Abstract
Oreosaurus is one of the two genera extracted from the former Riama sensu lato, which was recently recognized as polyphyletic. Oreosaurus is a small clade (five named and two undescribed species) of montane gymnophthalmid lizards and exhibits an exceptional distributional pattern. Its nominal and undescribed species are discontinuously distributed on the Cordillera de la Costa of Venezuela, the tepuis from the Chimantá massif in Venezuela, the highlands of the island of Trinidad, and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in Colombia (SNSM). Herein, we describe the species of Oreosaurus that is endemic to the SNSM. Historically, this species associates with two names that are currently nomina nuda: Proctoporus serranus and P. specularis. Formal nomenclatural recognition of Oreosaurus serranus sp. n. renders specularis a permanently unavailable name for this taxon. Oreosaurus serranus sp. n. is the sister of all remaining congeners, and differs primarily from them in having only one pair of genial scales, as well as a unique pattern of scutellation. We provide an identification key to the species of Oreosaurus.
Highlights
Oreosaurus Peters, 1862 (Reptilia: Gymnophthalmidae) contains five named species of montane lizards that have discontinuous distributions on the Cordillera de la Costa and tepuis from the Chimantá massif in Venezuela, and the Aripo northern range in the Caribbean island of Trinidad (Sánchez-Pacheco et al 2017)
Its nominal and undescribed species are discontinuously distributed on the Cordillera de la Costa of Venezuela, the tepuis from the Chimantá massif in Venezuela, the highlands of the island of Trinidad, and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in Colombia (SNSM)
This species associates with two names that are currently nomina nuda: Proctoporus serranus and P. specularis
Summary
Formal recognition of the species of Oreosaurus (Reptilia, Squamata, Gymnophthalmidae) from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia Oreosaurus Peters, 1862 (Reptilia: Gymnophthalmidae) contains five named species of montane lizards that have discontinuous distributions on the Cordillera de la Costa and tepuis from the Chimantá massif in Venezuela, and the Aripo northern range in the Caribbean island of Trinidad (Sánchez-Pacheco et al 2017).
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