards. Systematic Biology, 53, 448–469.

    Doan, T.M. & Castoe, T.A. (2005) Phylogenetic taxonomy of the Cercosaurini (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae), with new genera for species of Neusticurus and Proctoporus. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 143, 405–416.

    Frost, D.R. (2008) Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 5.2 (15 July 2008). American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. Available from: http://research.amnh.org/herpetology/amphibia/index.php.

    Gorzula, S. & Señaris, J.C. (1999) [‘‘1998’’] Contribution to the herpetofauna of the Venezuelan Guayana. I. A database. Scientia Guaianae, 8, 1–269.

    Harris, D.M. (1994) Review of the teiid lizard genus Ptychoglossus. Herpetological Monographs, 8, 226–275.

    Hoogmoed, M.S. & Avila-Pires, T.C.S. (1992) Studies on the species of the South American lizard genus Arthrosaura Boulenger (Reptilia: Sauria: Teiidae), with the resurrection of two species. Zoologische Verhandelingen, Leiden, 66, 16–40.

    Kizirian, D.A. (1996) A review of Ecuadorian Proctoporus (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae) with descriptions of nine new species. Herpetological Monographs, 10, 85–155.

    Kok, P.J.R. (2005) A new genus and species of gymnophthalmid lizard (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae) from Kaieteur National Park, Guyana. Bulletin de L’Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique, Biologie, 75, 35–45.

    Kok, P.J.R. (2008) A new highland species of Arthrosaura Boulenger, 1885 (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae) from Maringma tepui on the border of Guyana and Brazil. Zootaxa, 1909, 1–15.

    MacCulloch, R.D. & Lathrop, A. (2001) A new species of Arthrosaura (Sauria: Teiidae) from the highlands of Guyana. Caribbean Journal of Science, 37, 174–181.

    Means, D.B. & Savage, J.M. (2007) Three new malodorous rainfrogs of the genus Pristimantis (Anura: Brachycephalidae) from the Wokomung Massif in west-central Guyana, South America. Zootaxa, 1658, 39–55.

    Myers, C.W. & Donnelly, M.A. (2001) Herpetofauna of the Yutajé-Corocoro Massif, Venezuela: Second report from the Robert G. Goelet American Museum-Terramar Expedition to the northwestern tepuis. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 261, 1–85.

    Myers, C.W. & Donnelly, M.A. (2008) The summit herpetofauna of Auyantepui, Venezuela: report from the Robert G. Goelet American Museum–Terramar expedition. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 308, 1–147.

    Oftedal, O.T. (1974) A revision of the genus Anadia (Sauria, Teiidae). Arquivos de Zoología 25, 203–265.

    Pellegrino, K.C.M., Rodrigues, M.T., Yonenaga-Yassuda, Y. & Sites Jr., J.W. (2001) A molecular perspective on the evolution of microteiids lizards (Squamata, Gymnophthalmidae), and a new classification for the family. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 74, 315–338.

    Rodrigues, M.T. & Maranhão dos Santos, E. (2008) A new genus and species of eyelid-less and limb-reduced gymnophthalmid lizard from northeastern Brazil (Squamata, Gymnophthalmidae). Zootaxa, 1873, 50–60.

    Rodrigues, M.T., Dixo, M., Pavan, D. & Kruth Verdade, V. (2002) A new species of Leposoma (Squamata, Gymnophthalmidae) from the remnant Atlantic Forests of the state of Bahia, Brazil. Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia, 42, 335–350.

    Rodrigues, M.T., Freire, E.M.X., Pellegrino, K.C.M & Sites Jr., J.W. (2005) Phylogenetic relationships of a new genus and species of microteiid lizard from the Atlantic forest of north-eastern Brazil (Squamata, Gymnophthalmidae). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 144, 543–557.

    Rodrigues, M.T., Pellegrino, K.C.M, Dixo, M., Kruth Verdade, V., Pavan, D., Argolo, A.J.S. & Sites Jr., J.W. (2007) A new genus of microteiid lizard from the Atlantic forests of State of Bahia, Brazil, with a new generic name for Colobosaura mentalis, and a discussion of relationships among the Heterodactylini (Squamata, Gymnophthalmidae). American Museum Novitates, 3565, 1–27.

    Uzzell, T.M. (1969) The status of the genera Ecpleopus, Arthroseps and Aspidolaemus (Sauria, Teiidae). Postilla, 135, 1–23

    Uzzell, T. (1973) A revision of lizards of the genus Prionodactylus, with a new genus for P. leucostictus and notes on the genus Euspondylus (Sauria, Teiidae). Postilla, 159, 1–67.