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Bachia whitei MURPHY, SALVI, SANTOS, BRASWELL, CHARLES, BORZÉE & JOWERS, 2019

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Higher TaxaGymnophthalmidae (Cercosaurinae, Bachiinae), Sauria, Gymnophthalmoidea, Squamata (lizards)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: White’s Bachia 
SynonymBachia whitei MURPHY, SALVI, SANTOS, BRASWELL, CHARLES, BORZÉE & JOWERS 2019
Bachia cf. flavescens — HARDY 1982: 78
Bachia flavescens —MURPHY 1997: 133 
DistributionTobago

Type locality: Hillsborough Dam, Tobago (11°13′ 32′′N, 60°40′ 10′′W).  
Reproductionoviparous (manual imputation, fide Zimin et al. 2022) 
TypesHolotype USNM 227942, a male. Collected 21 December 1978 by Alvin L. Braswell. 
DiagnosisDiagnosis: A Bachia with (1) no prefrontal scales; (2) the second supraocular is slightly longer than the first; (3) the frontonasal is hexagonal; (4) three clawed digits on each manus and two digits on each pes; (5) there are quadrangular scales on the dorsum; (6) scales around mid-body 31–32; (7) transverse dorsals in 47–49 rows; (8) the fifth upper labial does not contact the last supraocular; (9) there are eight rows of gulars; (10) the second pair of chinshields are widely separated; (11) an interparietal scale is absent.


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CommentHAbitat: The first specimen of B. whitei sp. nov. collected came from a pile of cut grass/lawn debris that it shared with Bachia trinitatis. The debris pile was about 50 m from the forest edge. The other two specimens collected in the late 1970s came from unknown localities. The most recent specimen collected was along a Main Ridge Trail and was under a piece of palm that was laying on wet, bare soil in the closed canopy forest.

Behavior: While Bachia trinitatis tried to hide under leaves and debris, B. whitei used its tail to propel its body into the air in attempts to escape. 
EtymologyNamed in honor of Graham White, for his contributions to the natural history and conservation of the Trinidad and Tobago fauna. He has extensive knowledge of the biodiversity of Trinidad and Tobago, is an avid birder and a member of the Trinidad and Tobago Rarities Committee since its inception in 1996. He is a long-standing member of the Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club (TTFNC) and has served on the Editorial Committee of the Living World Journal published by the TTFNC from 1999 to 2014 and as the Editor 2015-present. Mr. White is also the Chairman of the Asa Wright Nature Centre. 
References
  • Murphy, John C.; Daniele Salvi, Joana L. Santos, Alvin L. Braswell, Stevland P. Charles, Amaél Borzée & Michael J. Jowers 2019. The reduced limbed lizards of the genus Bachia (Reptilia, Squamata, Gymnophthalmidae); biogeography, cryptic diversity, and morphological convergence in the eastern Caribbean. Organisms Diversity & Evolution - get paper here
  • Rivas, G. A., Lasso-Alcalá, O. M., Rodríguez-Olarte, D., De Freitas, M., Murphy, J. C., Pizzigalli, C., ... & Jowers, M. J. 2021. Biogeographical patterns of amphibians and reptiles in the northernmost coastal montane complex of South America. Plos one, 16(3): e0246829 - get paper here
  • Zimin, A., Zimin, S. V., Shine, R., Avila, L., Bauer, A., Böhm, M., Brown, R., Barki, G., de Oliveira Caetano, G. H., Castro Herrera, F., Chapple, D. G., Chirio, L., Colli, G. R., Doan, T. M., Glaw, F., Grismer, L. L., Itescu, Y., Kraus, F., LeBreton 2022. A global analysis of viviparity in squamates highlights its prevalence in cold climates. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 00, 1–16 - get paper here
 
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