Alopoglossus amazonius RUTHVEN, 1924
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Alopoglossus amazonius
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| Higher Taxa | Alopoglossidae, Sauria, Gymnophthalmoidea, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Amazonanian Teiid |
| Synonym | Alopoglossus amazonius RUTHVEN 1924: 1 Pantodactylus amazonius — BURT & BURT 1931: 358) Pantodactylus amazonius — AMARAL 1937: 193 Pantodactylus amazonicus — AMARAL 1937: 1741 Alopoglossus carinicaudatus — RUIBAL 1952: 508 (part) Alopoglossus carinicaudatus — PETERS & DONOSO-BARROS 1970: 15 (part) Alopoglossus angulatus — AVILA-PIRES 1995: 307 (part) Alopoglossus angulatus — KÖHLER et al. 2012: 176 (part) Alopoglossus amazonius — RIBEIRO-JÚNIOR et al. 2020: 15 |
| Distribution | Brazil (Rondonia) Type locality: Brazil, Villa Murtinho, Matto Grosso (= Vila Murtinho, Nova Mamoré municipality, State of Rondônia; 10°23′58.6′′S, 65°21′51.8′′W). |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Holotype: UMMZ 56853, male |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: Alopoglossus amazonius is distinguished from all other species of Alopoglossus by the combination of the following characters: (1) scales on sides of neck non-granular, keeled, imbricate (at least medial and posterior ones phylloid), in nine to 13 transverse rows; (2) four pairs of chin shields; (3) third pair of chin shields irregularly trapezoidal, separated from gulars by large scales; (4) absence of a pair of medial enlarged pregular scales; (5) scales on gular region varying in shape and size: lateral ones strongly keeled, pointed, phylloid; anterior and medial ones varying from smooth to feebly keeled, phylloid; posterior ones varying from smooth to feebly keeled, almost rounded posteriorly, larger than lateral, anterior and medial ones; (6) ventral scales mucronate, imbricate, with bluntly pointed posterior margins (almost rounded), varying from smooth to feebly keeled; (7) total number of femoral pores in males 24–28 (RIBEIRO-JÚNIOR et al. 2020: 15) Comparison with other species: Alopoglossus amazonius differs from A. atriventris, A. buckleyi, A. copii, A. embera, A. festae, A. lehmanni and A. viridiceps (in parentheses) in having scales on the sides of the neck similar in shape to dorsals, non-granular, keeled, imbricate (granular in A. atriventris and A. buckleyi; mostly granular in A. embera, A. festae, A. lehmanni and A. viridiceps; conical with apparent bare skin between conical scales in A. copii); it also differs from A. embera, A. festae and A. viridiceps in not having gulars arranged in two longitudinal rows (vs. a double longitudinal row of widened gular scales); from A. lehmanni in having dorsal scales rhomboidal, in oblique rows (vs. dorsal scales hexagonal with parallel lateral edges, in transverse rows). Alopoglossus amazonius differs from A. angulatus, A. andeanus, A. avilapiresae, A. carinicaudatus and A. collii in having four pairs of chin shields (vs. three pairs), and third pair of chin shields irregularly trapezoidal, separated from gulars by large scales [vs. third pair of chin shields with rounded posterior margins, in direct contact with gulars or separated from them by a row of small scales in A. angulatus, A. andeanus, A. avilapiresae and A. collii; third pair of chin shields irregularly quadrangular (anterior and posterior margins almost parallel) with straight posterior margins, separated from gulars by a row of small scales, in A. carinicaudatus]. Alopoglossus amazonius differs from A. meloi in having scales on sides of neck in nine to 13 transverse rows (vs. six to eight) and a higher total number of femoral pores in males (24–28 vs. 20–23) (RIBEIRO-JÚNIOR et al. 2020: 15). Diagnosis (revised): Alopoglossus amazonius sensu stricto is distinguished from all other species of Alopoglossus by the combination of the following characters: (1) non-granular, keeled, imbricate, phylloid scales on medial and posterior sides of neck, in 11–12 transverse rows; (2) four pairs of chin shield scales; (3) laterally to the fourth pair of chin shields, two large scales separating the third pair of chin shields from gular scales; (4) scales along midventral gular region varying from smooth to feebly keeled, and from mucronate or phylloid to having irregular posterior margins; (5) keeled scales on anterior temporal region; (6) keeled scales on posterior temporal region; (7) feebly keeled first supratemporal scale; (8) strongly keeled second supratemporal scale, clearly folding laterally toward the temporal region; (9) supratemporal scales in contact with each other, forming an evident, straight suture between them; (10) 21–24 total number of femoral pores in males (RIBEIRO-JÚNIOR et al. 2020: 30). Comparisons (revised): Alopoglossus amazonius sensu stricto differs from A. atriventris, A. buckleyi, A. copii, A. embera, A. festae, A. lehmanni and A. viridiceps (in parentheses) in having non-granular, keeled, imbricate scales on medial and posterior sides of neck (vs. granular in A. atriventris and A. buckleyi; mostly granular in A. embera, A. festae, A. lehmanni and A. viridiceps; conical with apparent bare skin between conical scales in A. copii); it also differs from A. embera, A. festae and A. viridiceps in not having gulars arranged in two longitudinal rows (vs. a double longitudinal row of widened gular scales), and from A. lehmanni in having dorsal scales rhomboidal, in oblique rows (vs. dorsal scales hexagonal with parallel lateral edges, in transverse rows). From species of the A. angulatus group, A. amazonius differs from A. andeanus, A. angulatus, A. avilapiresae, A. carinicaudatus, A. collii, A. tapajosensis sp. nov., and A. theodorusi in having four pairs of chin shields (vs. three pairs of chin shields). From species with four pairs of chin shields, A. amazonius differs from A. gansorum sp. nov. in having supratemporal scales in contact with each other, forming an evident, straight suture between them (vs. supratemporal scales separated from each other by a temporal scale, or touching each other with acute contact margins); from A. indigenorum sp. nov. in having keeled scales on anterior temporal region (vs. smooth), strongly keeled second su- pratemporal scale, clearly folding laterally toward the temporal region (vs. feebly keeled distally second supratemporal scale, with an smooth aspect, slightly folding laterally toward the temporal region), in having, laterally to the fourth pair of chin shields, two large well-developed scales separating the third pair of chin shields from gular scales (vs. two small scales separating the third pair of chin shields from gular scales, or even the third pair in short contact with gular scales), and in having 21–24 total number of femoral pores in males (vs. 25–28). Alopoglossus amazonius differs from A. meloi in having 11–12 trans- verse rows of scales on the sides of the neck (vs. 6–8), scales on mid- ventral gular region varying from smooth to feebly keeled, and from mucronate or phylloid to having irregular posterior margins (vs. scales keeled, phylloid), and having higher mean of dorsal and ventral scales (27–31, mean =29, of dorsals, and 17–19, mean =18, of ventrals; vs. 24– 28, mean =26, of dorsals, and 15–18, mean =16, of ventrals in A. meloi) (RIBEIRO-JÚNIOR et al. 2020: 30). |
| Comment | Synonymy: Alopoglossus amazonius has been considered a synonym of A. carinicaudatus by Ruibal 1952 and later of angulatus until it was revalidated by RIBEIRO-JÚNIOR et al. 2020. Distribution: see maps in KÖHLER et al. 2012, RIBEIRO-JÚNIOR 2018: 33 (Fig. 5), RIBEIRO-JÚNIOR et al. 2020: 39 (Fig. 20). Habitat: leaf litter of lowland tropical forest, often near water. |
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