Stenocercus ornatissimus (Girard)

Torres-Carvajal, Omar, 2007, A TAXONOMIC REVISION OF SOUTH AMERICAN STENOCERCUS (SQUAMATA: IGUANIA) LIZARDS, Herpetological Monographs 21 (1), pp. 76-178 : 140-141

Stenocercus ornatissimus (Girard)

( Fig. 20 )

Saccodeira ornatissima Girard, 1857:198 . Lectotype ( Cadle, 1998): USNM 5655 , a female from ‘‘ Yangas, 3106 m, Departamento Lima, Peru ̕̕; Boulenger, 1885 a:159.

Proctotretus ornatissimus Burt and Burt, 1930: 22 ; Burt and Burt, 1931:287; Burt and Burt, 1933:42; Burt and Myers, 1942:304.

Stenocercus ornatissimus Etheridge , in Peters and Donoso-Barros, 1970:257; Fritts, 1974:61.

Diagnosis.— Stenocercus ornatissimus is distinguished from other species of Stenocercus except S. chrysopygus , S. cupreus , S. latebrosus S. modestus , and S. orientalis by having granular scales on the posterior surface of thighs, conspicuous antehumeral and oblique neck folds, a distinct mite pocket under oblique neck fold, and by lacking a vertebral crest. Of these species, S. latebrosus and S. ornatissimus are unique in having deep neck mite pockets under both antehumeral and oblique neck folds. S. ornatissimus differs from S. latebrosus (character states in parentheses) in having lateral nuchals less than half the size of dorsal nuchals (lateral and dorsal nuchals similar in size), and by usually having small black dots on the venter in adult males (small ventral black dots absent). See Cadle (1998) for a more detailed comparison between these two species.

Description.—(1) Maximum SVL in males 61 mm ( Cadle, 1998); (2) maximum SVL in females 59 mm ( Cadle, 1998); (3) vertebrals 52–59; (4) paravertebrals 50–61; (5) scales around midbody 49–60; (6) supraoculars 4–7; (7) internasals 2–5; (8) postrostrals 4–6; (9) loreals 2–3; (10) gulars 19–26; (11) subdigitals on Finger IV 15–20; (12) subdigitals on Toe IV 20–29; (13) posthumeral mite pocket present as one or more vertical folds or ridges; (14) postfemoral mite pocket present as one or more vertical folds or ridges; (15) parietal eye visible through interparietal cornea in 89% of specimens; (16) scales on occipitoparietal region small, smooth or slightly keeled, juxtaposed; (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) antehumeral and oblique neck folds present; (22) lateral nuchals less than half the size of dorsal nuchals; (23) posterior gulars cycloid, smooth, slightly imbricate, notched; (24) lateral and dorsal body scales similar in size; (25) vertebrals and adjacent 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; (32) tail not strongly compressed laterally in adult males; (33) tail length 64–70% of total length; (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; (38) dark patch extensively covering gular region of adult males absent; (39) black patch on ventral surface of neck in adult males absent; (40) dark midventral longitudinal mark such as faint line, conspicuous stripe, or extensive patch in adult males absent; (41) dark patches on ventral surface of thighs in adult males absent; (42) postxiphisternal inscriptional ribs not in contact midventrally, Patterns 1A, 2A, 2B, and 2C.

Color in life.—Dorsum grayish brown (pale in females) with a series of dark brown subtriangular marks longitudinally arranged on each side of vertebral line; flanks with olive-green hue dorsally; limbs with dark brown reticulations; dorsum of head dark brown with yellowish supraciliary ridge and light red spots in some specimens; sides of head and neck variegated with black, yellowish white, or light red in males; black longitudinal stripe between temporal and axillary regions in some females; chin, gular, and pectoral regions whitish with scattered black spots; ventral aspect of body and tail uniform dull yellow, with gray flecks in females (based on Girard [1857] and a photograph taken by M. Lundberg.)

Natural History.—Clutch size in S. ornatissimus is two eggs ( Cadle, 1998).

Distribution.— Stenocercus ornatissimus occurs between 12 ° S–11 ° S in the western Cordillera of the central Andes in Peru ( Fig. 12 ). This species is known from elevations of 2000– 3400 m in Departamento Lima. It was erroneously reported for Ecuador by Peters (1967).

Figures

FIG. 20.—Eight species of Stenocercus. (A) S. marmoratus (AMU); (B) S. melanopŋgus (PVE); (C) S. modestus (MLU); (D) S. nigromaculatus (WED); (E) S. nubicola (PVE); (F) S. ochoai (WED); (G) S. orientalis (PVE); (H) S. ornatissimus (MLU).

FIG. 12.—Distribution of six species of Stenocercus in Peru. Black triangle pointed by arrow corresponds to María Teresa (10°42'05"S, 75°27'22"W, 1470 m, Departamento Pasco), where Stenocercus boettgeri, S. formosus, S. scapularis, and S. torquatus occur in sympatry.