Neusticurus rudis BOULENGER, 1900
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Neusticurus rudis
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| Higher Taxa | Gymnophthalmidae (Cercosaurinae), Sauria, Gymnophthalmoidea, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Red Neusticurus |
| Synonym | Neusticurus rudis BOULENGER 1900: 53 Neusticurus tatei — UZZELL 1966: 283 (part) Neusticurus rudis — UZZELL 1966: 286 Neusticurus rudis — PETERS et al. 1970: 207 Neusticurus rudis — GORZULA & SEÑARIS 1999 Neusticurus cf. rudis — LIVIGNI 2013: 378 Neusticurus rudis — KOK et al. 2018 |
| Distribution | Guyana, E Venezuela (restricted to east of the Venezuelan Gran Sabana, from the slopes of Mount Roraima in Venezuela through Wayalayeng and the slopes of Maringma-tepui to Mount Ayanganna in Guyana, between 678–1500 m elevation, a region drained by tributaries of the Essequibo and Mazaruni rivers, Brazil (Amapá, Amazonas, Pará fide Costa & Bérnils 2018) Type locality: Foot of Mount Roraima, Guyana, elevation 1050 m. Southern slope of Mount Roraima in Bolívar state, Venezuela, fide Kok et al. 2018. |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Type: BMNH 1946.8.31.64 (and possibly additional specimens). |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: Neusticurus rudis is characterised by the following combination of characters: (1) size moderate (maximum known SVL 80.5 mm); (2) tail 1.7–2.1 times SVL; (3) tympanum moderately recessed, auditory meatus short; (4) lower eyelid with semi-transparent disc of 5–8 palpebrals; (5) frontonasal single or paired; (6) occipital scales in contact with posterior edge of parietals and interparietal 7–11; (7) enlarged dorsal tubercles usually arranged in poorly defined, discontinuous longitudinal rows containing 41–45 scales; (8) flanks with enlarged trihedral scales, not forming distinct vertical rows, surrounded by smaller scales usually heterogeneous in size; (9) ventral scales in 25–30 transverse rows; (10) subdigital lamellae under 4th finger 16–22; (11) subdigital lamellae under 4th toe 27–35; (12) total number of femoral pores in males 40–55, 24–49 in females; (13) tail compressed with 4–5 transverse rows of lateral scales corresponding to two subcaudal scales and 2–3 dorsal tubercles (= verticils), the last dorsal tubercle of each verticil poorly overlapping the next verticil; (14) hemipenis non-capitate, lacking capitular groove on sides; (15) hemipenial lobes elongate with pointed tips, lacking lobular knobs. Comparison with congeneric species: Neusticurus rudis is immediately distinguished from N. bicarinatus, N. medemi and N. racenisi in having the tympanum moderately recessed (deeply recessed in N. bicar- inatus, N. medemi and N. racenisi), and by a larger number of femoral pores in females (24–49 in N. rudis vs 4–15 in N. bicarinatus, 9–10 in N. medemi, and 10–15 in N. racenisi). Neusticurus rudis is further distinguished from N. medemi and N. racenisi, and also from N. tatei, in having enlarged tubercles on the dorsum (absent in N. tatei, N. medemi and N. racenisi), and from N. tatei in having fewer femoral pores in males (40–55 in N. rudis vs 60–61 in N. tatei) and a larger number of femoral pores in females (24–49 in N. rudis vs eight in N. tatei). Neusticurus rudis is principally distinguished from N. surinamensis in having enlarged dorsal tubercles usually arranged in poorly defined, discontinuous longitudinal rows containing 41–45 scales (dorsal tubercles arranged in well-defined, straight and continuous longitudinal rows containing 30–41 scales in N. surinamensis), and by a larger number of femoral pores in females (24–49 in N. rudis vs 6–10 in N. surinamensis). Neusticurus rudis is further distinguished from N. bicarinatus and N. surinamensis by non-capitate and non- enlarged lobes on the hemipenis (hemipenis with lobes distinctly enlarged, capitate and detached from the hemipenial body in N. bicarinatus and N. surinamensis). Neusticurus rudis can be further distinguished from N. medemi, N. racenisi and N. tatei by having flounces of the hemipenial body divided by a nude area in the centre of the asulcate face (not interrupted in N. medemi, N. racenisi and N. tatei). |
| Comment | Synonymy mostly after PETERS et al. 1970. Uzzell (1966) placed Neusticurus dejongi Brongersma (1927) and Neusticurus surinamensis Müller (1923) as junior syn- onyms of N. rudis, without examining neither the holotype of N. rudis nor that of N. surinamensis. Marques-Souza et al. 2018 revalidated Neusticurus surinamensis MÜLLER 1923. Distribution: Other populations provisionally referred to that species are currently found exclusively east of the Venezuelan Gran Sabana, from Mount Wokomung in the Pakaraima Mountains of Guyana to the Iwokrama Forest Reserve in Guyana between 159 and 1234 m elevation). |
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