Stenocercus ivitus Fritts, 1972

Torres-Carvajal, Omar, 2007, A TAXONOMIC REVISION OF SOUTH AMERICAN STENOCERCUS (SQUAMATA: IGUANIA) LIZARDS, Herpetological Monographs 21 (1), pp. 76-178 : 129-130

Stenocercus ivitus Fritts

Stenocercus ivitus Fritts, 1972:10 . Holotype: KU 134653 , a female from ‘‘summit of Cordillera Huancabamba between Canchaque and Huancabamba, 3100 m, Departamento Piura, Perú ̕̕; Fritts, 1974:56.

Diagnosis.— Stenocercus ivitus is unique among species of Stenocercus in having granular scales on the posterior surface of thighs, and lacking neck folds and a vertebral crest.

Description.—(2) maximum SVL in females 64 mm (n = 1); (3) vertebrals 47; (4) paravertebrals 46; (5) scales around midbody 44; (6) supraoculars six; (7) internasals three; (8) postrostrals six; (9) loreals two; (10) gulars 21; (11) subdigitals on Finger IV 20; (12) subdigitals on Toe IV 26; (13) posthumeral mite pocket absent; (14) postfemoral mite pocket distinct with slit-like opening; (15) parietal eye not visible through interparietal cornea; (16) scales on occipitoparietal region small, raised into small ridges, subimbricate; (17) projecting angulate temporals absent; (18) row of enlarged supraoculars occupying most of supraocular region absent; (19) scales on frontonasal region weakly imbricate anteriorly; (20) preauricular fringe present; (21) neck folds absent; (22) lateral and dorsal nuchals similar in size; (23) posterior gulars cycloid, smooth, slightly imbricate, notched; (24) lateral and dorsal body scales similar in size; (25) vertebrals and paravertebrals similar in size; (26) dorsolateral crest absent; (27) ventrals smooth, imbricate; (28) scales on posterior surfaces of thighs granular; (29) inguinal granular pocket absent; (30) inguinal groove absent; (31) preanals not projected; (34) caudal whorls per autotomic segment three; (35) caudals not spinose; (36) dark brown stripe extending anterodorsally from subocular region to supraciliaries absent; (37) dark patch extensively covering gular region of females absent; (42) postxiphisternal inscriptional ribs not in contact midventrally, Pattern 3.

Color in life (females only).—Dorsum brown with large black blotches arranged in two longitudinal rows between two yellow dorsolateral stripes; venter white with pinkish bronze tint; gular region with dark flecks ( Fritts, 1972).

Natural History.—The only know specimen of S. ivitus was found basking on a pile of dead branches at the edge of a shrub forest ( Fritts, 1972).

Distribution.— Stenocercus ivitus is only known from its type locality (5 ° 19'0"S, 79 ° 29'0"W, 3100 m) in Departamento Piura, Peru ( Fig. 19 ). This locality lies north of the western Cordillera of the central Andes between 6 ° S–5 ° S. This species is sympatric with S. nubicola .

Figures

FIG. 19.—Distribution of six species of Stenocercus in Ecuador and Peru.