Gonatodes rozei RIVERO-BLANCO & SCHARGEL, 2012
Can you confirm these amateur observations of Gonatodes rozei?
Gonatodes rozei
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| Higher Taxa | Sphaerodactylidae, Gekkota, Sauria, Squamata (lizards: geckos) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | S: Limpiacasa E: Roze’s gecko |
| Synonym | Gonatodes rozei RIVERO-BLANCO & SCHARGEL 2012 |
| Distribution | Venezuela (Miranda, Anzoátegui, Guárico, Vargas) Type locality: 3 km SW of Araguita (10 12’58’’ N, 66 29’07’’ W; ca. 150 m asl), near limit of Guatopo National Park, Miranda, Venezuela |
| Reproduction | oviparous (not imputed, fide Zimin et al. 2022) |
| Types | Holotype: MHNLS 20780, an adult male, collected by G. Rivas and W. Schargel, September 17, 2006. Paratypes (n=39). VENEZUELA: MIRANDA: 32.9 Km N of Altagracia de Orituco, Guatopo National Park: TCWC 59300–59306. Guatopo National Park: MBUCV 5044, MHNLS 1666–1669, 1674–1677, 2082. GUÁRICO: 5 km E of “Puesto La Colonia,” Guatopo National Park: TCWC 59319–59320. 25.2 km N of Altagracia de Orituco, Guatopo National Park: TCWC 59318. Hacienda La Elvira, Guatopo National Park: UTA 60126, TCWC 59309–59317, 59321. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: The new species can be distinguished from all congeners by a combination of the following characters: (1) large size (largest specimen examined has a SVL of 59.1 mm), (2) 78–100 scales around midbody, (3) single, elongated supraciliary spine absent, (4) three or four lateral scale rows on the digits, (5) subcaudal pattern Type B, (6) gular scales posterior to the postmentals with a sharp transition to small granular scales, (7) males with blue iris (females blue or yellow), and (8) males typically with an immaculate bright yellow to reddish orange hood. The large size of G. rozei readily distinguishes this species from the small species in the genus, namely G. albogularis, G. antillensis, G. atricucullaris, G. caudiscutatus, G. daudini, G. eladioi, G. humeralis, G. ligiae, G. petersi, and G. vittatus, none of which exceed 42 mm in SVL. Gonatodes rozei further differs from the small species, except G. caudiscutatus and G. ligiae, in having three (rarely) or four (typically) lateral rows of scales on the distal portion of the digits as opposed to two. Males of the new species generally have a solid yellow or reddish yellow head whereas in G. caudiscutatus the head is always covered with yellow stripes. Specimens of G. rozei have fewer scales around midbody compared to G. ligiae (78–100 vs. 109–128, respectively). |
| Comment | This is a highly variable species with four main color morphs in males. History: Gonatodes rozei has been known among herpetologists for more than 30 years and it has been frequently collected near the city of Caracas. The name G. rozei was used in the first author’s unpublished PhD dissertation (Rivero-Blanco 1979) but, even though herpetologists have used the name informally over internet gecko forums, to our knowledge it has never appeared in the scientific literature. |
| Etymology | We take great pleasure in naming the new species after Dr. Janis Roze, a pioneer of Venezuelan herpetology and a mentor to the first author for many years. |
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