Diploderma vela (WANG, JIANG & CHE, 2015)
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Diploderma vela
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| Higher Taxa | Agamidae (Draconinae), Sauria, Iguania, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Sail Moutain Lizards, Sail Japalura Chinese: Fan Bei Pan Xi (帆背龙蜥) |
| Synonym | Japalura vela WANG, JIANG & CHE in WANG et al. 2015 Japalura yunnanensis — VOGT 1924: 338 Japalura flaviceps — HU et al. 1987: 112 Japalura flaviceps — POPE 1935: 467 Japalura flaviceps ZHAO & JIANG 1977: 293 –298 Japalura flaviceps ZHAO et al. 1999: 111–115 Japalura flaviceps LI et al. 2010: 115 Japalura sp. A — MANTHEY et al. 2012 Diploderma vela — WANG et al. 2018 |
| Distribution | China (Tibet = Xizang, Yunnan) Type locality: Quzika of Markam, eastern Tibet, PR China (29°5' N, 98°36' E), at elevation of 2370 m |
| Reproduction | |
| Types | Holotype: KIZ 013801 (Figures 1–4, 6), adult male, collected by Ke JIANG and Kai WANG on May 23rd, 2013. Paratypes Two adult females (KIZ013802 and KIZ013813) and eight adult males (KIZ013800 and KIZ013805–013811) all share the same data as the holotype, collected by Ke JIANG, Kai WANG, and Duan YOU. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: Following Inger’s (1960) definition of the genus, the new species is assigned to Japalura based on a number of diagnostic characters, including: 1) dorsal scales unequal in size, 2) presence of enlarged crest scales, 3) presence of gular sac, 4) presence of lateral fold of skin in axilla–groin region, 5) supraciliary scales greatly imbricate; 6) head relatively long, flat; 7) tail long, slender; 8) tail cylindrical in shape; and 9) absence of precloacal or femoral pores. The new species differs from all known congeners by the following combination of characters: 1) small adult size (SVL 56–69 mm in males, 59–66 mm in females); 2) moderate tail length (TAL/SVL 1.92–2.06 in males, 1.85–1.86 in females); 3) moderate hind limb length (HLL/SVL 0.72–0.81); 4) T4S 24 or 25; 5) tympanum concealed; 6) transverse gular fold present; 7) gular pouch present; 8) axillary folds present; 9) males with pronounced, continuous, sail-like vertebral crest along entire length of body from posterior margin of head to base of tail; 10) ground body coloration black in males, medium to dark brown in females; 11) white coloration on ventral surface of body in males; 12) presence of white transverse streaks on dorsal head; 13) presence of black radiated streaks around eyes; 14) ventral surface of head with prominent black vermiculate stripes; 15) gular spots absent; 16) presence of distinct, jagged, yellowish-white dorsolateral stripes in males; and 17) presence of faint, reddish, dorsolateral lines restricted to anterior half of axilla–groin region in females. |
| Comment | Abundance: only known from its original description (Meiri et al. 2017). |
| Etymology | The Latin word vela means “sail”, which describes the shape of the pronounced and continuous vertebral crest as the diagnostic morphology of the males of the new species. |
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