Lygodactylus karamoja LOBÓN-ROVIRA, BAUER, PINTO, TRAPE, CONRADIE, KUSAMBA, JÚLIO, CAEL, STANLEY, HUGHES, BEHANGANA, MASUDI, PAUWELS & GREENBAUM, 2023
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Lygodactylus karamoja
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| Higher Taxa | Gekkonidae, Gekkota, Sauria, Squamata (lizards: geckos) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | |
| Synonym | Lygodactylus karamoja LOBÓN-ROVIRA, BAUER, PINTO, TRAPE, CONRADIE, KUSAMBA, JÚLIO, CAEL, STANLEY, HUGHES, BEHANGANA, MASUDI, PAUWELS & GREENBAUM 2023: 30 |
| Distribution | N Uganda Type locality: edge of a village at Agoro Town, Imatong Foothills, Northern Region, Uganda, N03.83156, E33.01974, 1193 m a.s.l. |
| Reproduction | |
| Types | Holotype: UTEP 22590 (DFH 593), male with original tail, collected on a large tree, on 5 July 2015 by Daniel F. Hughes, Wilber Lukwago, and Mathias Behangana. Paratypes (six specimens): UTEP 22588–89 (DFH 591–92) and UTEP 22591 (DFH 594), males, with same collection data as the holotype; UTEP 22592 (DFH 641), female, collected at Agoro Town, Imatong Foothills, Northern Region, Uganda, N03.80548, E32.98836, 1153 m a.s.l. on 5 July 2015 by Daniel F. Hughes, Wilber Lukwago, and Mathias Behangana; UTEP 22593 (DFH 130), juvenile, and UTEP 22594 (DFH 131), female, collected at Nakapiripirit, Mount Kadam, Northern Region, Uganda, N01.82270, E34.74603, 1730 m a.s.l. on 31 May 2015 by Daniel F. Hughes and Mathias Behangana. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: Lygodactylus karamoja sp. nov. is the sister taxon of L. kibera sp. nov. that is also a large-sized Lygodactylus [maximum SVL 37.7 mm (mean 34.4 ± 2.9 mm)] and shares the gular patterning of the L. gutturalis subgroup. Seven to eight supralabials and 5–7 infralabials. Dorsal pholidosis with granular scales that become flattened, larger, and imbricate on original tails. Large triangular mental followed by usually two (or occasionally three) symmetric postmental scales (Supporting Information, Fig. S7). Ventral pholidosis with large, flattened, and imbricate scales. Ventral scales usually denticulated posteriorly. Six terminal scansors on the tail tip. Digits elongated with five terminal scansors on the fourth toe (Table 3). Like other Lygodactylus within the gutturalis group, this species can be easily differentiated from members of the L. angularis group by its characteristic ∩-shaped gular chevrons (vs. V-shaped gular chevrons in L. angularis group), and from other members of the L. picturatus group based on dorsal coloration (light brown with five or six laterodorsal cream ocelli vs. usually blueish dorsum with yellow to white head in L. picturatus group). Lygodactylus karamoja sp. nov. can be differentiated from other species within the gutturalis subgroup by only minor morphometric and meristic data, reflecting its cryptic nature. However, we provide some characters that are putatively diagnostic. Lygodactylus karamoja sp. nov. differs from L. dysmicus by its larger size (maximum SVL 37.7 mm vs. 27.6 mm); fewer precloacal pores (8 vs. 9); nostril not in contact with rostral scale (vs. nostril contacting rostral); and lower number of ventral scales across the body (16–18 vs. 21 in L. dysmicus). It can be easily distinguished from L. kibera sp. nov. by the gular pattern that comprises two or three thinner ∩-shaped chevrons that never extend beyond the posterior part of the lower jaw vs. three thick ∩-shaped chevrons reaching the chest; there are usually two symmetrical postmental scales vs. usually three smaller postmental scales; and a proportionally smaller orbital diameter (OD/HL 0.19–0.23 vs. 0.22–0.26 in L. kibera sp. nov.). Also, L. karamoja sp. nov. can be differentiated in the same way as L. gutturalis from L. depressus, based on gular patterning (always two or three ∩-shaped chevrons vs. one ∩-shaped followed by one posterior central mark). (Lobón-Rovira et al. 2023) |
| Comment | Distribution: for a map of localities see Lobón-Rovira et al. 2023: 18 (Fig. 6). |
| Etymology | The name ‘karamoja’ is a noun in apposition and refers to the Karamoja region in north-eastern Uganda where many individuals of this species have been found. The species is named in honour of this arid region, which is occupied by the Karamojong people who are mostly nomadic pastoralists related to the Maasai in Kenya |
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