Philochortus rudolfensis PARKER, 1932

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Higher Taxa	Lacertidae, Eremiadinae, Sauria, Lacertoidea, Squamata (lizards)
Subspecies
Common Names	E: Southern Shield-backed Lizard
Synonym	Philochortus intermedius rudolfensis PARKER 1932: 226 Philochortus intermedius rudolfensis — ANGEL 1936: 104 Philochortus intermedius rudolfensis — LANZA 1988: 428 Philochortus rudolfensis — SPAWLS et al. 2001: 164 Philochortus rudolfensis — LARGEN & SPAWLS 2006: 63 Philochortus rudolfensis — LARGEN & SPAWLS 2010: 362 Philochortus rudolfensis — SPAWLS et al 2018: 191
Distribution	N Kenya (Lake Rudolf, Lake Turkana), S Ethiopia, probably in Sudan (L. Chirio, pers. comm.) Type locality: near the mouth of the Kaliokwell River, Lake Rudolf.
Reproduction	oviparous
Types	Holotype: BMNH 1946.9.3.44, male (was: 1932.5.2.6)
Diagnosis	Philochortus rudolfensis is distinguished from all other East African lacertids by the presence of 2 longitudinal, mid-dorsal rows of enlarged scales (about twice the width of the rest of the body scales) (SPAWLS et al. 2001). Description: Head a little depressed, about once and two-thirds as long as broad, its depth equal to the distance between the centre of the eye and the tympanum. Snout pointed, with rounded canthus rostralia. Hind limb reaching to half-way between the fore limb and the ear foot once and a half as long as the bead. Nostril separated from the first upper labial and the postnasal by a narrow rim; prefrontal separated by a median granule; frontal as long as its distance from the tip of the snout, once and a half as long as broad; parietals once and a third as long as broad interparietal rhomboidal, once and two-thirds as long as broad, separated from the occipital by a group of three granules; four supraoculars, the fourth broken up into four sales; five supraciliaries, separated from the second and third supraoculars by a row of granules. Rostral not entering the nostril; single postnasal: anterior loreal shorter than the second; five upper labial anterior to the subocular; a long narrow temporal along almost the whole outer margin of the parietal. (Parker 1932: 226) Scales feebly keeled posteriorly, smooth anteriorly; two median rows largest; 32 dorsal and laterals across the middle of the body; 14 enlarged, feebly keeled scales between the hind limbs. Ventrals in 6 longitudinal and 28 transverse series; 20 gular scales in a longitudinal median series; 7 plates in the collar; caudal scales strongly keeled, 22 in the fourth whorl; 10 femoral pores on each side, 27 lamellae beneath the fourth toe. (Parker 1932: 226) Colouration: as in the typical form [i.e. intermedius] (Parker 1932: 226) Size: End of snout to vent 46 mm; length of head 10; width of head 6; depth of head 5; fore limb 15; hind limb 29; foot 15; tail 130. (Parker 1932: 226)
Comment	Abundance: Philochortus (intermedius) rudolfensis is only known from 5 specimens, so its variation is not sufficiently known.
Etymology	Named after the type locality, Lake Rudolf.
References	Boulenger, G.A. 1917. On the lizards of the genus Philochortus MATSCHIE. Proc. Zool. Soc. London 1917: 145-157 - get paper here Lanza, B. 1983. A list of the Somali amphibians and reptiles. MONITORE ZOOLOGICO ITALIANO, new Ser., SUPPL. 18 (8): 193-247 - get paper here Lanza, B. 1990. Amphibians and reptiles of the Somali Democratic Republic: check list and biogeography. Biogeographia, 14: 407-465 [1988] - get paper here Largen, M.J.; Spawls, S. 2006. Lizards of Ethiopia (Reptilia Sauria): an annotated checklist, bibliography, gazetteer and identification. Tropical Zoology 19 (1): 21-109 - get paper here Largen, M.J.; Spawls, S. 2010. Amphibians and Reptiles of Ethiopia and Eritrea. Edition Chimaira, Frankfurt, 694 pp. Parker, H. W. 1942. The lizards of British Somaliland. Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard 91: 1—101 - get paper here Parker,H.W. 1932. Scientific results of the Cambridge expedition to the east African lakes, 1930-31. 5. Reptiles and amphibians. Zool. J. Linnean Soc. 38: 213-229 - get paper here Scortecci, G. 1930. Secondo contributo alla conoscenza dei rettili della Somalia Italiana. Atti della Società Italiana di Scienze Naturali e del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale in Milano, 69:127—152. [1931] - get paper here Spawls, S. & Rotich, D. 1997. An annotated checklist of the lizards of Kenya. J. East African Nat. Hist. 86: 61-83 Spawls, S.; Howell, K.; Drewes, R.C. & Ashe, J. 2002. A field guide to the reptiles of East Africa. Academic Press, 543 pp. [reviews in HR 34: 396 and Afr. J. Herp. 51; 147] - get paper here Spawls, Steve; Kim Howell, Harald Hinkel, Michele Menegon 2018. Field Guide to East African Reptiles. Bloomsbury, 624 pp. - get paper here
External links	IUCN Red List Google images

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