Holcosus septemlineatus (DUMÉRIL, 1851)
Can you confirm these amateur observations of Holcosus septemlineatus?
Holcosus septemlineatus
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| Higher Taxa | Teiidae, Teiinae, Gymnophthalmoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Seven-lined Ameiva S: Lagartija terrestre de cola azul |
| Synonym | Ameiva Septemlineata DUMÉRIL 1851: 114 Ameiva sex-scutata GÜNTHER 1859 Holcosus septemlineatus — COPE 1862: 60 Holcosus sexscutatus — COPE 1862: 60 Ameiva septemlineata — BOULENGER 1885: 346 Ameiva septemlineata — PETERS & DONOSO-BARROS 1970: 23 Ameiva septemlineata — CARRERA et al. 2009 Holcosus septemlineatus — HARVEY et al. 2012 |
| Distribution | Ecuador (lowlands from Guayaquil north), Colombia [Castro,F. (pers. comm.)] Type locality: South America |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Holotype: MNHN-RA 4198 |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis (genus): Holcosus could only be confused with species of Ameiva and Aspidoscelis. Unlike Ameiva (characters in parentheses), species of Holcosus have a denticulate dorsolateral row of caudals (dorsolateral caudals like adjacent scales, laterally projecting mucrons absent), subarticular lamellae of hands distinctly enlarged and swollen (homogeneous), two or three large scales at the heel (scales at heel small and numerous), ventrals abruptly transitioning to scales on flanks (gradually decreasing in size in most species), and scales on flank “bristly” due to presence of large apical granules or outwardly projecting scales (not “bristly,” apical granules small). The species of Holcosus also usually have six supraoculars (eight). Unlike Aspidoscelis, Holcosus has a tongue retractile into a basal sheath (sheath absent), heterogeneous subdigital lamellae (homogeneous, although basal lamellae are enlarged in some species), denticulate dorsolateral row of caudals (dorsolateral caudals like adjacent scales, laterally projecting mucrons absent), and the nasal suture passing through the nostril (nostril anterior to but in contact with nasal suture). |
| Comment | Synonymy mostly that of PETERS & DONOSO-BARROS 1970. Type species: Ameiva septemlineata Duméril is the type species of the genus Holcosus COPE 1862. Group: the Holcosus septemlineatus group contains H. anomalus, Holcosus bridgesii, and Holcosus septemlineatus (fide Harvey et al. 2012). |
| Etymology | Cope (1862) did not discuss the derivation of Holcosus. He may have been inspired by the masculine Latin noun holcos (from Greek holkos), meaning a kind of grain. The name may be a reference to the many cephalic shields that have fragmented into numerous small and, therefore, grain-like keeled scales in the type species H. septemlineatus. Holcosus is a masculine noun in the nominative singular. |
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