Cnemidophorus splendidus MARKEZICH, COLE & DESSAUER, 1997
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Cnemidophorus splendidus
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| Higher Taxa | Teiidae, Teiinae, Gymnophthalmoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Blue Rainbow lizard |
| Synonym | Cnemidophorus lemniscatus splendidus MARKEZICH, COLE & DESSAUER 1997 Cnemidophorus lemniscatus splendidus — HARVEY et al. 2012 Cnemidophorus splendidus — MCCRANIE & HEDGES 2013 |
| Distribution | NW Venezuela (Falcon), probably adjacent Colombia Type locality: tropical thornwood land community on a ranch 2 km S of Miraca (locality coordinates 11°52' N, 69°52' 30" W), Peninsula de Paraguana, Estado Falcon, Venezuela. |
| Reproduction | may have bisexual and parthenogenetic forms like lemniscatus. |
| Types | Holotype: MCNG 1403, adult male; paratypes: MCNG, FMNH, MHNLS, ULABG, UMMZ, AMNH |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis (splendidus): Markezich et al. (1997) diagnosed splendidus from their concept of C. l. lemniscatus, as having a blue ground color in adult males and a black, blue, or dark brown ground color in adult females, dark blue venters in preserved adults, a single or absent vertebral stripe in adults, and a single vertebral stripe in juveniles (versus ground color green or brown in adult males and females, pale blue venters in alcohol, and a split vertebral stripes in adults and juveniles in C. l. lemniscatus). |
| Comment | Synonymy and subspecies: MCCRANIE & HEDGES 2013 suggested to elevate splendidus, gaigei, and espeuti to full species status. However, they “suggest the new taxonomy with the caveat that molecular studies are needed for the Colombian species recognized herein, as well as other South American populations left unassigned to a subspecies by Markezich et al. (1997).” Similar species: C. lemniscatus is the founding member of the lemniscatus group, distinguished from all other species by the presence of preanal spurs in males and by a higher number of femoral pores (more than 40; Ávila- Pires, 1995). Avila-Pires subsummarizes a number of species under “Cnemidophorus lemniscatus species complex” due to their similarity. Members of the neotropical ‘‘C.’’ lemniscatus species group (except ‘‘C.’’ longicaudus) are more closely related to species in other neotropical cnemidophorine taxa (Ameiva and Kentropyx) (REEDER et al. 2002). Cnemidophorus lemniscatus is “Clearly a complex of species” (RIVAS et al. 2012). |
| Etymology | after the Latin “splendidus”, meaning magnificent, alluding to the striking blue color of adult males and some females. |
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