Cnemidophorus cf. ocellifer

Silva, Marcélia Basto Da & Ávila-Pires, Teresa C. S., 2013, The genus Cnemidophorus (Squamata: Teiidae) in State of Piauí, northeastern Brazil, with description of a new species, Zootaxa 3681 (4), pp. 455-477 : 466-468

Cnemidophorus cf. ocellifer

( Figure 7 )

Cnemidophorus ocellifer Peters and Donoso-Barros 1970: 95 (part); Vanzolini 1976: 113 (part); Vanzolini, Ramos-Costa and Vitt 1980: 111 (part); Rodrigues 2003: 185 (part); Rodrigues 2004: 167 (part); Nogueira, Colli and Martins 2009: 90 (part); Arias, Carvalho, Rodrigues and Zaher, 2011a: 37.

Material examined. Brazil. PIAUÍ. Municipality of Dom Expedito Lopes, Água Mineral Manaíra (6°56’32”S, 41°41’46”W), CHNUFPI 0018–0034.

Diagnosis. Cnemidophorus cf. ocellifer is a member of the ocellifer subgroup. It is characterized by (between parentheses species from which it differs in that respect) being bisexual (only females in C. nativo ); 16–23 femoral pores (27–31 in C. abaetensis , 28–36 in C. littoralis , 33–45 in C. venetacaudus and 31–38 in C. cyanurus - all littoralis subgroup; 24–26 in C. nativo , and 11–16 in C. jalapensis ); enlarged scales in the temporal region posterior to the third subocular (not enlarged in littoralis subgroup); five supraciliaries (6–7 in littoralis subgroup); absence of spurs in the heel of males (presence in littoralis subgroup); 26–31 scales around tail (20–24 in C. mumbuca , 19–26 in C. jalapensis , 20–28 in C. confusionibus ); maximum SVL 3 78 mm, Ƥ 74 mm (3 59 mm, Ƥ 57 mm in C. mumbuca , 3 Ƥ 56 mm in C. jalapensis , 3 89 mm, Ƥ 77.5 mm in the new species); 178–241 dorsals, 16–18 lamellae under fourth finger, and 26–33 lamellae under the fourth toe (respectively 192–255, 13–19, and 24–34 in the new species); hemipenis with folds (smooth in C. confusionibus , with flounces in C. venetacaudus , and shallow folds in the new species). Regarding colour pattern, C. cf. ocellifer presents incomplete vertebral, complete paravertebral, dorsolateral and laterals stripes, bluish-green ocelli on dark band between dorsolateral and lateral stripes, gular region orange in males, and brown tail (complete vertebral stripe in the new species, paravertebral stripes absent and yellow lateral ocelli in C. confusionibus , gular immaculate in C. confusionibus , C. mumbuca and C. jalapensis , and black in C. nigrigula ; lateral ocelli absent in C. nativo and C. jalapensis , bluishgreen tail in C. littoralis , C. abaetensis , C. venetacaudus and C. cyanurus ).

Hemipenes (CHNUFPI 0 0 18, CHNUFPI 0 0 19, CHNUFPI 0020). Short and slightly bilobed (lobes about 10% the size of the organ). It extends to level of the eighth row of subcaudals when inverted. Sulcus spermaticus slightly forked, deep and centripetal. Branches diverge close to the lobular crotch and extend to the central region of each lobe. Border of sulcus spermaticus smooth and very distinct. Lobes ornamented with small, non–calcified papillae in the apical region of the sulcate face. Region between lobes with folds on the sulcate face, without on the asulcate face. Asulcate face with transverse folds starting close to the papillae on the apex of each lobe and extending for about 2/3 of the body, they are separated by a shallow medial groove that reaches the middle portion of the body. Sulcate face smooth, with a pair of protuberances laterally, on distal portion of body, close to the papillae. Basal region naked in the asulcate face, with a smooth protuberance on the sulcate face ( Figure 8 ).

Comments. These specimens are much alike with C. ocellifer from Salvador, Bahia (of which 10 specimens were examined for comparison), but differs from it by a somewhat higher number of femoral pores (14–17 in specimens from Bahia, 16–23 in those from Piauí), dorsals (respectively 172–188 and 178–241), by the orange gular region and orange spots on belly of adult males, and an incomplete vertebral stripe (from base of tail to middle of the body) in juveniles, females and subadult males (complete, from base of tail to the occiptals level in C. ocellifer ). As these differences are rather small and at present it is difficult to know the real extension and character variation in C. ocellifer (which still seems to include more than one species), we refrain from describing it as new. In order to call attention to the differences between these specimens and C. ocellifer from Bahia, we opted to mention them as ‘ C. cf. ocellifer ’. All specimens with these characteristics were found in one locality, in ‘caatinga’ environment.

Figures

FIGURE 7. Cnemidophorus cf. ocellifer (CNUFPI 0023). A—Dorsal view, B—Ventral view. Scale 1 cm. (Photos by Ângelo Dourado).

FIGURE 8. Right hemipenis of Cnemidophorus cf. ocellifer (CHNUFPI 0020). A—Sulcate face, B—Asulcate face. Scale 5 mm.