Magdalenasaura adercum FANG, VÁSQUEZ-RESTREPO & DAZA, 2020
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Magdalenasaura adercum
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| Higher Taxa | Gymnophthalmidae (Cercosaurinae), Sauria, Gymnophthalmoidea, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | |
| Synonym | Magdalenasaura adercum FANG, VÁSQUEZ-RESTREPO & DAZA 2020 |
| Distribution | Colombia (Antioquia) Type locality: Colombia, department of Antioquia, municipality of San Rafael, vereda La Clara, Reserva Natural Manantiales del Campo (6.252626 N, 75.103279 W, 1600 m elevation). |
| Reproduction | |
| Types | Holotype. MHUA-R 13522, an adult male, collected on 15 May 2019 by Juan M. Daza (Figs 4–5). Paratypes. MHUA-R 13366 adult female, and 13367 adult male, from Colombia, department of Antioquia, municipality of San Rafael, vereda La Clara, Reserva Natural Manantiales del Campo (6.25274 N, 75.10194 W, 1585 m asl), collected on 20 June 2017 by Diego Rivera-Prieto. MHUA-R 13078 and 13091, adult females from Colombia, department of Antioquia, municipality of El Carmen de Viboral, vereda La Esperanza, near to Cocorna river (6.026747 N, 75.229359 W, 1835 m asl), collected on 10 November 2015 by Alejandro Montoya. See Fig. 6. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis. Magdalenasaura adercum sp. nov. is assigned to the genus Magdalenasaura based on morphological characters and the molecular phylogenetic results. Phenotypic autapomorphies are not known for this species. Magdalenasaura adercum sp. nov. can be diagnosed by the combination of the following characters: (1) four supraoculars; (2) loreal scale in contact with the first and second supralabials; (3) 4–5 (usually 4) postoculars; (4) three suboculars; (5) five superciliaries; (6) lower palpebral disc semitransparent and divided in 5–6 enlarged scales; (7) 7–8 (usually 8) supralabials; (8) 6–7 (usually 7) infralabials; (9) 6–12 enlarged gulars; (10) 4–7 enlarged collar scales; (11) dorsal scales mostly weakly keeled; (12) 41–46 transverse rows of dorsal scales; (13) eight longitudinal rows of ventral scales; (14) 17–18 transverse rows of ventral scales; (15) 7–10 lateral scales; (16) 24–30 scales around midbody; (17) 12–13 (usually 13) subdigital lamellae under the finger IV, and 17–18 (usually 17) under the toe IV; (18) 12–15 femoral pores per side in male, 4–5 in females; (19) 1–2 (usually 2) scales in the anterior row of preanals, 3–5 (usually 5) in the posterior row; (20) dorsal surface of head, body, tail and limbs are light olive-brown or dark brown, lateral surfaces of the body brown with ocelli present, ventral body colouration beige with light brown while ventral head colouration beige with brown blotches; (21) with one light yellow or cream oblique subocular stripe, crossing labials scales from posterior corner of the eyes to pregular scales. Comparisons with related species. Magdalenasaura adercum sp. nov. can be distinguished from its congener M. leurosquama sp. nov. by the combination of the following characters (condition for M. leurosquama sp. nov. in parentheses): weakly keeled dorsal scales (smooth); 17–18 subdigital lamellae under IV toe (20–23); 17–18 transverse rows of ventral scales (19–21); eight longitudinal rows of ventral scales (10–12); 12–15 femoral pores on each side in males (17–18); and one yellow or cream oblique subocular stripe (more than one subocular stripe). Colour of holotype in life (Fig. 4). Dorsal surface of the head light brown. Lateral surfaces of the head have the same colour as the dorsal surface, with one oblique clear stripe crossing labials scales from posterior corner of the eyes to pregular scales. Ventral surface of the head (infralabials, chin shields, pregular and gular scales) cream spotted with brown. Dorsal surface of the body has the same colour as the dorsal surface of the head, with paired cream spots extended from neck to the tail, becoming smaller towards the end of the tail. Lateral surfaces of the body light brown, with four white-centred and black-bordered ocelli on the left, and two on the right. Ventral surface of the body, tail and limbs cream with light brown, bearing some small dark spots. Anterior, posterior and dorsal surfaces of limbs darker than body. Magdalenasaura adercum sp. nov. is distinguished from the species of its sister genus Gelanesaurus by the combination of the following characters (condition for G. cochranae and G. flavogularis in parentheses): weakly keeled dorsal scales, without forming longitudinal dorsal crests (strongly keeled and tuberculate dorsal scales, forming longitudinal dorsal crests); loreal scale in contact with supralabials (loreal scale separated from supralabials by the contact between the nasal and frenocular); large, paired and symmetrical occipitals in medial contact (usually the largest scales on the occipital region separated medially by smaller scales or in slight contact); homogeneous brown colouration around the nostril (a conspicuous black or brown spot surrounding nostril); and 24–30 scales around midbody (45–56 in G. cochranae and 37–48 in G. flavogularis). See diagnostic characters for the species in Table 2, and variation of relevant meristic and morphological differences among Gelanesaurus and Magdalenasaura species in Figs 7–8 in Fang et al. 2020. |
| Comment | Distribution: See map in Fang et al. 2020: 12 (Fig. 9). |
| Etymology | The epithet adercum derives from the Greek word aderkes (unseen or unexpected), because after extensive sampling efforts in the region these lizards seem to be very rare, secretive and hard to see. |
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