Xenosaurus caneki BAUTISTA-DEL MORAL, PALACIOS-AGUILAR, PALACIOS-<br />RESÉNDIZ & ARENAS-MORENO, 2026
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Xenosaurus caneki
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| Higher Taxa | Xenosauridae, Diploglossa, Anguimorpha, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | |
| Synonym | Xenosaurus caneki BAUTISTA-DEL MORAL, PALACIOS-AGUILAR, PALACIOS- RESÉNDIZ & ARENAS-MORENO 2026: 251 |
| Distribution | Mexico (Guerrero: Sierra Madre del Sur) Type locality: 2.15 km SE from Coaxtlahuacán, (17.35828°N, -99.34548°W), Guerrero, Mexico, at an elevation of 1560 m. |
| Reproduction | |
| Types | Holotype. CNAR-IBH 37030 (field number ABM 13; Figs 2–3), adult male. This specimen was observed within the crevice of a dolomitic rock in tropical semi-evergreen forest. It was collected on August 19, 2024, by Adán Bautista-del Moral, Rufino Guzmán-Hernández, Itandi Guzmán-Castro, and Mitchelle E. De Jesús-Castorena. Paratypes. Eight specimens, four adult males (CNAR-IBH 37028, 37031–37032, 37035), and four adult females (CNAR-IBH 37029, 37033–37034, 37036); all with same locality data as the holotype. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: Xenosaurus caneki sp. nov. may be diagnosed by the following combination of characters: Collar medially interrupted, with a straight or U-shaped margin, followed by a posterior pale margin in the scapular region separating it from the dark crossbands of the trunk; canthus temporalis weakly developed; supraorbital semicircles separated by one scale; one medial postrostral separating nasals from midline; second pair of chin shields separated from each other; 17–19 parietal scales between canthus temporales; 35–48 tubercles in paravertebral rows; 30–33 rows of dorsolateral tubercles between axilla and groin; 33–36 transverse rows of ventral scales; 20–22 longitudinal rows of ventral scales; and 21–24 lamellae under fourth toe. Comparisons: The new species can be differentiated from the species of the newmanorum clade (condition in parentheses) by presenting a weakly developed canthus temporalis (absent), and no lateral postrostrals (2–3 scales). It differs from the species of the tzacualtipantecus clade in having a collar medially interrupted with a pale posterior margin on the scapular region that separates it from the first dark cross-band of the trunk (nape marking funnel-shaped, divided longitudinally by the subocular stripes), and a proportionally shorter tail (tail length/SVL ratio 0.70–0.83, n= 9 vs 0.87–1.02 collectively according to Nieto-Montes de Oca et al. 2018). The new species is distinguished from the species of the rackhami clade as follows. It differs from X. arboreus by the presence of scattered dark markings on the venter (uniformly pale gray in X. arboreus), one scale separating the supraocular semicircles (supraocular semicircles in contact), and the presence of sublabials (absent). It differs from X. rackhami and X. sanmartinensis by having caudal rings without pale centers (present), having a weakly developed canthus temporalis (well-developed), and having fewer lamellae under fourth toe (mean= 22.6, range 21–24, n= 9 in X. caneki sp. nov. vs mean= 26.67, range 24–29, n= 6 in X. sanmartinensis; and mean= 26.80, range 25–28, n= 5 in X. rackhami). Xenosaurus caneki sp. nov. differs from the species of the grandis clade as follows. From X. penai, its geographically-closest congener, it differs by having a single medial postrostral (lateral postrostral in contact with nasals); supraocular semicircles separated by one scale (two scales), a weakly developed canthus temporalis (well developed), fewer lamellae under the fourth toe (mean= 22.6, range 21–24, n= 9 in X. caneki sp. nov. vs mean= range 25.0, 24–27, n= 7 in X. penai), and a banded dorsal pattern (reticulated pattern). From X. agrenon, it differs by having the second pair of chin shields separated by 1–2 scales (in contact), a medial postrostral always present (usually absent in 78.6% of cases according to Nieto-Montes de Oca et al., 2018), and fewer lamellae in average under fourth toe (mean= 22.6, range 21–24, n= 9 in X. caneki sp. nov. vs mean= 25.5, range 23–28, n= 14). From X. grandis. it differs by having a weakly developed canthus temporalis (well-developed), less lamellae in average under fourth toe (mean= 22.6, range 21–24, n= 9 in X. caneki sp. nov. vs mean= 27.5, range 24–29, n= 14 in X. grandis [data from Nieto-Montes de Oca et al. 2018]) and a shorter tail (tail length/SVL ratio 0.70–0.83, n= 9 vs 0.86–1.10, n= 14, according to Nieto-Montes de Oca et al. 2018). X. caneki sp. nov. differs from X. phalaroanthereon by lacking white spots in the infralabials (present), having the second pair of chinshields separated by 1–2 scales (usually in contact, 94% of n= 16 [data from Nieto-Montes de Oca et al. 2018]), having scattered dark markings in the venter (immaculate on most cases), and more lamellae in average under fourth toe (mean= 22.6, range 21–24, n= 9 in X. caneki sp. nov. vs mean= 19.4, range 18–20, n= 5 in X. phalaroanthereon [mean= 19.4, range 18–22, n= 16 according to Nieto-Montes de Oca et al. 2018]). Further, X. caneki sp. nov. differs from X. rectocollaris by having a weakly developed canthus temporalis (absent), more lamellae in average under fourth toe (mean= 22.6, range 21–24, n= 9 in X. caneki sp. nov. vs mean= 20.5, range 20–22, n= 11 in X. rectocollaris[data from Nieto-Montes de Oca et al. 2018]), having scattered dark markings in the venter (immaculate), and a shorter tail (tail length/SVL ratio 0.70–0.83, n= 9 vs 0.89–1.06, n= 11, according to Nieto-Montes de Oca et al. 2018). (Bautista-del Moral et al. 2026) Unfortunately we had to temporarily remove additional information as this was scraped by multiple AI companies who sell that data. However, these details, e.g. detailed descriptions (about about 4.74 pages) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us if you need any of this material. |
| Comment | |
| Etymology | Named in honor of the first author’s son, Valente Canek Bautista Guzmán. |
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