Stenocercus erythrogaster (Hallowell)

Brachysaurus erythrogaster Hallowell, 1856: 232 . Holotype: ANSP 8607, a male from ‘‘ New Grenada [Colombia].̕̕

Liocephalus erythrogaster Boulenger, 1885 a: 168; Ruthven, 1922:59.

Leiocephalus erythrogaster Burt and Burt, 1933:27 .

Ophryoessoides erythrogaster Etheridge, 1966:88; Etheridge, in Peters and Donoso-Barros, 1970:213; Fritts, 1974:35; Ayala, 1986:563.

Stenocercus erythrogaster Frost, 1992:43; Cadle, 2001:184; Harvey et al., 2004:941.

Diagnosis.— Stenocercus erythrogaster can be distinguished from other species of Stenocercus except S. huancabambae, S. iridescens, S. limitaris, S. puyango and S. santander by having imbricate scales on posterior aspect of thighs, nostrils medial to canthal ridge, and a longitudinal row of enlarged supraoculars occupying most of the supraocular region. Of these species, only S. erythrogaster and S. iridescens lack a postfemoral mite pocket. S. erythrogaster differs from S. iridescens (character states in parentheses) by having keeled or wrinkled dorsal head scales (smooth) and distinctly keeled ventrals (slightly keeled in juveniles, smooth in adults).

Description.—(1) Maximum SVL in males 87 mm (n = 8); (2) maximum SVL in females 91 mm (n = 8); (3) vertebrals 39–46; (4) paravertebrals 48–56; (5) scales around midbody 39–46; (6) supraoculars 3–5; (7) internasals 3–4; (8) postrostrals 4–5; (9) loreals 2–4; (10) gulars 16–22; (11) subdigitals on Finger IV 14–20; (12) subdigitals on Toe IV 23–28; (13) posthumeral mite pocket present as a shallow depression with a wide opening; (14) postfemoral mite pocket absent; (15) parietal eye not visible through interparietal cornea; (16) scales on occipitoparietal region large, keeled or wrinkled, imbricate; (17) projecting angulate temporals absent; (18) one row of enlarged supraoculars occupying most of supraocular region; (19) scales on frontonasal region imbricate anteriorly; (20) preauricular fringe present; (21) neck folds absent; (22) lateral and dorsal nuchals similar in size; (23) posterior gulars rhomboidal, smooth or slightly keeled, imbricate, not notched; (24) lateral and dorsal body scales similar in size; (25) vertebrals larger than adjacent paravertebrals; (26) dorsolateral crest absent; (27) ventrals keeled, imbricate, mucronate; (28) scales on posterior surfaces of thighs keeled, imbricate, mucronate; (29) inguinal granular pocket absent; (30) inguinal groove absent; (31) preanals projected; (32) tail strongly compressed laterally in adult males; (33) tail length 68–72% 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 present; (37) dark patch extensively covering gular region of females absent; (38) dark patch extensively covering gular region in 12% of adult males; (39) black patch on ventral surface of neck in 10% of adult males; (40) dark midventral longitudinal mark such as faint line, conspicuous stripe, or extensive patch in 90% of adult males; (41) dark patches on ventral surface of thighs in adult males absent; (42) postxiphisternal inscriptional ribs continuous midventrally, Pattern 6A.

S. frittsi 6 S. guentheri S. haenschi 7 n = 28 (33–50) n = 17 n = 46 (46)n = 86 n = 1 (1) Subdigitals Finger IV12–16 18–21 16–2215–23 26–28 14.60 ± 0.8019.35 ± 0.7019.02 ± 1.3918.16 ± 1.5727.00 ± 1.41Subdigitals Toe IV19–27 26–30 24–2922–36 30 23.00 ± 1.3027.53 ± 1.2326.98 ± 1.6527.30 ± 2.37 — Tail length/total length0.61–0.680.63–0.650.59–0.650.58–0.68 0.61 0.65 ± 0.030.64 ± 0.010.64 ± 0.020.64 ± 0.02 — Maximum SVL males74 89 7996 76 Maximum SVL females91 79 6673 — Posthumeral mite pocket3 absent 12 1 Postfemoral mite pocketabsent 2 absent2 1 Character S. huancabambae 2 S. humeralis S. imitator S. iridescens S. ivitusn = 32 (102)n = 44 n = 34 (80–115) n = 77 n = 1 Scales around midbody37–53 98–125 85–12435–52 44 43.94 ± 3.20110.05 ± 6.68102.96 ± 8.3141.50 ± 3.34 — Vertebrals37–51 81–112 49–6640–52 47 43.39 ± 3.4092.21 ± 6.8256.87 ± 3.4445.31 ± 3.37 — Paravertebrals48–64 106–148 89–11943–58 46 56.31 ± 3.74128.23 ± 8.69102.15 ± 6.3949.93 ± 3.60 — Gulars18–28 41–68 29–4416–20 21 20.93 ± 1.6448.84 ± 4.3134.98 ± 2.9718.13 ± 1.06 — Supraoculars3–6 6–9 4–72–5 6 4 7 54 6 Internasals4–7 3–4 3–52–4 3 6 4 43 3 Subdigitals Finger IV14–20 24–33 19–2615–18 20 16.81 ± 1.4129.43 ± 2.1022.95 ± 1.3415.91 ± 0.88 — Subdigitals Toe IV20–28 28–41 28–3722–28 26 24.62 ± 1.5637.02 ± 2.4332.60 ± 1.8924.55 ± 1.59 — Tail length/total length0.67–0.700.62–0.680.65–0.700.65–0.70 — 0.69 ± 0.010.66 ± 0.010.68 ± 0.010.68 ± 0.01 — Maximum SVL males99 112 10099 — Maximum SVL females75 108 8781 64 Posthumeral mite pocket3 1 12 absent Postfemoral mite pocket2 2 2absent 2 Character S. lache S. latebrosus 8 S. limitaris 8 S. marmoratus 9 S. melanopygusn = 40n = 46 (37)n = 37 (44)n = 15 (32)n = 44Scales around midbody61–74 38–57 39–5444–59 47–56 67.03 ± 3.4144.20 ± 4.1947.30 ± 3.1652.00 ± 4.0050.93 ± 2.41Vertebrals43–58 43–53 40–5244–66 45–59 49.26 ± 3.8848.20 ± 3.0745.70 ± 2.5455.00 ± 4.0054.50 ± 3.01Paravertebrals53–73 42–56 48–6051–68 45–58 61.73 ± 4.6849.80 ± 3.6054.19 ± 3.0652.00 ± 4.0053.20 ± 2.45Gulars20–28 18–26 17–2323–30 20–25 22.93 ± 1.7320.90 ± 1.7920.10 ± 1.2827.00 ± 2.0022.57 ± 1.35Supraoculars4–6 5–7 3–54–8 5–6 5 6 46 5 Internasals2–4 2–4 4–52–4 4–5 4 4 44 4 Subdigitals Finger IV13–20 17–23 17–2312–21 15–19 17.03 ± 1.8019.30 ± 1.3719.70 ± 1.2617.00 ± 2.0016.75 ± 1.06Subdigitals Toe IV17–30 23–28 24–3216–23 21–28 24.85 ± 2.7025.20 ± 1.5527.50 ± 1.9320.00 ± 1.0024.00 ± 1.57Tail length/total length0.61–0.670.63–0.69 0.69–0.72 0.56–0.600.61–0.660.63 ± 0.020.66 ± 0.020.70 ± 0.010.58 ± 0.010.64 ± 0.02Maximum SVL males88 76 9783 85 Maximum SVL females81 67 8277 63 Character S. fimbriatus 1,5 S. formosus

1 Cadle (2001), 2 Cadle (1991), 3 Torres-Carvajal (2000), 4 Torres-Carvajal et al. (2005), 5 Avila-Pires (1995), 6 Torres-Carvajal (2005 b), 7 Boulenger (1880), 8 Cadle (1998), 9 Torres et al. (2000), 10 Torres-Carvajal (2005 a), 11 Nogueira and Rodrigues (2006), 12 Torres-Carvajal (2005 c), 13 Torres-Carvajal (2007 b).

Color in life.—Dorsum brown with pale olive-green vertebral crest; vertical dull yellow stripe on shoulder; flanks with rose tint anteriorly and yellow keels in some scales; straw-yellow stripe from above tympanum onto shoulder; face bright straw-yellow with black suborbital bar; venter violet; gular and pectoral regions pale grayish brown; ventral aspect of tail with slight violet cast (ICN 9098, adult male, J. D. Lynch field notes, 24 June 1983). Harvey et al. (2004) also describe a series of dark brown chevrons longitudinally arranged over the vertebral line; however, they probably examined only female specimens because the venter is described as ‘‘immaculate tan̕̕ and not violet or pink as is characteristic in males of this species.

Distribution.— Stenocercus erythrogaster occurs between 9 ° N–11 ° N marking the northern limit of the distribution of Stenocercus (Figs. 1, 16). It is known from elevations of 50–1000 m in northern Colombia (Departamentos Bolívar, Chocó, El César, and Magdalena) and northwestern Venezuela (Estado Zulia; Harvey et al., 2004). This species is probably widespread in the northern lowlands of Colombia including Departamentos Antioquia, Atlántico, Córdoba, La Guajira, and Sucre (Torres-Carvajal, 2007 b). Miyata (1982) erroneously reported S. erythrogaster for Ecuador.