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—Size and disposition of brachial scales of Cnemidophorus ruthveni (A; UMMZ 57264), C. murinus (B; UMMZ 57285), C. nigricolor (C; LACM 109494), La Blanquilla whiptail named below as C. leucopsammus (D; LACM 138126), La Tortuga whiptail named below as C. rostralis (E; SDNHM 34885), C. arubensis (F; UMMZ 57236), C. senectus (G; SDNHM 34910), and C. lemniscatus (H; FMNH 7270).
Source publication
Cnemidophorus nigricolor consists of at least three species rather than a single taxon distributed throughout the Venezuelan Caribbean islands. We describe two new species, one from Isla La Blanquilla and another from Isla La Tortuga. Both species were previously confused with C. nigricolor. The species from Isla La Tortuga is critically threatened...
Context in source publication
Context 1
... conspicuous difference among the insular whiptails is condition of the brachial scales ( Fig. 7). Whiptails from Aruba, La Blanquilla, and La Tortuga have moderately enlarged brachials near the elbow that be- come largest at midarm and decrease in size as they approach the shoulder. In contrast, C. nigricolor has a small patch of only three to five slightly enlarged brachials near the elbow. The condition in C. murinus and C. ...
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Citations
... While the polyphyly of Cnemidophorus remained unresolved, their diversity was noticeably increased with the description of many new species [e.g., Colli et al., 2003 (Cnemidophorus mumbuca); Cabrera, 2004 (Cnemidophorus tergolaevigatus); Colli et al., 2009 (Cnemidophorus jalapensis); Cabrera & Carreira, 2009 (Cnemidophorus charrua); Ugueto et al., 2009 (Cnemidophorus senectus and Cnemidophorus flavissimus); Ugueto & Harvey, 2010 (Cnemidophorus leucopsammus and Cnemidophorus rostralis); Arias et al., 2011a (Cnemidophorus confusionibus and Cnemidophorus venetacaudus); Arias et al., 2011b (Cnemidophorus nigrigula and Cnemidophorus cyanurus); Cabrera, 2012 (Cnemidophorus abalosi) ;Silva & Ávila-Pires, 2013 (Cnemidophorus pyrrhogularis)]. In general, these descriptions of new species were based only on morphology, coloration and/or meristic variables. ...
Formerly Cnemidophorus was thought to be the most speciose genus of Teiidae. This genus comprised four morphological groups that were later defined as four different genera, Ameivula, Aurivela, Cnemidophorus and Contomastix. The last appears as paraphyletic in a recent phylogenetic reconstruction based on morphology, but monophyletic in a reconstruction using molecular characters. Six species are allocated to Contomastix. One of them, C. lacertoides, having an extensive and disjunct geographic distribution in Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil. Preliminary analyses revealed morphological differences among its populations, suggesting that it is actually a complex of species. Here, we describe a new species corresponding to the Argentinian populations hitherto regarded as C. lacertoides, by integrating morphological and molecular evidence. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the presence of notched proximal margin of the tongue is a character that defines the genus Contomastix.
... Based on these results, Harvey et al. (2012) divided Cnemidophorus into four monophyletic genera: (1) the genus Cnemidophorus, including the species of the former C. lemniscatus group (C. arenivagus, C. arubensis, C. cryptus, C. flavissimus, C. gramivagus, C. lemniscatus espeuti, C. lemniscatus gaigei, C. lemniscatus lemniscatus, C. lemniscatus splendidus, C. leucopsammus, C. murinus, C. nigricolor, C. pseudolemniscatus, C. rostralis, C. ruthveni, C. senectus, and C. vanzoi) distributed throughout the islands of the southern Caribbean region and open areas of the Amazon basin (Ugueto and Harvey, 2010); (2) the new genus Aurivela which includes two species (A. longicauda and A. tergolaevigata) from the Monte Desert region in western Argentina (Cei, 1993;Cabrera, 2004); ...
In a recent phylogenetic analysis of Teiidae based on morphological characters, three new genera were erected to remove polyphyletism in the genus Cnemidophorus. Accordingly, Ameivula was proposed to accommodate the species formerly included in the Cnemidophorus ocellifer group, characterized by the presence of granules in the supraocular semicircles, femoral pores fewer than 40, and preanal spurs absent. Here we describe a new species of Ameivula from the mountain region of Parque Nacional Serra do Cipo´ , Minas Gerais, that is apparently endemic to high elevations between 900 and about 1200 m. The new species can be easily distinguished from its congeners by the presence of three supraocular scales, a contact between frontoparietal scale and the third supraoculars (circumorbital with an incomplete series of granules), a third pair of chinshields larger than the others and low number of fourth finger lamellae.
... Noteworthy new records of squamate reptiles (Reptilia: Squamata) from various Venezuelan Caribbean islands, including a new addition to the herpetofauna of Venezuela Ugueto and Harvey 2010;Ugueto and Rivas 2010;Rivas et al. 2013;unpublished data). In this paper we report a new important addition to the Venezuelan herpetofauna, add new distributional records of squamate reptiles, extending their known distribution in Venezuela, and present information on lepidosis and coloration from these specimens. ...
The occurrence of Gymnophthalmus lineatus in Venezuela is established for the first time based on a specimen collected on Las Aves Archipelago. We also document the first records of Phyllodactylus ventralis from Los Frailes Archipelago, Amphisbaena alba from Isla de Margarita, and report the occurrence of Thecadactylus cf. rapicauda on Las Aves Archipelago. Additionally we expand the distribution of the snake Leptophis ahaetulla on Isla de Margarita and report the third specimen known from that island. We also present information on the lepidosis and coloration for all species when pertinent.
... The most important of these early works are those by Peters (1873), Meek (1910), and Hummelinck (1940), in which several species (e.g., Anolis blanquillanus Hummelinck 1940, Cnemidophorus nigricolor Peters 1873, and Phyllodactylus rutteni Hummelinck 1940 were described. However, in recent years, new research has brought to light the fact that the real diversity of herpetofauna from these islands has been greatly underestimated (Ugueto et al., 2009;Ugueto and Harvey, 2010;Ugueto and Rivas, 2010; unpublished data for the authors). ...
... At least six species of Cnemidophorus are distributed throughout non-continental landmasses in the southern Caribbean (Dutch and Venezuelan Antilles), whereas one closely related taxon (C. vanzoi) is present on the tiny Maria Major and Minor islands, off the southeastern coast of St. Lucia (Ugueto and Harvey, 2010). The latter species share numerous morphological characteristics with the southern Caribbean Cnemidophorus (Harvey et al., 2012), once again strengthening a probable zoogeographical link between these islands. ...
A new sphaerodactylid gecko of the genus Gonatodes is described from La Blanquilla Island, located 170 km north of the Venezuelan mainland. This new species exhibits the following suite of characters that immediately separate it from other taxa in the genus: vertically elliptic pupil, small size, uniformly reddish brown, non-sexually dimorphic coloration, and a subcaudal scale pattern type C (1'1 ''). The new species is the fourth Gonatodes endemic to Caribbean islands, the other three being G. antillensis (Bonaire, Curacao, the archipelagos of Las Aves and Los Roques), G. daudini (Union Island, The Grenadines), and G. ocellatus (Tobago). Finally, we discuss the close phylogenetic relationship (based on nuclear genes c-mos and NT3) between the new species and Gonatodes daudini, as well as its zoogeographical implications, showing interesting parallels with that of other Caribbean lizards.
... While reviewing several groups of Cnemidophorus (Harvey, unpublished data;Ugueto & Harvey 2010;Ugueto et al. 2009) and Ameiva (Ugueto & Harvey 2011), we discovered numerous unreported morphological characters of the Teiidae. In a phylogenetic analysis, we combine these new characters with traditional characters used in earlier revisions. ...
... We have shown previously (Ugueto & Harvey 2010) that this character suite is relatively conservative, and this fact is borne out by our wider sampling across the Teiidae. Echternacht (1971) and Presch (1973) referred to the scale inserted between the loreal and first subocular (28.3) as a loreal, respectively considering some specimens of Central American Ameiva as having two loreals and Tupinambis as having 2-3 loreals. ...
... Herein, we refer to these scales as "lateral supraocular granules" (Fig. 14). Previously, we assigned discrete states to the number of rows (Ugueto & Harvey 2010;, however we counted the number of rows in this study. At the suture between the second and third supraocular, the number of rows frequently increases by one (i.e., a "partial row" is added). ...
Despite advances within particular groups, systematics of the Teiidae has long been unsatisfactory, because fewmorphological characters have been described for this family. Consequently, most species have been assigned to the large,polyphyletic, and poorly defined genera Ameiva and Cnemidophorus. We describe 137 morphological characters andscore them for most species of Neotropical Teiidae. Important, but previously undescribed, character suites include pupilshape; the frontal ridge; longitudinal division of the interparietal; the rostral groove; patterns of supraciliary fusion; thepreauricular skin fold; the “toothy” first supralabial; modified apical granules; the pectoral sulcus; expansion of scales atthe heel; tibiotarsal shields; scales between the digital lamellae along the postaxial edges of the toes; scale surfacemicrostructure of macrohoneycomb, macroridges, or lamellae; distribution patterns and morphology of lenticular scaleorgans; types of epidermal generation glands; and several hemipenial structures. We propose a new taxonomy of theTeiidae based on recovered evolutionary history and numerous morphological characters surveyed in this study. Werecognize three subfamilies: Callopistinae new subfamily, Teiinae Estes et al., and Tupinambinae Estes et al. To resolvepolyphyly of Ameiva and Cnemidophorus, we erect four new genera for various groups of Neotropical Teiidae: Ameivulanew genus, Aurivela new genus, Contomastix new genus, and Medopheos new genus. We resurrect Holcosus Cope fromthe synonymy of Ameiva and Salvator Duméril and Bibron from the synonymy of Tupinambis. On the basis of sharedderived characters, we propose new species groups of our redefined Ameiva and Cnemidophorus. We incorporate our newcharacters into a key to the genera and species groups of Teiidae. A phylogenetic hypothesis of Teiidae based onmorphological characters differs substantially from hypotheses based on mitochondrial DNA. The phylogeny based onmorphology is consistent with well-established biogeographic patterns of Neotropical vertebrates and explains extreme morphological divergence in such genera as Kentropyx and Aurivela.
... Most recent research has been carried out in the Venezuelan Guayana, the Andean region, and the Coastal Ranges. The number of reptile species currently known from Venezuela increased to 370, which is fewer than in Ecuador (414 species), Colombia (578 species), and Brazil (721 species), but more than in other neighbouring countries like 2001c; Rivas and Manzanilla Puppo 1999;Rivas Fuenmayor and Molina 1998, 2002a, 2002bRivero-Blanco 1967;Rivero-Blanco and Barrio-Amorós 2002;Rivero-Blanco and Lancini 1967;Robinson 1989;Rodríguez and Rojas-Suárez 2008;Rodríguez-Acosta and Fuentes 1996;Rojas-Runjaic and Infante Rivero 2004a, 2004b, 2006a, 2006b, Rojas-Runjaic and Rojas-Runjaic et al. 2008Rossman 1976;Roux 1927Roux , 1929Roze 1952aRoze , 1952bRoze , 1953aRoze , 1953bRoze , 1954Roze , 1955aRoze , 1955bRoze , 1957aRoze , 1957bRoze , 1958aRoze , 1958bRoze , 1958cRoze , 1958dRoze , 1959aRoze , 1959bRoze , 1959cRoze , 1961Roze , 1963Roze , 1964aRoze , 1964bRoze , 1967Roze , 1983Roze , 1989Roze , 1994Roze , 1996Roze and Bernal-Carlo 1987;Roze and da Silva 1990;Roze and Trebbau 1958;Sandner-Montilla 1985;Schargel et al. 2005Schargel et al. , 2007Schargel et al. , 2010Seijas 2006;Señaris 1999;Señaris and Rivas 2006;Shreve 1947;Sturaro and Avila-Pires 2011;Suárez et al. 2000;Test et al. 1966;Ugueto and Harvey 2010;Ugueto et al. 2007Ugueto et al. , 2009aUgueto et al. , 2009bUzzell 1958Uzzell , 1966Van Devender 1969;Vanzolini and Calleffo 2002;Walker and Rhoads 2003;Williams 1974Wilson 1980;Wüster et al. 2001;Zaher and Caramaschi 2000;Zaher and Prudente 1999. Coastal Area (línea costera; highlighted by a grey line); 8. Central Coastal Range (Cordillera de la costa central); 9. Eastern Coastal Range (Cordillera de la costa oriental); 10. ...
We update the list of reptiles of Venezuela, reporting a total of 370 species from the country (four of these exotic), arranged in 122 genera (one exotic), 30 families and three orders. Introduced species and dubious or erroneous records are discussed. Taxonomic, nomenclatural and distributional comments are provided when required. Considering species of probable occurrence in the country (known to occur in Colombia, Brazil and Guyana at localities very close to the Venezuelan border) and still undescribed taxa, we estimate that the total number of species in Venezuela could exceed 400.
... previously considered a subspecies of C. murinus (C. murinus ruthveni), Ugueto and harvey (2010) recently elevated the taxon to full species status. on bonaire, both the names Kododo and blausana or lagadishi are used. ...
General overview of the Teiid lizards of Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao and Paraguaná
The Curaçao Whiptail (Cnemidophorus murinus) (Squamata: Teiidae) was once considered to have two subspecies, C. m. murinus (endemic to Curaçao and Klein-Curaçao) and C. m. ruthveni (endemic to Bonaire and Klein-Bonaire), but the two are now considered separate species (Ugueto and Harvey 2010). Little has been published on the natural history of C. murinus. Most of the literature on the natural history of “C. murinus” actually pertains to C. ruthveni and includes studies on diet (Dearing and Schall 1992, Schall 1996), body temperature (Schall and Dearing 1994), metabolic expenditure (Bennett and Gleeson 1979), population density and energetics (Bennett and Gorman 1979), signaling behavior (Cooper et al. 2004), escape behavior (Cooper et al. 2003), and learning (Schall 2000). In contrast, published literature on C. murinus that deals with topics other than its taxonomy, morphology, and distribution is limited to a few notes on its parasites (Specian and Whittaker 1980), pathology (Hughes and Delis 2014), clutch size (van Buurt 2011), conservation (van Buurt 2006), and interactions with tourists (van Buurt 2011). Herein I add to the published knowledge of C. murinus with observations on diet and foraging.
We present distribution data of all Anguidae, Scincidae, and Teiidae lizards known from the Brazilian Amazonia, totaling 29 species-level taxa, belonging to 14 genera. This represents 11 more species-level taxa than previously reported for these families in this area. Data were based on literature and 46,806 specimens deposited in three North American and eight Brazilian museums, including the main collections harboring Amazonian material. Most species (~55%) are endemic to Amazonia. Except for Ameiva ameiva, that is present in several environments and domains, non-endemic species are either associated with open dry (semideciduous) forest or open vegetation (savanna) enclaves in Amazonia, occupying similar environments outside Amazonia, gallery forests within the Cerrado, or present disjunct populations in the Atlantic Forest. As a whole, six taxa are widespread in Amazonia, four are restricted to eastern Amazonia, four to western Amazonia, three to southwestern Amazonia, one to northern Amazonia, and seven to the southern peripheral portion of Amazonia. Besides, two species present apparently more restricted, unique distributions. Only three species have a distribution that is congruent with one of the areas of endemism (AE) recognized for other organisms (birds and primates), of which two occur in AE Guiana and one in AE Inambari.
We provide the results of a morphological and molecular study on the Honduran Bay Island and mainland populations of the Cnemidophorus lemniscatus complex for which we resurrect C. ruatanus comb. nov. as a full species. Morphological comparison of the Honduran populations to Cnemidophorus populations from Panama led to the conclusion that the Panamanian population represents an undescribed species named herein. In light of these new results, and considering past morphological studies of several South American populations of the C. lemniscatus group, we suggest that three other nominal forms of the group are best treated as valid species: C. espeuti (described as a full species, but subsequently treated as a synonym of C. lemniscatus or a subspecies of C. lemniscatus until this publication), C. gaigei comb. nov., and C. splendidus comb. nov.
