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The occurrence of Mabuya bistriata (Spix, 1825) (Sauria: Scincidae) in French Guiana
... Prior to the mid 1990s, the systematics of South American Mabuya was confusing due to a combination of nomenclatural and taxonomic problems (Ávila-Pires 1995, Mausfeld & Lötters 2001, Miralles 2005. However, a series of recent publications have resolved most persisting problems with this group (Ávila-Pires 1995;Mijares-Urrutia & Arends 1997;Mayer & Lazell 2000;Rodrígues 2000;Massary et al. 2001;Miralles 2005Miralles , 2006aMiralles , 2006bMiralles et al. 2005a, 2005b, in press, Vrcibradic et al. 2006, Whiting et al. 2006, Harvey et al. 2008. ...
Three enigmatic skinks, Mabuya nigropalmata Andersson, 1918, Tiliqua maculata Gray, 1839, and Trachylepis (Xystrolepis) punctata, Tschudi, 1845, have been reported from widely separated localities on the South American mainland. They remain the three rarest and most poorly known South American skinks and were known only from type material until recently. In this paper, we comment on recent rediscoveries of M. nigropalmata in the western Amazon of Peru and Bolivia. Using cytochrome b and 12S DNA sequences, we resolve this species’s phylogenetic position within Mabuya sensu stricto and demonstrate its specific distinctiveness, especially from the superficially similar species M. frenata. In addition, we show that neither Trachylepis (Xystrolepis) punctata nor Tiliqua maculata can be placed within Mabuya. A suite of morphological characteristics requires the transfer of these two species to the mostly Afro-Malagasy genus Trachylepis. To correct the secondary homonymy of Tschudi’s name, we propose a replacement name for T. punctata. We designate NRM 23258A as the lectotype of Mabuya nigropalmata Andersson and MNHN 2932 as the lectotype of Trachylepis maculata (Gray) new combination. Finally, we propose an identification key to Mabuya of the Amazon basin and adjacent regions.
... R e m a r k s. -This taxon was treated as a junior synonym of L. marmoratus (STEINDACHNER, 1867) (e.g., FROST et al. 2006), but based on bioacoustical data, it was recently revalidated by KWET (2007 R e m a r k s. -The species was often erroneously confused with Mabuya bistriata (SPIX, 1825). However, the characters of the specimens analysed here are identical to those given for M. nigropunctata in AVILA-PIRES (1995) and DE MASSARY et al. (2000). The specimens ZMH R08742-46 are adults and juveniles; the specimen ZMH R08737 (adult female) has three fully developed embryos in its opened abdominal cavity. ...
We provide an annotated catalogue of all specimens of amphibians and reptiles collected by WILHELM EHRHARDT in Brazil and held at the Zoological Museum of the University of Hamburg (ZMH). EHRHARDT lived and operated as animal collector and taxidermist in Brazil between 1897 and 1936, and supplied several museums with numerous and often rare zoological objects of various invertebrate and vertebrate groups. The herpetological collection of EHRHARDT at the ZMH comprises 867 specimens, representing 27 families with 95 species. All specimens have been examined and re-determined, respectively, and are now available. Most of these are in excellent condition and well labelled. This important material will contribute to historical and biogeographical studies of Brazilian herpetofauna.
... Once thought to extend across South America, M. mabouya is now known to occur only in the Lesser Antilles (Miralles, 2005(Miralles, , 2006. Species once confused with it such as M. agilis, M. bistriata, and M. nigropunctata have been redescribed and revalidated (Avila-Pires, 1995;de Massary et al., 2000;Rebouças-Spieker, 1974). ...
On the basis of new material, observations in the field, and data from living specimens, we redescribe Mabuya cochabambae Dunn and discuss its distribution and biogeography. Morphological and molecular evidence strongly suggests that M. cochabambae and M. dorsivittata are sister taxa. In addition to M. cochabambae, we tabulate morphological data for three other Mabuya occurring in Bolivia: M. dorsivittata Cope, M. frenata (Cope), and M. guaporicola Dunn. Mabuya altamazonica Miralles et al. and M. nigropunctata (Spix) both occur in Bolivia, specimens of the former coming from the western lowlands and of the latter from the eastern lowlands of central Santa Cruz. Finally, we propose a new key to the eight species of Mabuya occurring in Bolivia.
... Copey, Isla de Margarita, in 1953 by Felipe Martín, MHNLS 3401-3402. Despite the great taxonomic confusion among the neotropical members of the genus Mabuya, diagnostic characters such as the parietals scales separated by the interparietal, the presence of 5 to 6 subequal supraciliaries and a relative large size (Ávila-Pires 1995; Massary et al. 2001), permit us to clearly identify this species. Those specimens cannot be confused with M. mabouya, the Southern Lesser Antillean species of the genus (Miralles 2005). ...
We studied the herpetofauna of the Island of Margarita, the largest and most biologically diverse Venezuelan island on the Caribbean. We present an updated checklist of five amphibians and 43 reptiles and add some taxonomic comments for poorly known species, especially those which had been erroneously cited in former works. We report six new records for the island (Bufo marinus, Norops chrysolepis, Mabuya nigropunctata, Phyllodactylus ventralis, Sphaerodactylus molei, and Tupinambis teguixin). The herpetofauna of the Island of Margarita have strong ties with that from mainland Venezuela, in particular with the species from the adjacent northeastern coastal range. Only one reptile species is endemic to the island, the colubrid snake Drymarchon margaritae. No endemic amphibians have yet been found.
... Prior to the mid 1990s, the systematics of South American Mabuya was confusing due to a combination of nomenclatural and taxonomic problems (Ávila-Pires 1995, Mausfeld & Lötters 2001, Miralles 2005. However, a series of recent publications have resolved most persisting problems with this group (Ávila-Pires 1995;Mijares-Urrutia & Arends 1997;Mayer & Lazell 2000;Rodrígues 2000;Massary et al. 2001;Miralles 2005Miralles , 2006aMiralles , 2006bMiralles et al. 2005a, 2005b, in press, Vrcibradic et al. 2006, Whiting et al. 2006, Harvey et al. 2008. ...
Three enigmatic skinks, Mabuya nigropalmata Andersson, 1918, Tiliqua maculata Gray, 1839, and Trachylepis (Xystrolepis) punctata, Tschudi, 1845, have been reported from widely separated localities on the South American mainland. They remain the three rarest and most poorly known South American skinks and were known only from type material until recently. In this paper, we comment on recent rediscoveries of M. nigropalmata in the western Amazon of Peru and Bolivia. Using cytochrome b and 12S DNA sequences, we resolve this species's phylogenetic position within Mabuya sensu stricto and demonstrate its specific distinctiveness, especially from the superficially similar species M. frenata. In addition, we show that neither Trachylepis (Xystrolepis) punctata nor Tiliqua maculata can be placed within Mabuya. A suite of morphological characteristics requires the transfer of these two species to the mostly Afro-Malagasy genus Trachylepis. To correct the secondary homonymy of Tschudi's name, we propose a replacement name for T. punctata. We designate NRM 23258A as the lectotype of Mabuya nigropalmata Andersson and MNHN 2932 as the lectotype of Trachylepis maculata (Gray) new combination. Finally, we propose an identification key to Mabuya of the Amazon basin and adjacent regions.
... The approximately 26 recognized species of the genus Mabuya are widespread across much of the continent, as well as on many offshore islands, and constitute an important component of South American lizard communities (Miralles, 2006). One of the species of Mabuya with the largest distribution range is M. nigropunctata, which is widespread across the whole Amazonian basin (approximately 7,050,000 km 2 ; Lundberg et al., 1998), the Guiana shield, the Caribbean coast of Venezuela, the western part of the Brazilian shield, the northern part of the Atlantic forest, Trinidad (but not Tobago), and the Grenada and St. Vincent islands (Vanzolini, 1981; Ávila-Pires, 1995; Massary et al., 2001; Miralles et al., 2005; present study ). This species was included in a recent phylogenetic analysis by Whiting et al. (2006), together with eight other species of Mabuya, for which three mitochondrial and four nuclear genes were sequenced. ...
Phylogenetic analyses using up to 1532 base pairs (bp) of mitochondrial DNA from 106 specimens of Neotropical Mabuya, including 18 of the 19 recognized South American and Mesoamerican species, indicate that most species of the genus are monophyletic, including M. nigropunctata that had previously been reported to be paraphyletic. The present results shows that this species includes three highly divergent and largely allopatric lineages restricted to occidental, meridional, and oriental Amazonia. Our dataset demonstrates that previous claims regarding the paraphyletic status of M. nigropunctata and the phylogenetic relationships within this species complex based on the analysis of three mitochondrial and four nuclear genes (approx. 5000 bp) were erroneous and resulted from two contaminated cytochrome b sequences.
Mabuya altamazonica sp. nov. is described from Peruvian Amazonia. This species is sympatric with M. nigropunctata. Despite their superficial similarity, those two Amazonian species could be differentiated both by cephalic scalation characters and molecular results (12S rRNA). Mabuya altamazonica sp. nov. differs from all Amazonian and Andean species of Mabuya by the combined presence of (1) paired prefrontals and frontoparietals, (2) a single pair of nuchals, (3) four supraoculars, (4) five subequal supraciliaries, (5) seven supralabials with the fifth being the largest and placed under the eye, (6) parietals in contact behind the interparietal and (7) dark palms and soles.
Venezuela is a key location in terms of the distribution of the genus Mabuya Fitzinger, 1826, given both its intermediate position between the Amazonia n region, Middle America and the Caribbean Islands, and its remarkable diversity of bioregions. Based on material from different international major collections, a synthesis of the knowledge on Mabuya species from Venezuela and the neighbouring islands of Margarita, Trinidad and Tobago is given. New biogeographical data are also added, extending considerably the distribution of two species, M. falconensis Mijares-Urrutia & Arends, 199 7 and M. nigropunctata (Spix, 1825). An identification key and drawings of Venezuelan species are given for the first time. This study constitutes a preliminary step for a revision of this genus which has been controversial and confusing both taxonomically and nomenclaturally. Moreover, it reveals the existence of many different populations in Venezuelan Andes and the coastal range mountains which cannot be at present identified to any known species.
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