Geographic distribution of Cercosaura vertebralis O’Shaughnessy, 1879 (Reptilia: Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae) and the status of Cercosaura ampuedai (Lancini, 1968)

Tiffany Doan,Juan Cusi

doi:10.15560/10.5.10.5.1195

Abstract

We report new locality records of Cercosaura vertebralis O’Shaughnessy, 1879 in Peru, after more than 40 years since the discovery of the single known Peruvian specimen. The Peruvian range of Cercosaura vertebralis, which was previously restricted to Piura, is extended into the Cajamarca region (Tabaconas Namballe and La Granja). We also examined intraspecific variation of the species throughout its range and provide a hemipenial description from the new specimens. In addition, we comment on the population status of C. vertebralis in Peru, and provide data supporting the synonymy of C. ampuedai with C. vertebralis.

Highlights

The taxon Cercosaura vertebralis O’Shaughnessy, 1879 is a poorly known lizard species of the family Gymnophthalmidae with a variety of junior synonyms. Uzzell (1973) synonymized Prionodactylus palmeri Boulenger, 1908, P. marianus Ruthven, 1921, and Euspondylus ampuedae Lancini, 1968 with P. vertebralis
In addition to six new specimens (2 male and 4 juvenile) from Tabaconas Namballe and La Granja, we examined 38 additional preserved specimens from Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru from the collections of AMNH and LACM
In comparison to the hemipenis drawings of Hernández Ruz (2005) and Hernández Ruz and Bernal González (2011), a detailed examination of MUSM 32489 from Santuario Nacional Tabaconas Namballe (SNTN) reveals that the clavate bilobed hemipenes possess four rows of inverted V-shaped flounces in basal position of the asulcate surface with a naked region separating those flounces from the 14 longitudinal rows of flounces surrounding the lobules (Figure 5)

Summary

Introduction

The taxon Cercosaura vertebralis O’Shaughnessy, 1879 is a poorly known lizard species of the family Gymnophthalmidae with a variety of junior synonyms. Uzzell (1973) synonymized Prionodactylus palmeri Boulenger, 1908, P. marianus Ruthven, 1921, and Euspondylus ampuedae Lancini, 1968 with P. vertebralis. Cercosaura vertebralis has a wide geographic range which includes Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, and Peru (Uzzell 1973).

Results

Conclusion