Hoplocercus spinosus Fitzinger 1843

Torres-Carvajal, Omar, Etheridge, Richard & Queiroz, Kevin De, 2011, A systematic revision of Neotropical lizards in the clade Hoplocercinae (Squamata: Iguania), Zootaxa 2752, pp. 1-44 : 32-33

Hoplocercus spinosus Fitzinger 1843

Proposed standard English name: spiny weapontails

Proposed standard Spanish name: lagartijas de cola armorizada espinosas

Hoplocercus spinosus Fitzinger (1843:78) . Syntypes: not located by Avila-Pires (1995:34), from “ Brazil ”; Duméril (1856:562); Boulenger (1885:199); Burt & Burt (1933:26); Peters & Donoso-Barros (1970:148).

Pachycercus aculeatus Dugès and Braconnier in Duméril (1854:561). Syntypes: not located by Avila-Pires (1995:34), from “Province de Saint-Paul [São Paulo] [in error, Vanzolini (1977:76)] Brésil,” synonymy fide Duméril (1855:156).

Diagnosis. See diagnosis of Hoplocercus above.

Description. (1) dorsal head scales flat and smooth or multicarinate, not strongly projecting dorsally; (2) posterior superciliaries not enlarged relative to adjacent scales; (3) scales on lateral edge of skull roof just posterior to superciliaries not projecting; (4) all pretympanic scales similar in size; (5) gular scales granular or flat and smooth, juxtaposed or slightly imbricate, not projecting ventrally; (6) dorsal neck scales heterogeneous in size, granular or large and conical; lateral neck scales granular, homogeneous in size; (7) vertebrals not forming middorsal row of enlarged scales; (8) nuchal region without middorsal crest; (9) dorsals smooth and heterogeneous in size, with largest scales forming 3–4 discontinuous longitudinal rows on each side of the vertebral row; (10) discontinuous longitudinal row of raised, enlarged scales between dorsals and flank scales present; (11) scales on flanks heterogeneous in size, mostly granular with a few scattered enlarged scales; (12) ventrals smooth; (13) fore limb scales smooth or slightly keeled dorsally, granular (proximally) and smooth (distally) ventrally; (14) hind limb scales smooth or slightly keeled dorsally and smooth ventrally; scattered enlarged scales present dorsally; dorsal scales of pes homogeneous in size; (15) caudals heterogeneous in size, with some on dorsal side modified as conspicuous spines; (16) tail flattened dorsoventrally. Meristic and morphometric characters are presented in Table 1 .

Coloration in life ( Fig. 4 ). Dorsal background brown or gray, and with alternating yellow or reddish brown and dark brown or black transverse bands, which change to a series of spots on the flanks; a whitish-cream vertical stripe (faint in females) extends dorsally from fore limb insertion to scapular region; gular region with anteromedially oriented reddish-brown stripes in some males; venter light brown or cream in females; venter entirely black or medially black and laterally orange or yellow with black dots in males; throat black, reddish brown, or dark brown in males; iris copper ( Avila-Pires 1995; color photographs).

Natural history. This species digs and lives in holes 30–40 cm deep in the ground with entrances 2–4 cm in diameter; individuals stay in the holes during the daytime, coming out at dusk. When in their holes, the lizards orient themselves with their tails toward the entrance and when disturbed, they inflate their bodies to press against the walls of the tunnel ( Avila-Pires 1995, and references therein). Diet items of Hoplocercus spinosus include termites, beetles, spiders, scorpions, grasshoppers, millipedes, and ants ( Avila-Pires 1995).

Distribution. Hoplocercus spinosus occurs in the Cerrado and areas of interdigitation between Cerrado and forest ( Avila-Pires 1995) in Brazil and Bolivia ( Fig. 9 ) from 100– 600 m. This species is not known to occur in sympatry with any other species of Hoplocercinae .

Figures

FIGURE 4. Photographs of live lizards representing twelve species of Hoplocercinae.

FIGURE 9. Distribution of Enyalioides palpebralis (dots) and Hoplocercus spinosus (triangles).