Bachia pyburni KIZIRIAN & MCDIARMID, 1998
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Bachia pyburni
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| Higher Taxa | Gymnophthalmidae (Cercosaurinae, Bachiinae), Sauria, Gymnophthalmoidea, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | |
| Synonym | Bachia pyburni KIZIRIAN & MCDIARMID 1998: 246 Bachia panoplia — DIXON 1973:45 Bachia panoplia — AYALA 1986:571 Bachia pyburni — DE FREITAS et al. 2011 Bachia pyburni — DIAGO-TORO et al. 2021 |
| Distribution | SE Colombia (Rio Negro drainage), Brazil, S Venezuela Type locality: Yapima, Vaupes, Colombia |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Holotype: UTA 6855, adult female |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: Bachia pyburni is distinguished from other gymnophthalmid lizards (sensu Estes et al., 1988) by its unique combination of phalangeal elements: 0-3-4-4-3 in the manus and 2-3-4-4-0 in the pes (Table 1). Like other species of Bachia, B. pyburni lacks an external ear opening and has reduced limbs, an elongate body and tail, and moveable eyelids. In contradistinction to other species of Bachia, B. pyburni has long free digits; e.g., all other species of Bachia have three or fewer (4-5 in B. pyburni) scales on the dorsal side of the longest fingers and four or fewer (4-5 in B. pyburni) scales on the dorsal side of the longest toes. In addition, B. pyburni can be distinguished from all species of Bachia, except B. panoplia, by the presence of lanceolate scales on the venter. From B. panoplia, B. pyburni can be further distinguished by a wider interparietal (length three times width versus length five times width), a greater number of supralabials (seven versus six), and the absence (versus presence) of femoral pores in males. Calyptommatus and Nothobachia also have extremely reduced limbs but are nested within the clade that includes species with scincoid scales and immoveable eyelids: i.e., (Tretioscincus(Micrablepharus (Gymnophthalmus (Procellosaurinus (Vanzosaura (Psilophthalmus (Nothobachia, Calyptommatus)(Rodrigues,1991). |
| Comment | Morphology: Because of its limb morphology, Bachia pyburni is particularly relevant to understanding the evolution of limblessness and the phylogeny of Bachia and its close relatives. Bachia pyburni has more phalangeal elements than other species of Bachia, but fewer than closely related (Dixon, 1973; Kizirian, 1994) species in the genera Anotosaura, Heterodactylus, Colobodactylus, and Colobosaura (Table 1 in KIZIRIAN & MCDIARMID 1998). Distribution: see map in Ribeiro-Júnior et al. 2016: 153 (Fig. 4). |
| Etymology | Named after William F. Pyburn who “has added significantly to our understanding of the amphibians and reptiles of the Vaupes region of southeastern Colombia”. |
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