Anolis fuscoauratus, D'Orbigny, 1837

Poe, Steven, Scarpetta, Simon & Schaad, Eric W., 2015, A new species of Anolis (Squamata: Iguanidae) from Panama, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (e 94) 9 (1), pp. 1-13 : 10-11

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.11148375

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11148393

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/2E4887F2-FFDE-CE54-FCCB-FBD5FE6BFA29

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Anolis fuscoauratus
status

 

Anolis fuscoauratus View in CoL and A. maculiventris in Panama?

Anolis elcopeensis View in CoL is more similar to the South American species A. fuscoauratus View in CoL than to any species in Central America. Anolis fuscoauratus View in CoL is a common forest anole in Amazonian South America ( Avila-Pires 1995). This nondescript species is difficult to distinguish morphologically from the species described here and from its Andean and Pacific Colombian lowland congeners ( A. antonii View in CoL , A. mariarum View in CoL , A. tolimensis View in CoL , A. maculiventris View in CoL , A. medemi View in CoL ), and there are doubtless multiple cryptic species among supposed A. fuscoauratus View in CoL in Amazonia and the eastern Andes (Poe, unpublished). We have collected A. fuscoauratus View in CoL from its type locality in Bolivia, and anoles nearly or completely indistinguishable from topotypical A. fuscoauratus View in CoL in Peru, Colombia, Panama, and Ecuador. Some authors (e.g., Kohler 2008) list A. fuscoauratus View in CoL from Panama, but this occurrence seems unlikely as true A. fuscoauratus View in CoL is replaced in the western lowlands of Colombia by A. maculiventris View in CoL .

We have collected fuscoauratus View in CoL -like Anolis View in CoL in eastern Panama from the Panama Canal to Pirre Station, Darién. The fuscoauratus View in CoL -like anole we have collected along the Pan American highway out to Metetí usually possesses a bicolor orange/yellow dewlap ( Fig. 4 View Figure 4 ), although we have collected specimens near Lake Bayano with solid orange dewlaps ( Fig. 4E View Figure 4 ), as in A. elcopeensis View in CoL . Although our current assignment for these eastern populations is A. elcopeensis View in CoL , we suspect this form may represent one or multiple species distinct from A. elcopeensis View in CoL . The variability in dewlap color ( Fig. 4 View Figure 4 ) and mitochondrial DNA ( Fig. 2 View Fig ; note positions of samples from Pipeline Road and Lake Bayano) suggests the presences of a species complex of fuscoauratus View in CoL -like anoles in central and eastern Panama. Given the local variation we have observed in limb length and body color pattern, it also is possible that we have failed to recognize multiple sympatric small grayish-brown anole species with orange dewlaps at our study sites. We currently are investigating these issues.

Near Yaviza in Darién, the fuscoauratus / elcopeensis - like anoles we have collected possesses a bicolor dewlap with pink posteriorly ( Fig. 5G View Figure 5 ), similar to the Pacific Colombian lowland form A. maculiventris ( Fig. 5H View Figure 5 ). In addition, some of our collections of this Darién population appeared strongly dorsally patterned ( Fig. 3C View Figure 3 ), as also is common in South American A. maculiventris ( Fig. 3D View Figure 3 ; but also occasionally evident in A. elcopeensis east of the canal; pers. obs.). This population may represent A. elcopeensis or an additional undescribed species, but for now we tentatively assign these to A. maculiventris . If this species inference is accurate, the number of recognized anole species in Panama is increased to 46.

Acknowledgments. —Thanks to Julie Ray and Roberto Ibañez for facilitating our field work in Panama. Caleb Hickman, Mason Ryan, Ian Latella, Julian Davis, Erik Hulebak, and Heather MacInnes helped collect individuals of the new species. Thanks to Sierra Llorona Lodge for allowing us to collect lizards on their property. Mason Ryan, Ian Latella, and three anonymous reviewers made helpful comments on the manuscript. Thanks to Gunther Kohler (SL tissue) and Omar Torres-Carvajal ( QCAZ tissue) for providing tissues. Collecting and export permits were provided by ANAM. Funding was provided by the National Science Foundation.

QCAZ

Museo de Zoologia, Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Ecuador

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Reptilia

Order

Squamata

Family

Dactyloidae

Genus

Anolis

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