Cnemidophorus nigricolor PETERS, 1873
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Cnemidophorus nigricolor
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| Higher Taxa | Teiidae, Teiinae, Gymnophthalmoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Venezuelan Island Whiptail |
| Synonym | Cnemidophorus nigricolor PETERS 1873: 76 Cnemidophorus lemniscatus nigricolor — HUMMELINCK 1940: 83 Cnemidophorus lemniscatus nigricolor — MASLIN & SECOY 1986 Cnemidophorus nigricolor — BAUER et al. 1995: 66 Cnemidophorus nigricolor — UGUETO et al. 2010 Cnemidophorus nigricolor — HARVEY et al. 2012 |
| Distribution | Venezuela (islands off the northern coast: Islas de Aves, Islas Los Roques, La Orchila) Type locality: “auf der venezuelanischen Inselgruppe Los Roques, im Norden von La Guayra” [Distrito Federal, Venezuela]. |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Lectotype: ZMB 7646 (designated by MASLIN & SECOY 1986) |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: A species of the C. lemniscatus species complex distinguished from all congeners by the following combination of characters: (1) maximum SVL in males 101 mm; (2) nostril slightly anterior or centered within nasal suture; (3) rostral scale bluntly rounded or rarely moderately pointed and projecting; (4) frontonasal hexagonal or octagonal, forming slightly angular sutures with nasals; (5) first supraciliary usually separated from prefrontal, less often in contact; (6) scales of circumorbital semicircles 4–13 (total of both sides) in contact with supraoculars, extending to anterior portion of fourth supraocular or rarely to posterior portion of third supraocular; (7) 20–32 (total of both sides) scales in a single row between supraoculars and supraciliaries; (8) mesoptychials slightly enlarged; (9) ventrals in eight longitudinal and 30–34 transverse rows, usually 30–33; (10) bisexual (gonochoristic); (11) brachials only slightly enlarged and restricted to small patch near elbow; (12) males with one anal spur at each side; spur broad and short or rarely moderately elongate, extending very close to body; (13) two (rarely one) medium (rarely large) scales between anal spur and preanal shield; (14) subcaudals near base of tail smooth; (15) traces of vertebral and paravertebral stripes, often broken into spots present in juveniles and some females; (16) adult males in life usually uniformly black or dark brown often without pale spots on flanks; (17) females in life uniformly blackish or dark gray with stripes broken into spots and bluish tones on abdomen, with or without small light spots on flanks; (18) juvenile color pattern similar to adult females, gray with stripes broken into spots [from from UGUETO & HARVEY 2010]. Additional details (48 characters) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. |
| Comment | Similar species: Closely related to C. murinus (Sites 1990). Not mentioned in REEDER et al. (2002). According to Burt nigricolor intergrades wlth typical lemniscatus on Margarita Island, an observation which could not be confirmed by HUMMELINCK 1940: 83. Distribution: populations on Isla de Margarita represent C. senectus; populations on La Blanquilla are C. leucopsammus; populations from Los Testigos and Los Frailes belong to C. flavissimus (Gilson Fuenmayor, pers. comm., 5 Apr 2017). Group: member of the lemniscatus group, see C. lemniscatus for details. |
| Etymology | Named after Latin niger, nigra, nigrum = black or dark, referring to the color of the species. |
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