Afroedura otjihipa, Conradie & Schmitz & Lobón-Rovira & Becker & Vaz Pinto & Hauptfleisch, 2022

Conradie, Werner, Schmitz, Andreas, Lobon-Rovira, Javier, Becker, Francois S., Vaz Pinto, Pedro & Hauptfleisch, Morgan L., 2022, Rock island melody remastered: two new species in the Afroedura bogerti Loveridge, 1944 group from Angola and Namibia, Zoosystematics and Evolution 98 (2), pp. 435-453 : 435

Afroedura otjihipa sp. nov.

Otjihipa Flat Gecko (English) Otjihipa Platgeitjie (Afrikaans) Figs 5C-D , 6C-D , 7

Synonym.

Afroedura cf. bogerti - Branch 1998: 232; Griffin 2002: 20, 2003:10; Herrman and Branch 2013: 5.

Holotype.

NMNW R11253, adult female, collected from Otjihipa Middleberg (-17.28314, 12.66506, 1,900 m a.s.l.), Kunene Region, Namibia, by Morgan Hauptfleisch, Francois Becker, Vera De Cauwer, Wessel Swanepoel and Ernst van Jaarsveld on 23 April 2021.

Paratype.

NMNW R11245, adult male (paired with female NMNW R11253 in same rock crack). Same collection details as holotype.

Etymology.

The new species is named in reference to the area it was collected, namely Otjihipa Mountains in northern Namibia.

Diagnosis.

A member of the greater ' Afroedura transvaalica ' group as it possesses two pairs of enlarged scansors per digit and a strongly verticillate and flattened tail ( Jacobsen et al. 2014). Part of the A. bogerti group which differs from other members of the ' Afroedura transvaalica ' group by having less than 72 mid-body scale rows (vs. 97-102 in A. gorongosa , 113-120 in A. loveridgei , 102-119 in A. transvaalica ); rostral excluded from the nostril (in contact in A. gorongosa ); supranasals always in contact (separated by 1-3 granules in A. gorongosa ; always in broad contact in A. loveridgei ; usually in broad contact in A. transvaalica ~ 3-18%); and 15-16 scales between anterior borders of the eyes (19-22 in A. gorongosa , 15-19 in A. loveridgei , 15-20 in A. transvaalica ) (comparative data from Branch et al. 2017, 2021).

Afroedura otjihipa sp. nov. differs from other members of the A. bogerti group by a combination of the following characteristics (see Tables 5 and 7 ): 65-67 (mean 66.0) mid-body scale rows (64-78 [mean 72.8] in A. donveae , 69-77 [mean 73.5] in A. bogerti , 73-78 [mean 74.8] in A. praedicta , 78-82 (mean 79.5) in A. pundomontana sp. nov.; 76-88 [mean 79.3] in A. wulfhaackei , 73-86 [mean 80.3] in A. vazpintorum ); supranasals always in contact (similar to A. donveae , A. vazpintorum , A. praedicta and A. pundomontana sp. nov.; in contact in ~ 33% of A. bogerti ; in contact in ~ 57% of A. wulfhaackei ); each tail verticil comprises 5 ventral and 6 dorsal rows of scales (mean 4 ventral and 5 dorsal in A. bogerti , A. praedicta and A. wulfhaackei ; 4-5 (mean 4.4) ventral and 5-6 (mean 5.6) dorsal in A. pundomontana sp. nov.; 5-6 [mean 5.5] ventral and 6-7 [mean 6.6] dorsal in A. donveae ; 5-6 [mean 5.0] ventral and 6-7 [mean 6.1] dorsal A. vazpintorum ); ventral surfaces light cream and almost immaculate, with some scattered dark spots near lateral edges (similar to A. donveae and A. vazpintorum ; greyish with black spots in A. bogerti , A. wulfhaackei , A. praedicta and A. pundomontana sp. nov.); larger average adult size 58.2 mm SVL (versus 57.6 mm in A. donveae , 51.7 mm in A. wulfhaackei , 51.3 mm in A. vazpintorum ; 50.3 mm in A. pundomontana sp. nov., 50.0 mm in A. bogerti , 49.9 mm A. praedicta ), and by having very distinct black-and-white tail banding (similar to A. donveae ). Afroedura otjihipa sp. nov. differs from its sister lowland species A. donveae in having a brown or copper coloured (versus black) iris, a relatively broader head (mean HL/HW 1.1 versus 1.3), and in dorsal colour pattern (Fig. 6 ): in A. otjihipa sp. nov. it is dominantly dark brown, the yellow appearing as small asymmetrical, irregular patches, and as irregular borders of four paired, asymmetrical, irregular, roughly triangular brown blotches, which merge at the scapular and sacral regions to form two additional bands (versus roughly symmetrical brown patterns on a mostly yellow background in A. donveae ).

Holotype description.

Adult female: SVL 57.9 mm; tail regenerated, with a small mid-ventral incision for the removal of liver sample. Measurements and meristic characters of holotype presented in Table 7 . Head and body dorsoventrally depressed; HL 13.6 mm, HW 13.2 mm, head broadest posterior level of eye and 1.02 times longer than wide. Eyes large (3.2 mm wide), pupil vertical with indented margins; circumorbital scales small and smooth, bottom posterior scales with small upward pointing spines. Snout rounded, 5.7 mm long, longer than distance between eye and ear openings (4.8 mm). Scales on top of snout smooth, rounded, similar in size, with no intervening minute granules. Scales on snout slightly larger than those on back of head or nape. Scales on eyelids larger than those on the crown, 5 scales deep from circumorbital scale to crown. Nostril pierced between first supralabial and three nasal scales; rostral narrowly excluded from nostril; supranasals much larger than the smaller postnasals, ventral postnasal being about half the size of its dorsal counterpart, and all in broad contact with one other. Nostrils very slightly elevated. Rostral roughly rectangular, but with its upper edges elongated due to extensions toward the nostril, and the central point extends between the nasals. Seven supralabials on each side, the labial margin flexing upwards at the rictus (approx. mid-orbital position), with 1-2 elongate scales proximal to the flexure and several minute scales along the flexure proximal to these. Seven infralabials on either side. At the lip, mental scale slightly narrower than adjacent infralabial, mental only two thirds the width of rostral (1.1 mm versus 1.8 mm respectively) and in contact with three postmental scales; mental similar in size and shape to the surrounding gular scales, the central one of which is distinctly smaller. Scales on throat much smaller than those on belly, scales touching infralabials larger. Fourteen scales across the crown at level of front of eyes; 10 scales between nostril and front of eye; 12 scales from ear to eye; 67 scales around mid-body. Ear opening deep, oblique and roughly oval, less than half as high as wide (0.42 × 0.95 mm respectively). Scales on dorsum smooth, non-overlapping, largest at mid-body, smaller on nape and tail base. Scales on ventrum flattened, not overlapping, roughly twice the size of lateral granules and 1.4 times the size of scales along the dorsal mid-line. Regenerated tail dorsoventrally flattened, roughly as broad as the neck, with ventral scales larger than those on the dorsal surface. Limbs well-developed, hindlimbs slightly longer than forelimbs; all limbs without obvious mite pockets at posterior or anterior margin of limb insertions. All digits with a large pair of distal scansors, separated by a curved claw, notably smaller on the fingers than toes, and followed after a gap (about the width of terminal scansor) by a smaller pair of scansors; infero-median row of digital scales slightly enlarged transversely, the distal two rows being paired in both digits and toes, where the terminal scale adjoining the first pair of scansors may be swollen and scansor-like; 6 enlarged central and two paired distal scale rows under 3rd toe, while other toes have paired scale rows, 8 under the 4th toe.

Paratype variation.

SVL 59.9 mm adult male, tail truncated, precloacal pores 12. Measurements and meristic characters of paratype are presented in Table 7 . The paratype is very similar to the holotype with regard to scalation.

Colouration.

In life (holotype NMNW R11253, Fig. 7C-D ): dark brown with yellowish patterns, fading to whitish on limbs and top of head; yellow patterns are irregular, asymmetrical patches and spots along the body, symmetrical paired spots around the nape and near the tail base; there is a thin, irregular, broken or continuous yellow bar on the nape; another broken, irregular yellow bar across the scapular region to the shoulders; three asymmetrical yellow double-bars which may present as pairs of medially-angled triangles posteriorly, across the back, each with an irregular dark brown core; another broken yellow bar or collection of symmetrical spots around the sacrum; head dark brown with yellow blotches on the crown with intervening pale yellow colouration; dark brown bar from nostril across the upper margins of the ear opening, connecting with dark brown lateral bar on the neck; a thin pale yellow canthal stripe extends on both sides from the nasal region to anterior margins of eye, continuing posteriorly from the eye onto the nape; skin above eyes copper blue with dark brown spots; upper and lower labials light grey with dense brown speckling, denser anteriorly and on supralabials; lateral sides of the body with a mix of dark brown and yellowish blotches, as a continuation of the dorsal patterns; limbs dark brown above with scattered light grey markings; tail (regenerated) with an asymmetrical chequered pattern of dark brown and light grey; iris copper in colour with a narrow black elliptic pupil with crenulated edge, and black reticulation; venter uniform beige with scattered brown specks mostly on lateral edges; ventrally, limbs with scattered brown spots, mostly near lateral surfaces. In preservative: yellowish patterns faded to light grey, dark brown to grey-brown, and eyes faded to bluish grey, with original colouration of pupils and iris no longer evident. Paratype colouration: Similar colouration and patterning as to the holotype, but the yellow bands and patterns are more clearly defined: the bar on the nape is nearly continuous, that on the scapular region has a clear dark brown core, and three pairs of asymmetrical, medially-pointing, dark brown, triangular blobs are clearly outlined by irregular yellow lines; no clear bar near the tail base, but a collection of symmetrical spots. The original tails are not present on the preserved specimen, but were observed briefly in life before capture. The original tails of another pair of individuals in a nearby rock crack (not caught) were also observed. Tail bars could not be counted, but bold black-and-white banding was clearly visible.

Natural history and habitat.

A rupicolous species living in narrow rock crevices in relatively small sandstone outcrops in arid woodland savannah (Fig. 5C-D ), at elevations of 1,800-1,900 m a.s.l. in the Otjihipa Mountains. It was not found in the dolomite formations near the type locality, despite greater search time dedicated to those areas. The rock cracks where they were found were smaller than is typical for this group and were similar throughout this surface formation. Congeners in the A. bogerti group are normally found only in deep rock cracks in and amongst large boulders. Such habitat features were present in the surveyed area, but only in dolomite formations. The much less crevice-rich sandstone formation, with thin, straight cracks formed between the sandstone strata, appeared to be favoured syntopically by A. otjihipa sp. nov. and Cordylus namakuiyus .

Distribution and conservation.

Currently known from a single sandstone ridge on Otjihipa Middleberg in the extreme north-west of the Kunene Region, Namibia (Fig. 2 ). The species remains poorly known, but it is probably stable in numbers as the local habitat is currently not threatened and is topographically unsuitable for human habitation. It likely occurs more broadly across the Otjihipa Mountain range. In accordance with IUCN Red List Guidelines ( IUCN 2022) we propose this species to be classified as Data Deficient (DD) at this stage, but due to the remoteness of the locality and because no notifiable threats exist, it could be listed as Least Concern.

Figures

Figure 2. Phylogenetic tree topology based on the combined mitochondrial (12 S, 16 S, Cyt-b, ND 2) and nuclear (c-mos, RAG 1) genes, using Afroedura karroica as outgroup. Support values for Bayesian posterior probabilities (above nodes) and maximum likelihood bootstraps (below nodes) are indicated in the tree (shown values: ML: ≥ 70 % / PP: ≥ 0.75).

Figure 5. Habitat photos of: A-B. Afroedura pundomontana sp. nov.: Morro do Pundo, 25 km west of Bocoio, Benguela Province, Angola; C-D. Afroedura otjihipa sp. nov.: Otjihipa Middleberg, Kunene Region, Namibia. Photos: A-B. Pedro Vaz Pinto; C-D. Francois Becker.

Figure 6. Live specimens of: A-B. Afroedura donveae from Omahua, Namibe Province, Angola (not sampled); C-D. Afroedura otjihipa sp. nov. (holotype female, NMNW R 11253) from Otjihipa Middleberg, Kunene Region, Namibia. Photos: A-B. Javier Lobon-Rovira; C-D. Francois Becker.

Figure 7. Holotype of Afroedura otjihipa sp. nov. (NMNW R 11253) from Otjihipa Middleberg, Kunene Region, Namibia. Scale bar: 1 cm. Photos: Francois Becker.