Ophisops agarwali, Patel & Vyas, 2020

Patel, Harshil & Vyas, Raju, 2020, Lost before being recognized? A new species of the genus Ophisops (Squamata: Lacertidae) from Gujarat, India, Ecologica Montenegrina 35, pp. 31-44 : 34-40

Ophisops agarwali sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:ADEC3028-0FBA-4607-B84B-7C2EB05FE27D

Figs.-1, 2 and 3; Table 1

Holotype. BNHS 2750 , adult female, from a plateau near Bhuvero (22.52824°N 74.13162°E; ca. 630 m a.s.l.), Ratanmahal, Dahod district , Gujarat, India, collected by Raju Vyas on 30 April 2000.

Etymology. The specific epithet is a patronym, honouring Dr. Ishan Agarwal for his significant contributions to the study of reptile systematics and biogeography (especially of geckos and lacertids of south Asia), and constant inspiration to the authors.

Suggested Common Name. Agarwal’s lacerta; Agarwal’s snake- eye.

Diagnosis. The new species was morphologically diagnosed as Ophisops based on the absence of a distinct collar, presence of a large transparent disc on the lower eyelid and digits not fringed laterally ( Boulenger 1921; Smith 1935). A small bodied Ophisops characterized by (1) snout-vent length up to 40 mm; (2) two frontonasals present; (3) prefrontals not in contact; (4) enlarged tympanic scale absent; (5) 30 scales at midbody; (6) 19 lamellae underneath the fourth toe; (7) five chin shields, first two in contact medially; (8) 15 scales between symphysis of chin shields and ventral plates; (9) large mental scale, extending beyond second supralabial; (10) females with 9 femoral pores on either side interrupted by three poreless scales.

Comparison. Here, we provide comparison of the new species with its Indian congeners ( Table 2). Morphologically Ophisops agarwali sp. nov. differs from all the large bodied species based on its smaller adult size (SVL up to 40 mm vs. SVL> 50 mm in Ophisops leschenaultii , O. microlepis , O. pushkarensis and O. kutchensis ).

Ophisops agarwali sp. nov. differs from O. nictans ( Fig. 4A, 4B, 4C ) in having two frontonasals (vs. single frontonasal); lower eyelid fused with upper eyelid (vs. lower eyelid distinct); five chin shields (vs. six chin shields); 15 gular scales (vs. 17–18) between symphysis of chin shields and ventral plates; 8 supraciliary granules (vs. 11–12) and a dorsolateral stripe from behind the eye onto the tail absent (vs. present).

Ophisops agarwali sp. nov. differs from O. jerdonii ( Fig. 4D, 4E, 4F ) in having two frontonasals (vs. single frontonasal); five chin shields (vs. six chin shields); four supraciliary scales (vs. three) and a dorsolateral stripe from behind the eye onto the tail absent (vs. present).

Ophisops agarwali sp. nov. is most similar to O. beddomei ( Fig. 4G, 4H, 4I ) in having single frontonasal but differs in having five chin shields (vs. six chin shields); 15 gular scales (vs. 17–18) between symphysis of chin shields and ventral plates; four supraciliary scales (vs. three); enlarged tympanic scale absent (vs. present); mental extending beyond the second supralabial (vs. mental extending up to or beyond first supralabial) and six dorsal scales (vs. three-four) in contact with each parietal scale.

Ecologica Montenegrina , 35, 2020, 31-44 Description of holotype. Adult female in relatively good condition apart from minor artefacts of preservation: body and tail slightly curved towards left side; fore limbs slightly extended, facing backward. SVL 40.8 mm. Head short ( HL / SVL = 0.28), more than twice longer than wide ( HL / HW = 2.43), depressed ( HH / HL = 0.34), slightly broader than neck, upper head scales keeled and finely striated. Loreal region slightly concave with sharp canthus rostralis. Snout acute ( IN / IO = 0.28), slightly projecting beyond lower jaw. Eye small ( ED / HL = 0.15); pupil round; supraciliary scales distinct, elongate, four on either side. Tympanum elongate, small ( TD / HH = 0.31), covered anteriorly by four scales; eye to ear distance almost twice the eye diameter ( EE / ED = 1.95). Nostril elliptical, laterally oriented, closer to the snout tip than to eye ( NE / SE = 0.81) and between four nasals; a nasal, supranasal and a pair of postnasals on each side. Body slender ( BW / SVL = 0.17), trunk not elongate ( TRL / SVL = 0.48). Tail longer than SVL ( TL / SVL = 1.41). Fore limbs and hind limbs slender and relatively well developed; hind limbs longer than fore limbs ( LFL / LHL = 0.64); forearm and tibia short (FL/ SVL = 0.12; CL/ SVL = 0.18); digits long and slender, ending in a sharp and moderately curved claw; subdigital lamellae distinct, entire, distinctly keeled, bicarinate on both manus and pes; number of subdigital lamellae including claw sheath: left manus 6-10-14- 17-9; right manus 6-9-13-17-9; left pes 7-12-15-19-11; right pes 8-12-15-19-12. Relative length of digits (measurements in mm in parentheses): right manus I (1.83) <II (2.68) < V (3.16) <III (4.24) <IV (4.7); right pes I (2.84) <II (3.34) <III (4.22) < V (4.54) <IV (5.92) .

Rostral wider (1.9 mm) than high (1.1 mm), situated between supranasals dorsally and in contact with first supralabials and nasals. Paired supranasals roughly triangular, in contact medially, touching the nasal laterally and first pair of postnasals posteriolaterally. A pair of almost equal sized frontonasals, roughly pentagonal, strongly in contact with supranasals and post nasals anteriorly; anterior loreal laterally and prefrontals posteriorly.

A pair of roughly pentagonal prefrontals, not in contact with each other, a small lanceolate shaped scale wedged between the prefrontals; touching the frontonasal anteriorly, and the anterior and posterior loreals laterally; posteriorly in strong contact with first anterior supraocular and frontal.

Frontal lanceolate, elongate (3.6 mm), broader anteriorly; feebly touching the scale separating prefrontals, in strong contact with prefrontals anteriorly, laterally touching first, second and third supraoculars, and posteriorly in strong contact with frontoparietals. A pair of frontoparietals, roughly pentagonal, in contact with each other medially, anteriorly in strong contact with frontal, laterally touches third and fourth supraoculars, posteriolaterally touching parietals, posteriorly interparietal. Interparietal single, roughly pentagonal, posterior margins curved, with distinct pineal eye, anteriorly in strong contact with frontoparietals, laterally touching parietals and occipital posteriorly. A pair of parietals, roughly hexagonal, longer (2.3 mm) than wide (1.5 mm), separated from each other by interparietal, anteriorly in strong contact with fourth supraocular and frontoparietal on both sides, laterally touching two supratemporals on both sides, posteriorly in contact with six small dorsal scales on both sides. Occipital roughly pentagonal, broader than wide, laterally in contact with parietals and anteriorly with interparietal. Four supraoculars, the first and fourth smallest, separated from supraciliaries by a single row of 8 supraciliary granules on both sides.

Nostril elliptical, situated on contact line between nasal and supranasal. Postnasals smaller than the anterior loreal. Two loreals, anterior roughly rectangular and about the size of the first supralabial, bordered by posterior loreal, prefrontal, frontonasal, postnasal, nasal, and the first and second supralabials; posterior loreal much larger than anterior, becoming broader posteriorly, bordered by preoculars, the first supraciliary, prefrontal, anterior loreal, and the second and third supralabials. Preocular similar in size to anterior loreal, roughly rectangular. Eight supralabials, the fifth being largest and forming the lower border of the eye, gradually decreasing in size in either direction. Three moderately enlarged postoculars. Two supratemporals on each side, the anterior ones are largest. Temporal scales as large as or slightly bigger than postoculars, rough, unicarinate or bi or tricarinate, subimbricate, arranged in three to five rows.

Seven infralabials on either side. Mental large, longer (2.7 mm) than wide (2.2 mm), in strong contact with the first infralabial and first pair of chin shields. Five chin shields on either side, the third being largest, gradually decreasing in size in either direction, two anterior chin shields strongly in contact with each other medially, posterior three separated from each other by gular scales. 15 gular scales between symphysis of chin shields and ventral plates.

Dorsal pholidosis heterogeneous in shape, size, orientation and carination; composed of smaller, strongly pointed, keeled, imbricate scales throughout, 30 scales in a transverse row across midbody; 49 scales in longitudinal, vertebral series; scales on dorsal aspect strongly keeled, directed backwards, those on flanks, directed backwards and upwards, lowermost rows largest and smooth, others are feebly keeled; scales on the neck smaller, gradually increasing in size posteriorly and laterally. Ventral plates, heterogeneous, arranged in six transverse rows on belly, midventral series with 23 scales in a longitudinal series; gular scales smaller gradually increasing in size towards the collar, elongate, subimbricate, those on neck as large as or slightly smaller than gular scales, weakly pointed and imbricate; scales on pectoral region larger than those on neck, strongly imbricate; those on belly much enlarged, subimbricate, rectangular, except single outermost row on either side cycloid. Indistinct collar, vaguely defined by a fold of skin with granular scales on shoulders and three larger cycloid imbricate scales ventrally. Preanal scale large, roughly hexagonal, smooth, anteriorly bordered by five sub-equal scales and surrounded by another row of 13 cycloid, imbricate scales of variable size, those on posterior aspect smallest. Femoral pores 9 on either side, medially interrupted by three poreless scales.

Scales on the fore limbs heterogeneous in shape and size, those on the palmar and plantar faces slightly smaller than or equal to the associated lamellae, imbricate, strongly keeled. Scales on dorsal surface of upper arm much larger than those on body dorsum, weakly pointed, strongly imbricate, smooth, except those on elbow, which are keeled. Ventral surface of upper arm with smaller, smooth, subimbricate scales. Scales on forearms similar to those on upper arms, three rows on anterior surface larger and smooth, of which single median row much enlarged, subimbricate and almost rhombus shaped; scales on ventral surface of forearms smaller, imbricate and keeled; a column of 3–4 enlarged scale bordering the palm on ventral surface circular, imbricate and having serrated edges.

Scales on hind limbs heterogeneous in shape and size, posterior surface of the thigh with much smaller, granular scales, becoming enlarged, pointed, strongly keeled, imbricate towards anterior surface, ventral surface of thigh covered with two rows of much enlarged, smooth, strongly imbricate scales, with anterior most single row largest and rhombus shaped; scales on dorsal surface of shank like those on forearm, ventral aspect of shank covered with two rows of much enlarged, imbricate, smooth scales, of which the median row is largest and roughly hexagonal, posterior most 2–3 scales are bi- or tricarinate.

Scales on the dorsal and lateral aspect of the tail arranged in regular whorls, cycloid at the base, becoming gradually elongated distally, strongly keeled, imbricate and pointed. 14 scales in the 10th whorl behind the vent. Ventral aspect of the tail with strongly imbricate scales, strongly pointed and keeled; ventral scales near the base of the tail smooth, gradually becoming keeled towards tip of the tail.

Coloration in alcohol. Dorsal ground colour olive brown, without any dorso-lateral stripe, a just discernible ventrolateral stripe that runs from the shoulder, just above the forearm insertion and terminating at groin. Flanks below ventrolateral stripe with marbled lighter and darker markings, some enlarged scales with blueish tint. Forelimbs olive brown with scattered, irregular lighter and darker spotting with a black patch on shoulder, hindlimbs with thick dark reticulations outlining lighter ocelli on the postaxial surface of hindlimbs. Head dorsum suffused with scattered, indistinct black markings, first four supralabials olive brown and remaining supralabials mottled white, with black blotches, temporal region with some darker markings, iris bluish black. Venter white with mottled black markings, especially on the third to sixth infralabials. Tail colour similar to dorsum, fading to mottled white on the venter.

Distribution and habitat. Ophisops agarwali sp. nov. is diurnal, and was seen active at noon, searching for food. The specimen was collected along with other squamates including Beddome’s snake- eyed lizard ( Ophisops beddomei ), bronze grass skink ( Eutropis macularia (Schneider, 1801)) and spiny-headed fanthroated lizard ( Sitana spinaecephalus Deepak, Vyas & Giri, 2016 ) from open grass patch of the plateau (elevation ~ 650 m asl) near Bhuvero village, Dahod District, Gujarat. The plateau is covered with grass, shrubs and large deciduous trees, that includes, Timru / Tendu ( Diospyros melanoxylon ), Charoli ( Buchanania lanzan ), Sadad ( Terminalia crenulate), Mahudo ( Madhuca indica ), Teak ( Tectona grandis ) with scattered Bamboo Clube ( Bambusa arundinacea / Dendrocalamus strictus ), the periphery of the plateau has large boulders. The north-western side of the plateau is part of the Ratanmahal Wildlife Sanctuary, Gujarat and the south-east extern side of the plateau is part of Kattiwada, Madhya Pradesh. These entire forest tracks are part of the western Vindhya (also known as Vindhyachal) Mountain Range and known as the Malwa Hills. The Ratanmahal forest region falls in the tropical dry deciduous forest and further classified into four sub-types, i.e. 5A/C lb teak forest; 5A/C 2 southern dry mixed deciduous forest; 5/E 9 dry bamboo brakes; and 3B/C 2 southern moist mixed deciduous forest ( Champion & Seth 1968).

Figures

Figure 4. Head scalation of three small bodied species of Indian Ophisops, other than the new species: A–C. Ophisops nictans (syntype, NHM 1946.9.3.89); D–F. Ophisops jerdonii (BNHS 1805); G–I. Ophisops beddomei (syntype, NHM 1946.9.4.12).