Oreosaurus mcdiarmidi (KOK & RIVAS, 2011)
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Oreosaurus mcdiarmidi
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| Higher Taxa | Gymnophthalmidae (Cercosaurinae), Sauria, Gymnophthalmoidea, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | |
| Synonym | Anadia mcdiarmidi KOK & RIVAS 2011 Anadia breweri – GORZULA 1992: 276 (nomen nudum) Anadia species a – GORZULA & SEÑARIS 1999: 114-115, Anadia sp. A – MCDIARMID & DONNELLY 2005: 514 Anadia breweri – BREWER-CARÍAS & AUDY 2010: 210 (nomen nudum) Anadia mcdiarmidi KOK et al. 2012 Oreosaurus mcdiarmidi — SÁNCHEZ-PACHECO et al. 2017 |
| Distribution | Venezuela (Bolívar) Type locality: summit of Abakapá-tepui, Bolívar State, Venezuela, 05°11'09''N 062°17'36''W, 2201 m elevation. |
| Reproduction | oviparous (not imputed, fide Zimin et al. 2022) |
| Types | Holotype: IRSNB 2677 (field number PK 3565), 1 adult female collected by Philippe J.R. Kok, 03-05-2011 at 11h39 |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: A fairly robust species currently not assigned to any species group. The new species is characterized by the following combination of characters: (1) size small, body robust (maximum known SVL 62.2 mm); (2) tail longer than SVL; (3) dorsal scales small, quadrangular; (4) middorsal scales 53-57; (5) suboculars large, unequal in size, with sometimes one scale slightly protruding downward between 4th and 5th supralabial, suboculars separated from palpebrals by 2-3 rows of mostly inconspicuous tiny scales, a few of them distinctly enlarged with angular downward protrusion between suboculars; (6) nasal entire, without sub-nostril groove; (7) 3-4 large pigmented palpebrals; (8) body uniform beige or greyish to bluish brown in life, devoid of any conspicuous pattern in males; (9) absence of any dark line on side of head in adult males; (10) venter immaculate golden grey in life; (11) femoral pores 9-10 on each side in males, unknown in females; (12) preanal pores absent; (13) hemipenis globose, weakly bilobed, bordered by numerous flounces (>20, including about eight medioproximal asulcate flounces) bearing comblike rows of minute weakly mineralized spinules, sulcus spermaticus divided in the crotch by a small fleshy bumplike structure, sulcus branches barely detectable. The new taxon is immediately distinguished from Anadia ocellata, A. vittata, A. rhombifera, and A. petersi [all members of the ocellata group of Oftedal (1974)] and A. bogotensis [single member of the bogotensis group of Oftedal (1974)] in having quadrangular dorsal scales (subhexagonal in species of the ocellata group, imbricate in A. bogotensis), and in lacking a subnostril groove or divided nasal (nasal divided or subnostril groove present in species of the ocellata group and in A. bogotensis); from A. altaserrania [a member of the bitaeniata group of Oftedal (1974) according to Harris & Ayala (1987)] in having prefrontals (lacking in A. altaserrania), in having more femoral pores in males (9-10 in A. mcdiarmidi vs. 3-4 in A. altaserrania), and in having a higher number of middorsal scales (53-57 in A. mcdiarmidi vs. 45-47 in A. altaserrania); from A. bitaeniata, A. brevifrontalis, A. hobarti, A. pamplonensis, and A. pulchella [all members of the bitaeniata group of Oftedal (1974) according to La Marca & García-Pérez (1990)] in having a higher number of middorsal scales (53-57 in A. mcdiarmidi vs. maximum 50 in species of the bitaeniata group); from A. blakei and A. marmorata [members of the marmorata group of Oftedal (1974)] in having a higher number of middorsal scales (more than 50 in A. mcdiarmidi vs. less than 35 in A. blakei and A. marmorata); from A. bumanguesa [a member of the bitaeniata group of Oftedal (1974) according to Rueda-Almonacid & Caicedo (2004), but a possible synonym of A. steyeri and thus a member of the steyeri group of Oftedal (1974) according to Rivas et al. (in press)] in having a lower number of scales around midbody (35-36 in A. mcdiarmidi vs. 41 in A. steyeri), and in having pigmented palpebrals (unpigmented in A. bumanguesa); from A. pariaensis (not assigned to any species group in the original description) in having a much lower number of middorsal scales (54- 57 in A. mcdiarmidi vs. 70-72 in A. pariaensis); from A. steyeri [single member of the steyeri group of Oftedal (1974)] in having a lower number of scales around midbody (35-36 in A. mcdiarmidi vs. 40-45 in A. steyeri); and from A. escalerae (not assigned to any species group in the original description), the geographically closest relative, in having a robust body (slender in A. escalerae), in having smooth dorsal scales (weakly keeled in A. escalerae), in lacking dorsolateral stripes (present in A. escalerae), in having a lower number of middorsal scales (54-57 in A. mcdiarmidi vs. 63 in A. escalerae), and in having a lower number of scales around midbody (35-36 in A. mcdiarmidi vs. 40 in A. escalerae). |
| Comment | |
| Etymology | The specific epithet is a noun in the genitive case, honouring Roy McDiarmid, North American herpetologist (Smithsonian Institution), for his contribution to the knowledge of the Pantepui herpetofauna. |
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