Scincella montana VALDENEGRO-BRITO, ESAÚ, DE LA VEGA-PÉREZ & GARCÍA-VÁZQUEZ, 2025
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Scincella montana
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| Higher Taxa | Scincidae, Sphenomorphinae (Sphenomorphini), Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | |
| Synonym | Scincella montana VALDENEGRO-BRITO, ESAÚ, DE LA VEGA-PÉREZ & GARCÍA-VÁZQUEZ 2025 Sphenomorphus assatus — CASAS-ANDREU et al. 1996: 32 (part.) Sphenomorphus assatus — MATA-SILVA et al. 2015: 20 (part.) Sphenomorphus assatus — MATA-SILVA et al. 2017: 680 |
| Distribution | Mexico (Oaxaca) Type locality: Finca La Venta, Pluma Hidalgo Municipality, Oaxaca, Mexico, 15.97758N, 96.41918W (datum = WGS84), 1100 m elevation |
| Reproduction | |
| Types | Holotype: MZFC-HE 22625, an adult male collected by O. Flores-Villela (Fig. 2) on 1 April 2008. Paratypes (n=17). GUERRERO: one specimen from Tecpan de Galeana Municipality, La Ola 17.6508068N, 100.8678W, 1894 m elevation (MZFZ 4900); two specimens from Zihuatanejo de Azueta Municipality; one from ca. 5 km S of Puerto del Balsamo 17.9555568N, 101.228898W, 1780 m elevation (MZFZ 4907); one from El Aguacatal ca. 7 km S of Puerto del Balsamo (17.9316678N, 101.185568W, 1630 m elevation (MZFZ 4909); three specimens from Malinaltepec Municipality; one from Paraje Montero, 5 km from Municipal police station, road to the Tlapa–San Luis Acatla ́n highway 17.1633338N, 98.7135288W, 1,890 m elevation (MZFC-HE 28408); one from Paraje Montero, 3 km from Municipal police station, road to the river 17.1624728N, 98.7071668W, 1683 m elevation (MZFC-HE 28396); one from 0.9 km (airline) NW from Paraje Montero 17.1693888N, 98.7106668W, 1804 m elevation (MZFZ 4638); and one from Atoyac de Alvarez Municipality (MZFZ 4633). OAXACA: three specimens from Pluma Hidalgo Municipality; one from Finca San Francisco, 15.9161448N, 96.42358W, 1028 m elevation (MZFC-HE 22505); one from Rıo la Virgen road to Copalita, 15.9397228N, 96.4330558W, 1190 m elevation (MZFC-HE 22474); one from downtown Pluma Hidalgo, 15.9242778N, 96.4207228W, 1266 m elevation (MZFC-HE 22608); three specimens from Santa Marıa Yolotepec Municipality, road 131 Oaxaca–Puerto Escondido, 25 km S from San Pedro Juchatengo, 16.2755178N, 97.1748838W, 1830 m elevation (MZFC-HE 15643, 15644, 15646); one specimen from Lachao Municipality, road 135, 2.8 km S of Cerro del Vidrio, 16.235758N, 97.145758W, 1875 m elevation (MZFZ 4639); one specimen from road to San Jose ́ del Pacıfico, Portillo del Rayo, 16.2380868N, 96.5226578W, 2200 m elevation (MZFZ 4902); one specimen from Villa Sola de Vega Municipality, 8.1 mi (13 km) S of Sola de Vega 16.465038N, 96.999118W, 1937 m elevation (MZFZ 4905); and one specimen from Loma Cruz Municipality, Candelaria Loxicha 15.9908518N, 96.5295228W, 1634 m elevation (MZFZ 4629). Other specimens. GUERRERO: Bajos de Balzamar, Tecpan de Galeana (MZFZ 4901); Ejido el Pinito, Tecpan de Galeana (MZFZ 4634); ca. 5 km S of Puerto del Balsamo, Zihuatanejo (MZFZ 4906); El Aguacatal ca. 7 km S from Puerto del Balsamo (MZFZ 4908); San Vicente de Benıtez, Atoyac de A ́ lvarez (MZFZ 4632, 4636-37); La Florida, Atoyac de A ́ lvarez (MZFZ 4635); and SE of Paraje Montero along road to Xochiatenco, 4.0 road km SE of junction with Tlapa de Comonfort–San Luis Acatla ́n road and then 400 m due N, Malinaltepec (MZFZ 4910). OAXACA: Road San Jose ́ del Pacıfico, Portillo del Rayo (MZFZ 4903, 4904); Loma Cruz, Candelaria Loxicha (MZFZ 4628, 4630-31); upslope from Santa Marıa Juquila (MZFC-HE 11155); Road 131 Oaxaca-Puerto Escondido, 25 km S from San Pedro Juchatengo (MZFC-HE 15645); Finca El Carmen, Pluma Hidalgo (MZFC-HE 22521); Finca San Francisco, Pluma Hidalgo (MZFC-HE 22504); downtown Pluma Hidalgo, Pluma Hidalgo (MZFC-HE 22523); 5.8 mi (9.3 km) S of Sola de Vega on Hwy 131 (66.5 mi [107 km] S of Oaxaca; UTACV 3356); and 8.5 mi (14 km). SW Sola de Vega (UTACV R-4294). |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis. Scincella montana sp. nov. can be distinguished from all species of the ‘‘Oligosoma’’ group by having a single frontoparietal scale (vs. divided frontoparietal scale). The new species can be distinguished from all congeners in North and Middle America, except for S. kikaapoa, by having two ventrolateral dark lines below the lateral stripe on each side, the former of which begins on the supralabial scales, passes through the tympanic opening, and disappears at the level of the forelimbs (vs. absent); from S. incerta, S. rara, and S. cherriei by having a reddish hue on the tail (vs. light brown tail); and from S. cherriei and S. stuarti by having limbs that do not overlap when adpressed against the body in males (vs. limbs overlapping in males when adpressed against the body). Furthermore, the new species can be distinguished from S. assata and S. cherriei by having enlarged dorsal scales (vs. small dorsal scales); six scale rows between the primary lateral dark lines at the level of the neck (vs. eight scale rows); by having a continuous and well-defined lateral stripe (vs. discontinuous lateral stripe in S. a. taylori and S. cherriei and thin, poorly defined lateral stripe in S. a. assata); and by having 54–67, x = 61 (n = 39) dorsal scales between the nuchal scales and the scales at the level of the vent (vs. 59–79, x = 70, n = 54 in S. a. assata; 62–75, x = 69, n = 20 in S. a. taylori). In addition, the new species differs from S. c. cherriei and S. stuarti by having 24–28, x = 25 (n = 39) scale rows around the midbody (vs. 30–36, x = 32, n = 40 in S. c. cherriei; 30–36, x = 31, n = 48 in S. stuarti). (Valdenegro-Brito et al. 2025) Unfortunately we had to temporarily remove additional information as this was scraped by multiple AI companies who sell that data to their customers. These details, e.g. detailed descriptions or comparisons (about 7541 characters) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. |
| Comment | Distribution: for a map see Valdenegro-Brito et al. 2025: 177 (Fig. 4). |
| Etymology | Named after Latin montanus and means ‘‘pertaining to the mountains,’’ in allusion to the distribution of this species in the mountains of the SMS of Mexico. |
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