Abronia aurita (COPE, 1869)
Can you confirm these amateur observations of Abronia aurita?
Abronia aurita
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| Higher Taxa | Anguidae (Gerrhonotinae), Diploglossa, Anguimorpha, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Cope's Arboreal Alligator Lizard |
| Synonym | Gerrhonotus auritus COPE 1869: 306 Gerrhonotus auritus — O’SHAUGHNESSY 1873: 45 Gerrhonotus auritus — BOULENGER 1885: 271 Gerrhonotus auritus — HARTWEG & TIHEN 1946: 2 Abronia aurita — TIHEN 1949 Gerrhonotus auritus — WERMUTH 1969: 15 Auriculabronia aurita Abronia aurita — KÖHLER 2000: 37 Abronia aurita — KÖHLER 2008: 60 |
| Distribution | Guatemala (Alta Verapaz), SE Mexico ? Type locality: vast forests of Vera Paz, in the neighborhood of the ancient cities of Peten and Coban. |
| Reproduction | ovovivparous |
| Types | Holotype: USNM 6769 Syntypes: MNHN-RA 1189 (1868.14, 2553 alpha), 285 (178) mm; 1189A, 314 (193)mm; 1189B, 217 (131) mm [fimbriata] |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: “A species of Abronia having: (1) distinctive spinelike supra-auricular scales in subadults and adults; (2) unexpanded supranasals; (3) a median frontonasal scale, usually not contacting frontal; (4) posterior internasals not greatly enlarged; (5) discrete canthals; (6) 2-5 (usually 3) primary temporals, the lower two contacting the postoculars; (7) usually no parietal-median supraocular contact; (8) a single occipital; (9) posterolateral head scales not knoblike; (10) anterior superciliary contacting cantholoreal, similar in length to other scales in series; (11) the posterior subocular broadly separated from the lower primary temporal by the penultimate supralabial, which is the posteriormost scale in this series to reach the orbit; (12) preauricular scales small, granular, elevated, usually disposed in 3-4 rows; (13) postmental variable, but most frequently single; (14) the posteriormost infralabial elongate, often about twice as long as preceding infralabials; (15) usually six longitudinal nuchal scale rows; (16) 27-31 dorsal transverse scale rows; (17) 14 dorsal longitudinal scale rows, these parallel to ventrolateral fold; (18) 14 ventral longitudinal scale rows; (19) adult greenish dorsal coloration with much black mottling concentrated into indistinct dorsal crossbands; (20) juvenile pattern of dark dorsal crossbands. This species differs from all other species of Abronia that have protuberant supra-auricular scales, except A. anzuetoi (fig. 11C, D), A. gaiophantasma (fig. 11A, B), some A. matudai, and A. lythrochila (fig. 11F), in having 14 longitudinal ventral scale rows. Abronia aurita differs from all other species of Abronia except A. graminea, A. anzuetoi, and A. smithi (fig. 11E) in having a distinctly yellow orbital region. Abronia aurita differs from A. anzuetoi in coloration (relatively pale green or yellow-green with yellow and/or orange markings versus dark emerald green or dark blue green), in having comparatively shorter posterior internasals, and being of a smaller size (maximum SVL 125 versus 135 mm). Abronia aurita differs from A. gaiophantasma in having more numerous postoccipital rows between the occipital and first nuchal row (two or three versus one), having multiple rows of nonimbricate preauriculars (versus two or fewer subimbricate rows), having an expanded posterior infralabial, the parietal usually in contact with the median supraoculars (not so in A. gaiophantasma), and features of color pattern. Abronia aurita differs from most specimens of A. lythrochila in having discrete canthals (versus canthals usually fused with posterior internasals) and in having a distinctly yellow circumorbital region.” (Campbell & Frost 1993: 13 and Table 1). |
| Comment | Not listed in LINER 1994. Not listed by KÖHLER (2000) for Mexico. Synonymy: Barisia fimbriata COPE 1885: 171 was synonymized with Abronia aurita by STUART 1963, but later revalidated. |
| Etymology | Apparently named after the large scales (partially) covering the ear opening, from Latin auris = ear. |
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