Blanus alexandri, Sindaco, Roberto, Kornilios, Panagiotis, Sacchi, Roberto & Lymberakis, Petros, 2014

Sindaco, Roberto, Kornilios, Panagiotis, Sacchi, Roberto & Lymberakis, Petros, 2014, Taxonomic reassessment of Blanus strauchi (Bedriaga, 1884) (Squamata: Amphisbaenia: Blanidae), with the description of a new species from south-east Anatolia (Turkey), Zootaxa 3795 (3), pp. 311-326 : 321-322

Blanus alexandri sp. nov.

Holotype. MCCI-R1632. An adult collected on 26 April 2011, approximately 3.6 km NE of Derik (Mardin province, Turkey) at 37.3891°N – 40.2980E °, m 1161 a.s.l. ( Fig. 6 ).

Paratypes. MCCI-R1633. An adult collected on 28 April 2011, approximately 3 km NE of Karalar village (Şırnak prov., Turkey) at 37.3153°N, 41.7037°E, m 831 a.s.l.

MCCI-R1634. An adult collected on 1 May 2011, approximately 1.5 km SE of Yukariokcular ( Hatay province, Turkey) at 36.0778°N, 36.1518°E, m 562 a.s.l.

MCCI-R1635 (1–3). Three specimens collected on 2 May 2011, approximately 1.3 km E of Sungur ( Hatay province, Turkey) at 36.0083°N, 36.1218°E, m 944 a.s.l.

MSNG 57582. An adult collected on 24 May 2012 between Yesilçe and Isikli (Gaziantep province, Turkey) at 37.1611°N, 37.2135°E, m 1081 a.s.l.

MSNG 57583. A specimen collected on 24 May 2012 2 km W of Akdam (Adana Province, Turkey), at 37.5515°N, 35.5937°E, m 932 a.s.l.

MCCI-R1678. A specimen collected on 24 May 2012 0.7 km SSW of Akarca Koyu (Adana Province, Turkey) at 37.5615°N, 35.6367°E, m 736 a.sl.

Diagnosis. B. alexandri sp. nov. is easily distinguishable from the allopatric B. strauchi bedriagae by having a low number of precloacal pores (usually 3+3, more rarely 3+2 or 2+2, in a single specimen MCCI-R1678: 4+4; N = 8), widely separated by two preanal scales, while B. s. bedriagae has 10 – rarely 8 - precloacal pores arranged in a continuous row or very rarely separated by a single scale. Moreover B. alexandri has three infralabials, instead of two of B. s. bedriagae .

Also B. s. strauchi has the precloacal pores widely separated, but the number is higher than in B. alexandri , since it has 4+4 precloacal pores in 18 out of 19 examined specimens.

There are no obvious morphological differences between B. alexandri and B. aporus , which differ by having more body annuli, less dorsal segments and ventral segments at midbody.

The larger specimen (MCCI-R1635/1) has a SVL = 200 mm, a size reached also by other taxa of the B. strauchi complex ( Alexander 1966).

Colour in life goes from grey to black; large specimens show more or less depigmented areas of the body ( Fig. 6 ).

Genetically, B. alexandri is clearly differentiated from the other two species, appearing as a distinct, strongly monophyletic unit in the mitochondrial phylogeny. The genetic divergence between this species and B. strauchi and B. aporus is very high (mean p -distance values are 12.7% and 10.3%, respectively), equal to or above the species-level when compared to Blanus species-pairs and other squamate reptiles for the same molecular marker (PRLR). The populations of B. alexandri are also genetically distinct on the basis of an independent nuclear marker, showing no apparent gene-flow, i.e. heterozygotes or shared alleles.

Description of the holotype. Snout-vent length 162 mm, tail length 18.0 mm, head length 7.8 mm, head width 5.7 mm, prefrontal length 3.0 mm, prefrontal width 3.0 mm, 110 body annuli, 18 caudal annuli, 3+3 precloacal pores, 17 dorsal body segments and 17 ventral body segments. The prefontral scale is large, hardly wider than longer. The nostrils open in the anterior third of the nasal scale that is the first and bigger of the three supralabials; the second supralabial enters the prefrontal scale; the third supralabial scale is the smaller. The small ocular scales are in contact with five scales, including the prefrontal, the first and second supralabial.

Following the prefontral plate there are three pairs of quadrangular plates on the occipital region, their size decreasing from anteriors to posteriors.

The mental plate is a little bit bigger than the postmental. Infralabials three, the first smaller and the third bigger. Between the second and third infralabials and the postmental scale there are two post-genial rows of four (the anterior) and five (the posterior) quadrangular scales. The lateral shields of the first post-genial row is in very narrow contact with the postmental shield.

Scales on the neck are smaller than the dorsal ones; the first rows are quadrangular or slightly wider than long; the scales on the trunk are elongated, the dorsal narrower than the ventral.

The lateral sulci are well marked and the dorsal sulcus is visible from about 1/8 of the SVL until the proximal part of the tail.

Colour in alcohol is greyish with pinkish intersegmental sutures, the vent is ligher than the dorsum.

Variation. Variation in measurements and scale counts and measurements is shown in Table 4 .

The arrangement of scales is variable, also for scale arrangement diagnostic for other taxa (i.e. B. s. strauchi and B. s. bedriagae ), as already stated by Alexander (1966).

Large specimens are usually less coloured and can be partially depigmentated (i.e. MCCI-R1635/1).

Distribution. Specimens genetically identified occur between Akdam (Adana province) in the west, and Karalar (Şırnak province) in the east. It is likely that the populations of northern Iraq, Syria and Lebanon belong to this species.

Derivatio nominis. The species is named in honour of A. Allan Alexander, who made the most valuable study on the Blanus strauchi complex and realized that the eastern populations could be distinguished from the Cilician taxon aporus .

Figures

FIGURE 6. The living holotype of Blanus alexandri sp. nov.

Tables

TABLE 4. Measurements (in mm) and meristic characters in the type series of Blanus alexandri sp. nov. SVL = snout to vent length, HL = head length, HW = head width, PFL = pre-frontal length, PFW = pre-frontal width, BA = body annuli, DS = dorsal scales, VS = ventral scales.

Catalogue number	SVL	HL	HW	PFL	PFW	BA	DS	VS	pores
MCCI-R1632	162	7.8	5.7	3.0	3.0	110	17	17	3+3
MCCI-R1633	165	8.0	6.1	2.9	3.0	105	16	17	3+2
MCCI-R1634	187	9.0	6.4	3.9	3.3	99	17	18	3+3
MCCI-R1635(1)	200	10.2	8.1	3.6	4.0	102	17	19	3+3
MCCI-R1635(2)	163	9.3	6.2	3.2	3.2	103	18	18	3+3
MCCI-R1635(3)	159	8.2	6.1	2.9	3.0	104	18	19	3+3
MSNG 57582	156	8.2	5.9	3.00	3.0	106	18	19	3+2
MSNG 57583	139	7.5	5.0	2.7	2.8	105	17	19	2+2
MCCI-R1678	161	8.4	5.6	2.9	2.7	103	18	19	4+4