Callopistes Gravenhorst

Harvey, Michael B., Ugueto, Gabriel N. & Gutberlet, Ronald L., 2012, 3459, Zootaxa 3459, pp. 1-156 : 78-80

Callopistes Gravenhorst

Figure 57

Callopistes Gravenhorst 1837: 738 . Type species Callopistes maculatus Gravenhorst , by monotypy.

Aporomera Duméril and Bibron 1839: 69 . Type species Aporomera ornata Duméril and Bibron , by monotypy.

Tejovaranus Steindachner 1877: 93 . Type species Tejovaranus Branickii Steindachner , by monotypy.

Diagnosis.— Unlike all other extant Teiidae , Callopistes lacks femoral and abdominal pores and has three or more loreals, 2–3 complete rows of lorilabials separating the suboculars from the supralabials, heavily fractured prefrontals, and a vertical fold of skin in front of the auditory meatus.

Content.— Callopistes flavipunctatus (Duméril & Bibron) , Callopistes maculatus atacamensis Donoso-Barros , Callopistes maculatus maculatus Gravenhorst , Callopistes maculatus manni Donoso-Barros.

Definition.—Medium to large lizards reaching 166 ( Callopistes maculatus ) to 325 ( C. flavipunctatus ) mm SVL; tail about 2.3X as long as body; posterior maxillary and dentary teeth longitudinally compressed, anteriorly unicuspid and recurved, becoming tricuspid posteriorly; pupil round.

Prefrontal fractured; frontal entire or transversely divided in Callopistes maculatus , heavily fractured in C. flavipunctatus , lacking longitudinal ridge; scales of frontoparietal region smooth, outwardly convex to flat in C. maculatus ; key-hole shaped depression between eyes and in parietal region of C. flavipunctatus ; frontoparietals paired in C. maculatus , fractured in C. flavipunctatus ; parietals consisting of three regular scales in C. maculatus , heavily fractured in C. flavipunctatus ; interparietal of C. maculatus entire, smaller than flanking parietals; medial pair of enlarged occipitals absent; occipitals 11–14 (in C. maculatus ), usually larger than first row of dorsals; supratemporals slightly to moderately enlarged, separated from parietals by one or more scales.

Rostral groove absent; nostril subcircular to subtriangular, positioned somewhat posterior to nasal suture; loreals three ( Callopistes maculatus ) or heavily fractured; supraoculars 10–14; first supraocular heavily fractured; circumorbital semicircles consisting of 16–27 small scales, extending to posterior border of first supraocular; supraciliaries subequal, 24–33, separated from supraoculars by 1.5–4.5 rows of 38–45 (in C. maculatus ; character not applicable to C. flavipunctatus ) granular scales; angulate keel extending from first subocular to elongate subocular below eye; suboculars 6–8, separated from supralabials by 2–3 rows of lorilabials; first subocular entire in C. maculatus , its ventral margin parallel to ventral margin of second subocular in this species; first subocular contacting ( C. maculatus ) or separated from ( C. flavipunctatus ) first supraciliary; scales in front of auditory meatus slightly enlarged; auricular flap absent; vertical preauricular fold partially projecting posteriorly over anterior margin of auditory meatus.

Supralabials 19–24; first supralabial subequal to second, its ventral margin straight; infralabials 19–22; first pair of chinshields contacting infralabials ( Callopistes flavipunctatus ) or partially separated from them ( C. maculatus ) by small granular scales; first and second pairs of chinshields in medial contact; interangular sulcus absent; anterior gulars 23–41; gular patch absent; posterior gulars 15–26; intertympanic sulcus complete medially, containing scales distinctly smaller than anterior and posterior gulars; larger anterior gulars undergoing transition to smaller posterior gulars at intertympanic sulcus; mesoptychials not to slightly enlarged, not forming differentiated transverse row, not forming serrated edge of gular fold.

Dorsals smooth; scales on flank subequal to middorsals, supported by small apical granules and not projecting laterally ( Callopistes maculatus ) or supported by noticeably enlarged apical granules and projecting laterally giving flanks “bristly” appearance ( C. flavipunctatus ); scales on rump much smaller than proximal subcaudals; scales of chest large and flat; pectoral sulcus absent; ventrals smooth, in 42–66 transverse and 25–56 longitudinal rows; subrectangular scales lateral to ventrals gradually decreasing in size on flanks, bordering transverse folds of skin; preanals 7–10; preanal plate absent; preanal spurs and postanal plates absent; postcloacal buttons present in males; scales on dorsolateral edge of tail like those on top and sides, denticulate edge and dorsolateral crests absent; some caudal annuli divided, but pattern irregular; divided caudal annuli short and usually restricted to dorsal surface of tail, always separated by at least two rows of complete annuli; proximal subcaudals smooth.

Preaxial, dorsal, and postaxial sides of brachium and antebrachium covered in scales longer than wide, noticeably enlarged series absent from arm; scales on proximal, ventral surface of antebrachium granular; subdigital lamellae of hand homogeneous in size, mostly divided, 18–23 under fourth finger.

Prefemorals 13–16 in Callopistes maculatus , not differentiated in C. flavipunctatus ; femoral and abdominal pores absent; scales at heel relatively small and numerous; tibiotarsal spurs and shields absent; lamellae under fourth toe 32–35; distal lamellae of fourth toe smooth; continuous row of small granular scales separating digital lamellae along postaxial edge of each toe; noticeably enlarged postaxial scales between fourth and fifth toe absent; fifth toe well-developed, base of its claw extending beyond level of skin between third and fourth toes when adpressed, but not surpassing proximal free phalangeal articulation of fourth toe.

β- keratin containing layers of dorsal scales folded into macrohoneycomb; dorsal and caudal scales with one subterminal lenticular scale organ; ventrals lacking scale organs; generation glands present; gland-bearing scales collapsed and callused distally.

Snout same color as dorsal head scales; head and throat of some adult Callopistes maculatus with bright orange or reddish sides, but this color not restricted to nor more conspicuous on snout. In juveniles, light vertebral, paravertebral, dorsolateral, upper and lower lateral stripes absent; dark dorsolateral and lateral fields absent, instead all dorsal surfaces of C. flavipunctatus covered by dark-bordered pale ocelli and blotches, and all dorsal surfaces of C. maculatus covered by light-bordered black ocelli; thigh lacking light spots but with conspicuous light, blackbordered ocelli. Adult males lacking light spots on flanks but with light ( C. flavipunctatus ) or black ( C. maculatus ) ocelli; turquoise ventrolateral spots absent; venter with moderately sized melanic areas or blotches; juvenile dorsal color pattern present in adult males with no or only slight modification.

Hemipenis bilobed; apical papillae, awns, and basin absent; sulcate lobes expanded and flat, deeply separated by crotch. In Callopistes flavipunctatus , asulcate expansion pleat interrupting about 19 distal laminae; six distal laminae discontinuous; oval lateral and medial expansion pleats completely interrupting distal laminae on sides of organ; 5–6 laminae proximal to expansion pleat; basal papillae absent; lips of sulcus rounded, lacking distal triangular expansions.

Distribution.— Western coast and Andean foothills of South America from Loja, Ecuador to Central Chile.

Remarks.— The two species of Callopistes are strikingly different from one another in body proportions and squamation. Based on mitochondrial DNA data, Giugliano et al. (2007) concluded that the two species diverged in the Oligocene. This event predates hypothesized divergences among some genera of Teiinae . The name Tejovaranus Steindachner is available for C. flavipunctatus . Nonetheless, even though the species are very old and clearly divergent from one another, we do not advocate erection of monotypic genera, except when continued recognition of a single genus produces obvious paraphyly. We identified a suite of distinctive synapomorphies of Callopistes . Based on chromosome morphology, Gorman (1970, p. 238) reached a similar conclusion remarking that the karyotypes of the two species are “indistinguishable” and “unique among lizards.”

Böhme (1988, his figure 24 n, p. 79) illustrated the hemipenis of Callopistes maculatus . The organ differs substantially from that of C. flavipunctatus in being deeply bifurcate with an asulcate expansion pleat on each lobe. In contrast, the expansion pleat of C. flavipunctatus lies proximal to the lobes as in all other Teiidae . Both Böhme’s illustration and description of the organ indicate that the laminae are more closely spaced than in C. flavipunctatus . We count 15 distal and 16 proximal laminae in his figure.