Stenocercus dracopennatus VENEGAS, GARCÍA-AYACHI, CHÁVEZ-ARRIBASPLATA, CHÁVEZ, WONG & GARCÍA-BRAVO, 2020
Can you confirm these amateur observations of Stenocercus dracopennatus?
Stenocercus dracopennatus
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| Higher Taxa | Tropiduridae, Iguania, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | |
| Synonym | Stenocercus dracopennatus VENEGAS, GARCÍA-AYACHI, CHÁVEZ-ARRIBASPLATA, CHÁVEZ, WONG & GARCÍA-BRAVO 2020: 87 |
| Distribution | Peru (Amazonas) Type locality: Amazonas Department, Bongará Province, Yambrasbamba District, Yambrasbamba; 5°43.01’S, 77°58.61’W; 2370 m a.s.l. |
| Reproduction | |
| Types | Holotype: CORBIDI 18875, adult male; 07 Sept. 2017; P.J. Venegas leg. Paratypes: CORBIDI 18868,18876, 2 males, adult and juvenile collected with the holotype. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: Stenocercus dracopennatus sp. nov. differs from all species of Stenocercus, except for S. aculeatus, S. angulifer, S. prionotus, and S. scapularis, by having: (1) projecting angulate temporals, (2) laterally oriented nostrils, (3) dorsolateral crest (distinct on second half of body and base of tail in S. prionotus), (4) dorsal and lateral scales of body similar in size, (5) strongly keeled ventrals, and (6) scales on posterior surface of thighs keeled and imbricate. However, S. dracopennatus sp. nov. can also be easily distinguished from S. prionotus (state of characters in parentheses) by having a low-lying vertebral crest (high and projected, Figs 4E, 9A) and postfemoral mite pocket as a slit-like opening (absent). Furthermore, S. dracopennatus sp. nov. differs from S. scapularis (state of characters in parentheses) by having a thin and inconspicuous subocular stripe (conspicuous and broad subocular stripe, Fig. 16), smooth infralabials and sublabials (keeled), a black patch covering the ventral surface of neck (absent), and 38 to 40 vertebrals (43 to 53). Stenocercus dracopennatus sp. nov. can be readily distinguished from S. angulifer and S. aculeatus by having two canthals and a black patch covering the ventral surface of the neck (one canthal and a black patch extensively covering most of the gular region in the last two species, see Figs 4D, 7B, D). Additionally, Stenocercus dracopennatus sp. nov. differs from S. aculeatus (state of characters in parentheses) by having a longer snout (shorter, Fig. 8A, B), a low-lying vertebral crest (distinctly higher, Fig. 9A, B), a deeper posthumeral mite pocket (less deep, Fig. 8C, D), and cycloidal, smooth or feebly keeled dorsal scales at midbody between the dorsolateral crests with or without minute mucronations (lanceolate, strongly keeled and mucronate, Fig. 9C–F). (Venegas et al. 2020) |
| Comment | |
| Etymology | Named after two words in Latin: “draco” that means dragon, the mythological being, and “pennatus” that means feathered. The specific name is a noun in apposition and refers to the similarity between lizards and dragons, which in both Western and Chinese cultures are beings similar to reptiles like crocodiles or serpents. Moreover, due to the big scales of this new species that give it the appearance of being covered by feathers, we decided to name S. dracopennatus sp. nov. for its resemblance to an imaginary feathered dragon. The specific epithet “dracopennatus” is a noun |
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