Stenocercus squarrosus NOGUEIRA & RODRIGUES, 2006
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Stenocercus squarrosus
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| Higher Taxa | Tropiduridae, Iguania, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | |
| Synonym | Stenocercus squarrosus NOGUEIRA & RODRIGUES 2006 Stenocercus squarrosus — TORRES-CARVAJAL 2007 |
| Distribution | Brazil (Piauí, S Ceará) Type locality: ”Chapada dos Gerais”, a sandstone plateau in Parque Nacional Serra das Confusões, (9°13’S; 43°29’W), Piauí state. |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Holotype: MZUSP 94056, field number MRT 08106, adult male collected by H. Zaher and F. Curcio in January 2002 |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: Stenocercus squarrosus sp. nov. is distinguished from all other Stenocercus, except S. tricristatus, S. dumerilii, and S. quinarius by the presence of the following characters (adapted from Ávila-Pires, 1995): head pyramidal, enlarged prominent post-supraciliary scales continuous to a dis- tinct crest formed by supraciliaries and canthals. Supraoculars not enlarged. One elongate subocular. Interparietal small, parietal eye distinct. Gular or neck folds absent, sides of neck with large, imbricate scales. Vertebral and dorsolateral crests present. Dorsals, laterals and ventrals relatively large, imbricate, keeled, sometimes mucronate. Mite pockets absent. From S. tricristatus (characters in parentheses) it is distinguished based on the shorter tail, 0.8-0.9 times SVL (1.7 times SVL), 46-53 midbody scales (33), 13- 15 scales from one dorsolateral crest to the other (8), five prominent, dorsolateral crests: one vertebral, two dorsolateral and two lateral (lateral crests undistinguishable), body depressed (body laterally compressed), tail depressed near the base (compressed near the base) and uniform, light brown dorsal pattern, with transverse dark brown markings in juveniles and some adult specimens (banded dorsal pattern). From S. dumerilii (characters in parentheses, from Ávila-Pires, 1995 and 15 examined specimens) it differs by showing 46-53 midbody scales (41-50); shorter tail, 0.8-0.9 times SVL (1.2-1.4); 3-5, mostly five, internasals (2-3); rostral roughly three times as wide as high (approximately four times as wide as high); smaller adult size; dorsal scales keeled throughout the lenght of the scale (keel restricted to or more prominent on the distal part of dorsals); dorsals generally with a small mucron (most non-mucronate); 42-52 caudal scale rows (64-74); all five dorsal crests prominent, serrated (dorsal crests low, lateral crests poorly distinguishable in some specimens), body depressed (body slightly depressed), tail eliptical in cross section (round in cross section). From S. quinarius sp. nov. (characters in parentheses) it differs by having a shorter tail, 0.8-0.9 times SVL (1.0-1.1); rostral roughly three times as wide as high (approximately twice as wide as high); 42-52 caudal scale rows (56-62); all five dorsal crests prominent, serrated (dorsal crests low), body depressed (body slightly depressed), tail elliptical in cross section (round in cross section), anterior canthal ridge single (double canthal ridge), anterior canthal longer than posterior (shorter), contacting post-rostrals (not contacting post-rostrals). Color in life: Dorsal ground color uniform tan, dorsal part of head same color as dorsum. Gular and ventral region slightly lighter, uniform light brown. Tail region with slightly darker flecks of reddish brown, alternating with lighter areas. A dark brown ocular stripe is visible from the orbit to comissure of mouth. On the photographed specimen, four dark brown transversal chevrons are present on the dorsum, along the vertebral row of enlarged, erected scales, being absent on the holotype. A distinct horizontally elongated black spot just above and anterior to insertion of forelimbs. |
| Comment | Similar species: Stenocercus dumerilii, S. tricristatus, S.quinarius, and S. squarrosus share combined morphological features (three or five dorsal crests, enlarged post-supraciliary scale, head blunt, pyramidal, bordered by supraciliary crests) unseen in the remainder of the genus (see Avila-Pires 1995, Nogueira & Rodrigues 2006). Distribution: Map: see TEIXEIRA et al. 2015: 417. |
| Etymology | “squarrosus”, Latin, rough, with stiff, erected scales. In allusion to the prominent, serrate dorsal crests. |
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