Vanzosaura savanicola, Recoder & Werneck & Jr & Colli & Jr & Rodrigues, 2014

Recoder, Renato Sousa, Werneck, Fernanda De Pinho, Jr, Mauro Teixeira, Colli, Guarino Rinaldi, Jr, Jack Walter Sites & Rodrigues, Miguel Trefaut, 2014, Geographic variation and systematic review of the lizard genus Vanzosaura (Squamata, Gymnophthalmidae), with the description of a new species, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 171 (1), pp. 206-225 : 211-215

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.1111/zoj.12128
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13987918
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03D9878B-264F-FFD3-FCF6-FAB3FBD4FEDC
treatment provided by	Marcus
scientific name	Vanzosaura savanicola
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Vanzosaura savanicola View in CoL sp. nov.

( Figs 8 View Figure 8 , 9 View Figure 9 )

Holotype: MZUSP 103202 (field number MTR 14754) from Estação Ecológica Serra Geral do Tocantins (11°14′51.3″S, 46°55′05.1″W; 590 m a.s.l.; datum WGS84), municipality of Almas, state of Tocantins, Brazil ( Fig. 10 View Figure 10 ); collected on 4 February 2008 by M.T. Rodrigues, R.S. Recoder, M. Teixeira Jr, A. Camacho, T. Mott, P.H. Valdujo, J.M. Ghellere, P. Nunes, and C. Nogueira. GoogleMaps

Paratypes: MZUSP 103186–103201 (field numbers MTR 14244, 14257, 14304, 14398, 14565, 14624, 14664–14665, 14675, 14740, 14226, 14405, 14567, 14729, 14732, 14735); all from the same locality as the holotype (11°06′– 11°18′S; 46°45′– 46°56′W), collected between 26 January and 4 February 2008, by the same collectors as for the holotype GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis: Vanzosaura savanicola sp. nov. is characterized by: (1) 6–21 smooth subcaudals; (2) 12–16 femoral pores in males; (3) snout acute in profile; (4) forelimbs long relative to trunk length, with FAL 60.8 ± 0.03% of TRL in females and 63.3 ± 0.02% in males; (5) colour pattern ‘complex’, with eight to ten whitish dorsal stripes that become irregular or discontinuous on the head; (6) inner and outer ventral row of scales nearly subequal in width; (7) prefrontal scales usually separated (66%); (8) small size for the genus, with largest male attaining 34.5 mm SVL and largest female attaining 35.6 mm SVL; (9) proportionally long tails, with an average size of complete tails (not regenerated) in relation to body size (TAL/SVL) of 1.74 ± 0.19.

Description of the holotype ( Fig. 9 View Figure 9 ): An adult male, with 34.2 mm SVL. Body cylindrical, elongate. Limbs well developed. Rostral high, highly visible from above; wide contact with internasal, nasals, and first supralabial. Internasal (frontonasal) unique, hexagonal, in wide contact with nasals, and a narrow contact with frontal. Two prefrontals, slightly longer than wide; not contacting each other, in contact with internasal, nasal, frontal, first superciliary, first supraocular, and loreal. Frontal longer than wide, slightly wider anteriorly. Frontoparietals absent. Interparietal large, longer than wide; much wider anteriorly; posterior end with round border, transposing the posterior margin of parietals. Two large symmetrical parietals, extending to temporal region; similar in size to interparietal. Two supraoculars, first much larger than second. Three superciliaries, first slightly longer.

Nasal single, divided ventrally and half divided dorsally, elongate, subrectangular, with nostril central. Loreal small, quadrangular, in contact with prefrontal. Frenocular small and pentagonal, smaller than loreal. Seven supralabials, fourth under the eye, longer and narrow; fifth higher. One long subocular between frenocular and postocular, very narrow below the eye. Temporals large, smooth, rounded, and imbricate. External ear present, reduced, partially covered by scales. Movable eyelids absent.

Symphyseal large, wider than long, followed by a larger post-symphyseal and three pairs of mentals. Mentals laterally in contact with infralabials, and contacting each other medially in an asymmetrical suture, first pair smaller and almost quadrangular, posterior pair larger and almost pentagonal. Seven infralabials, fourth and fifth in contact with posterior mental. Presence of a groove, anteriorly arched, between ear openings separated from mentals by a row of scales, or two in the lateral side. Gulars smaller anteriorly, rounded, increasing in size posteriorly until the interbrachials.

Dorsals smooth, cycloid, and imbricate, forming oblique rows; 16 rows around midbody; a pair of mid-dorsal rows narrower than adjacent ones. Seven interbrachials, central largest, conical, and pointed posteriorly. Ventrals large, smooth, subhexagonal, and subequal in size, in four longitudinal rows. Anal plate with four large scales: one anterior, one posterior, and two larger laterals. Tail long, cylindrical, caudals rounded, imbricate, smooth on dorsal surfaces, smooth anteriorly, and becoming keeled distally on ventral surfaces. Eight smooth subcaudals in a longitudinal line; only regenerated portion of tail with keeled scales. Seven femoral pores on each side. Scales covered by numerous irregularly distributed sensorial pits.

Dorsal surfaces of forelimbs with large scales, wider than long, smaller ventrally; palm with small conical granules; four fingers, inner finger absent externally. Dorsal surfaces of hindlimbs with large scales; thigh with smaller scales ventrally; soles with small conical granules; five toes. Seventeen single lamellae under fourth toe.

Background coloration dark gray, with ten longitudinal white stripes on dorsal surface that become discontinuous on the head. Ventral surfaces cream, gular and mental region with discrete small dark blotches. Limbs reddish with dark blotches on dorsal surfaces of arms. Tail bright red; dorsal stripes extending only to proximal quarter of tail length.

Measurements of holotype (in mm): SVL 34.2; INL 12.3; TRL 16.6; HH 2.8; HW 4.3; HL 7.0; FEM 4.8; TIB 3.8; FTL 6.5; HUM 3.2; HAL 6.6; TAL 12.9 + 34.4.

Variation: The new species is sexually dimorphic, with females larger than males (ANOVA, F 1,158 = 4.14, P <0.05), and having larger TRL (ANCOVA, F 1,158 = 18.37, P <0.01), whereas males are significantly larger than females in FEM, TIB, FAL, HW, and HL (P <0.01). Populations from the Jalapão region in the state of Tocantins and from the adjacent Serra Geral Plateau in north-western Bahia are very similar in overall morphology, with minimal variation. Nevertheless, samples from the southern portion of the Serra Geral plateau (border of states of Bahia and Minas Gerais) are more variable, sharing some characteristics with V. multiscutata comb. nov. (e.g. contact between prefrontals and high number of smooth subcaudals). When the two portions of the distribution of V. savanicola sp. nov. are considered separately, significant variation is observed in the condition of separation between prefrontals (99% in northern populations; 45% in the southern) and the number of smooth subcaudals (6–13 in north; 11–23 in south). In a few individuals (not quantified) the subocular is divided or fused with the preocular, but generally only on one side.

Comparisons: Vanzosaura savanicola sp. nov. is readily diagnosed from V. multiscutata comb. nov. and V. rubricauda by having eight to 22 smooth subcaudals (more than 25 subcaudals in V. multiscutata comb. nov. and V. rubricauda ), snout acute in profile (snout rounded in profile), and forelimbs long in proportion to body length, with FAL 60.7% of TRL in females and 63.6% in males (forelimbs shorter, FAL on average 54.8% of TRL in females and 57.8% in males in V. multiscutata comb. nov.; 54.8% of TRL in females and 57.5% in males in V. rubricauda ). Vanzosaura savanicola sp. nov. can also be distinguished from V. multiscutata comb. nov. and V. rubricauda by its smaller size, with the largest male attaining 34.5 mm in SVL and the largest female attaining 35.6 mm in SVL (37.6 and 38.0 mm, respectively, in V. multiscutata comb. nov.; 36.0 and 41.5 mm, respectively, in V. rubricauda ), and by having proportionally longer tails, with a mean TAL/ SVL of 1.74 (mean TAL/SVL of 1.65 and 1.53 in V. multiscutata comb. nov. and V. rubricauda , respectively). Furthermore, V. savanicola sp. nov. can be distinguished from V. multiscutata comb. nov. by presenting 12–16 femoral pores in males (10–13; Table 2 View Table 2 ), prefrontals usually separate, 66% (prefrontals usually in contact, 81%), ventral row of scales nearly subequal in width (inner row of ventral scales narrower than outer), and complex colour pattern (colour pattern complex, single, or intermediate; Fig. 11 View Figure 11 ). Strongly supported mtDNA haploclades and corrected distances of up to 13% distinguish V. savanicola sp. nov. from V. multiscutata comb. nov., and up to 5% distinguish V. savanicola sp. nov. from V. rubricauda .

Etymology: The specific epithet makes reference to the distribution of the new species in savannah habitats, the predominant type of vegetation in the Cerrado region of central South America.

Distribution and natural history: Vanzosaura savanicola sp. nov. is endemic to the north-eastern portion of the Brazilian Cerrado ( Fig. 10 View Figure 10 ). The species is locally abundant, usually representing one of the most common species in lizard assemblages throughout its range ( Recoder & Nogueira, 2007; Vitt et al., 2007; Recoder et al., 2011). The species occurs in open habitats such as grasslands and savannas, and is active at the hottest hours of sunny days ( Mesquita et al., 2006; Recoder & Nogueira, 2007; Recoder et al., 2011). It is most commonly found within the leaf litter or herbaceous layer in sandy soil microhabitats ( Vitt et al., 2007; Teixeira Jr., 2010), and feeds upon a variety of small-sized arthropods, with spiders representing the most frequent type of prey ( Mesquita et al., 2006; Teixeira Jr., 2010). Reproduction is seasonal in one population studied, with the presence of pregnant females and males with nuptial coloration (i.e. the development of a reddish coloration in the gular and cloacal regions) in the rainy season, and with females producing multiple clutches of two eggs (Teixeira Jr., 2010).