Trapelus boehmei WAGNER, MELVILLE, WILMS & SCHMITZ, 2011
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Higher Taxa | Agamidae (Agaminae), Sauria, Iguania, Squamata (lizards) |
Subspecies | |
Common Names | |
Synonym | Trapelus boehmei WAGNER, MELVILLE, WILMS & SCHMITZ 2011 Trapelus boehmei — LIVIGNI 2013: 279 Trapelus boehmei — EL BOUHISSI et al. 2022 |
Distribution | Morocco, Mauritania, Algeria Type locality: Morocco, between Akka and Icht |
Reproduction | oviparous (phylogenetic imputation, fide Zimin et al. 2022) |
Types | Holotype: ZFMK 49751: leg. W. Bischoff & U. Joger, 27.v.1988 (Fig. 9). Paratypes: ZFMK 49752–754: Morocco, between Akka and Icht; leg. W. Bischoff & U. Joger, 27.v.1988; ZFMK 49664: Algeria, Colomb-Bechar; leg. W. Bischoff & U. Joger, 13.v.1988; MNHN 2006.0343: Mauritania, about 220 km south of Nouadhibou on the main road to Nouakchott; leg. I. Ineich, 21.vii.2005; ZMB 52277: Morocco, 40km north of Zagora; leg. M. Barts, iv.1993; ZSM 207/1993: Morocco, 10 km south-east of Goulmima; adult female; leg. H. H. Schleich, vi.1993; ZSM 225/1993: Morocco, 25 km west of Tissint, adult male; leg. H. H. Schleich, vi.1993; ZSM 688/1979/1-5: Morocco, Ksar es Souk (W Bou Denib), adult males, leg. E. Linsenmair, 26.vi.1967. |
Diagnosis | Diagnosis: A large Trapelus species with the typical ear opening found in the genus: sunken tympanum and spiny scales above the ear opening. Trapelus boehmei sp. nov. has a relatively long head tapering abruptly at the nose, giving it a stout appearance. Body scalation is a matrix of small, feebly keeled and homogeneous scales intermixed with larger keeled scales, which usually differ in coloration from the matrix scales in breeding coloration of adult males; sometimes vertebral matrix scales are larger than the lateral matrix scales and nearly as large as the intermixed scales. Males have bluish coloration on the throat and body when in nuptial coloration, and a small gular pouch. The new species differs from all described African taxa in Trapelus by its unique coloration, body proportions, and scale morphology. Trapelus boehmei sp. nov. differs from currently valid African species of Trapelus (some selected variable characters comparing the new species with T. mutabilis s.l. are given in Table 8): – Trapelus m. mutabilis (type locality: Egypt) in possessing higher scale counts, larger size, and a relatively shorter tail (average of ratio TL/SVL 1.39 in T. mutabilis instead of 1.19 in T. boehmei sp. nov.; for details see Table7), and DNA sequences. – Trapelus m. pallidus (type locality: southern Egypt) in having homogeneous scalation on the upper hindlimb and base of the tail, and in having a greater proportion of enlarged body scales and all dorsal scales keeled instead of only the enlarged ones, and DNA sequences. – Trapelus m. poppeki ssp. nov. (type locality: Libya: east of Tarbu) in not possessing enlarged vertebral scales, a lower count of scale rows around midbody and a smaller size. – Trapelus schmitzi (type locality: Ennedi Mts., Chad) in not possessing dorsal scales equal in size, with only few intermixed larger scales. – Trapelus savignii (type locality: Egypt) in having smooth ventral scales and a small, instead of large, gular pouch, and DNA sequences. – Trapelus tournevillei (type locality: Ouargla, Algeria) in having a shorter head, a small gular pouch, different coloration (e.g. no longitudinal lines on the belly) and smooth ventral scales, instead of keeled ventral scales. Trapelus boehmei sp. nov. differs from the following synonyms (A. aspera is a probably valid taxon but clearly different to the herein-described new species): – Agama inermis Reuss, 1833 (type locality: southern Egypt) in possessing a lower proportion of slightly enlarged scales, only one row of precloacal scales, and a nonvisible tympanum. – Agama gularis Reuss, 1833 (type locality: southern Egypt) in possessing heterogeneous scales and a dorsal crest. – Agama latastii Boulenger, 1885 (type locality: Egypt) in lacking equal sized, rhomboidal dorsal scales. – Agama aspera F. Werner, 1893 (type locality: Algerian Sahara, between Kef-el-Dhor and Chegga; Biskra-Bordj-Saada; Zab-el-Zig south of El Meranyer) in possessing no spiny scales and a heterogeneous dorsal scalation. |
Comment | |
Etymology | This new species is dedicated to Prof. Dr Wolfgang Böhme, former Curator of Herpetology and former Deputy Director at the Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum A. Koenig, for his considerable and invaluable contributions to African herpetology. |
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