Pseudocalotes viserion GRISMER, QUAH, WOOD, ANUAR, MUIN, DAVIS, MURDOCH, GRISMER, COTA & COBOS, 2016
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Higher Taxa | Agamidae (Draconinae), Sauria, Iguania, Squamata (lizards) |
Subspecies | |
Common Names | E: Viserion’s False Garden Lizard |
Synonym | Pseudocalotes viserion GRISMER, QUAH, WOOD, ANUAR, MUIN, DAVIS, MURDOCH, GRISMER, COTA & COBOS 2016 |
Distribution | Peninsular Malaysia (Pahang) Type locality: crossing the radar tower road at Ulu Kali at Genting Highlands, Pahang, Peninsular Malaysia (03° 26.166 N 101° 47.021 E; 1754 m in elevation |
Reproduction | oviparous. The holotype was a gravid female that had just ovulated indicating that the reproductive season of this species extends through March. |
Types | Holotype: LSUHC 12227, Adult female, collected on 26 March 2015 by Evan S. H. Quah at 1000 hrs. Paratype. Adult male LSUHC 12141 found dead on the radar tower road at Ulu Kali at Genting Highlands, Pahang, Peninsular Malaysia (03° 26.12 N 101° 47.345 E; 1750 m in elevation) by L. Lee Grismer, Perry L. Wood, Jr., Hayden R. Davis, Matthew L. Murdoch, Brandon R. Burch, and Anthony J. Cobos. |
Diagnosis | Diagnosis: Pseudocalotes viserion sp. nov. can be separated from all other species of Psuedocalotes by having a combination of three postrostrals; 10 circumorbitals; four or five canthals; 5–7 superciliaries; rostral and nasal in contact; supralabials contacting nasal; six or seven supralabials; seven or eight infralabials; two or three postmentals; three enlarged chinshields; 47 or 48 smooth, flat, gular scales; weak transverse gular and antehumeral folds; two enlarged scales between the ear and eye; an enlarged upper and lower posttemporal; an enlarged supratympanic; no enlarged postrictals; 7–9 nuchal crest scales lacking gaps and not extending beyond midbody; weakly keeled and plate-like scales on flanks; 35–38 scales around midbody; ventrals smaller than dorsals; 22 or 23 subdigital lamellae on fourth finger; 26 or 27 subdigital lamellae on fourth toe; preaxial scales on third not modified; subdigital lamellae not unicarinate; HW/HL 0.62; no white marking below the eye; dewlap in males yellow; and no elbow or knee patches. These characters or a subset of them are scored across all species in Table 3 (Grismer et al. 2016). Additional details (1402 characters) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. |
Comment | Habitat: The holotype (LSUHC 12227) was collected during mid-morning at 1000 hrs under broken cloud cover as it was crossing the radar tower road at Ulu Kali at Genting Highlands. The paratype (LSUHC 12141) was found freshly killed on the same road at 1500 hrs. This short stretch of road runs along the crest of Ulu Kali and winds through a mossy cloud forest between 1,700 and 1,800 m in elevation (Fig. 11 in Grismer et al. 2016). Abundance: only known from its original description (Meiri et al. 2017). |
Etymology | The specific epithet viserion refers to this species’ resemblance in form and color to the yellowish dragon, Viserion—one of three dragons born in the Dothraki Sea and commanded by Daenerys Targaryen—the Mother of Dragons—in George R. R. Martin’s fictional work Game of Thrones. |
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