Ichnotropis longicorpa, Conradie & Keates & Greenbaum & Lobón-Rovira & Tolley & Benito & Vaz Pinto & van Breda & Verburgt, 2025

Conradie, Werner, Keates, Chad, Greenbaum, Eli, Lobón-Rovira, Javier, Tolley, Krystal A., Benito, Max, Vaz Pinto, Pedro, van Breda, Reuben V. & Verburgt, Luke, 2025, Systematics of African rough-scaled lizards, with description of two new species from eastern Angola (Squamata: Lacertidae: Ichnotropis Peters, 1854), Vertebrate Zoology 75, pp. 627-672 : 627-672

Ichnotropis longicorpa sp. nov.

Figures 24 , 25 ; Tables 6 , 7

Chresonymy.

Ichnotropis capensis overlaeti – Laurent (1950: 12, in part); Ichnotropis capensis – Conradie et al. ( 2022 a: 198, in part); Ichnotropis aff. capensis – Benito et al. (2025: 893).

Holotype.

PEM R 23410 (field number WC-4558), adult male, collected from Lungwebungu River camp bridge crossing , ( –12.5835°, 18.6660°, 1304 m a. s. l.), Moxico Province, Angola by Werner Conradie and Luke Verburgt on 22 October 2016 .

Paratypes.

6 specimens: a) PEM R 23409 (field number WC-4557), adult male, same collection details as holotype ; b) PEM R 23502 (field number WC-4522), and PEM R 23531 (field number WC-4560), adult male and female respectively, collected from Sombanana Village ( –12.3108°, 18.6239°, 1403 m a. s. l.), Moxico Province, Angola by Werner Conradie and Luke Verburgt on 9 October 2016 ; c) PEM R 23505 –7 (field number WC-4543, WC-4562 and WC-4563, respectively), adult males, collected from Lake Tchanssengwe ( –12.4102°, 18.6348°, 1414 m a. s. l.), Moxico Province, Angola by Werner Conradie and Luke Verburgt on 21 October 2016 .

Additional material.

9 specimens: a) PEM R 19903 (field number TB 44) and PEM R 19905 (field number TB 46), adult female and male respectively, collected from Camp Chiri , Miombo forest / camp ( –9.3969°, 20.4319°, 1004 m a. s. l.), Lunda-Sul Province, Angola by Tom Branch on 24 October 2008 ; b) PEM R 23977 (field number WC-6267), juvenile, collected from near Lungwebungu Trap 2 ( –12.5820°, 18.6656°, 1208 m a. s. l.), Moxico Province, Angola by Werner Conradie and Alex Rebelo on 22 April 2018 ; c) PEM R 23986 (field number WC-6266), juvenile, collected from Lungwebungu Trap 1 ( –12.5801°, 18.6674°, 1298 m a. s. l.), Moxico Province, Angola by Werner Conradie and Alex Rebelo on 22 April 2018 ; d) PEM R 23996 –7 (field numbers WC-6291 and WC-6292, respectively), juveniles, collected from Lake Tchanssengwe ( –12.4140°, 18.6442°, 1393 m a. s. l.), Moxico Province, Angola by Werner Conradie and Alex Rebelo on 23 April 2018 ; e) BE_RMCA_Vert.R.17490 , 17492 ( adult males) and BE_RMCA_Vert.R.17491 ( adult female), collected from the Dundo region , Lunda-Norte Province, Angola by Barros Machado on 14 December 1947 .

Etymology.

The species name longicorpa is the feminine form of the Latin adjective longicorpus, derived from longus (long) and corpus (body), referring to this species’ elongate body.

Diagnosis.

Assigned to Ichnotropis due to the absence of a well-defined collar, digits not serrated or fringed, subdigital lamellae keeled, and subocular bordering the lip. A slender Ichnotropis with a single frontonasal; subocular bordering the lip; a single anterior loreal; feebly developed head shield striations, prefrontals well separated from the anterior supraocular; and supraciliaries separated from the supraoculars by a series of smaller scales.

The new species can be distinguished from other Ichnotropis species based on a combination of the following characteristics: Prefrontals well separated from the anterior supraocular (versus mostly in contact in I. bivittata , I. microlepidota and I. tanganicana ); lower number (34–41) of midbody scales rows ( 44–47 in I. grandiceps and 43–48 in I. robusta sp. nov.); small, depressed head and pointed snout (versus large robust head and rounded snout in I. grandiceps and I. robusta sp. nov.); four supralabials anterior to the subocular (versus mostly five in I. grandiceps and I. robusta sp. nov.); distinctive occipital scale usually extending posteriorly well beyond the level of the parietals (versus large trapeziform occipital wedged between the parietals, not protruding past parietals in I. grandiceps and I. robusta sp. nov.).

The new species resembles I. capensis sensu lato in its narrow, pointed snout, with the prefrontals well separated from the anterior subocular. It differs in that the new species exhibits black spots on the chin shields and gular scales (versus immaculate in I. capensis sensu lato) and the absence of a clear upper white dorsolateral stripe that separates the dark black lateral band from the dorsal brown vertebral band (versus present in most I. capensis sensu lato).

In the phylogenetic analysis, the uncorrected p distances show that the new species differs by> 5.9 % for 16 S and> 12.3 % for ND 4 sequence divergence from other Ichnotropis species (Table 2 ).

Holotype description (Fig. 25).

Adult male measuring 67.7 mm SVL and 160 mm TAIL (2.4 × SVL). Body moderately depressed; head distinctly depressed, almost twice as long as broad ( HL 15.8 / HW 8.5 mm), its length equivalent to 23.3 % of SVL, expanded in the temporal region and very distinct from the neck. Adpressed hind limb just reaching the anterior edge of ear opening. The foot length is longer than the head length (FL 19.2 / HL 15.8 mm).

Dorsal head shields very feebly striated and keeled; nostril pierced between three nasals, the supranasals in broad contact behind the rostral; frontonasal as long as broad (2.2 × 2.2 mm); prefrontals much longer than broad (2.7 × 1.5 mm), in broad contact medially, not reaching the anterior supraoculars (separated by a small keeled scale), in contact with the anterior and posterior loreal; frontal more than twice as long as its maximum width between the posterior tips of the prefrontals (4.6 × 2.1 mm), rounded anteriorly and strongly narrowed posteriorly; paired frontoparietals longer than broad (3.0 × 2.0 mm); parietals longer than broad (3.8 × 2.6 mm), extending posteriorly, widely separated by a large interparietal and occipital, the posterior margin extending past the posterior borders of the parietals; three keeled temporal scales bordering the parietal, the first one longest, followed by the second and third (smallest); two enlarged supraoculars, the anterior supraocular slightly longer than the posterior one and longer than its distance from the posterior loreal ( 2.4 mm vs. 1.5 mm), in contact with the posterior half of the frontal, separated from the posterior loreal by two smaller keeled scales; the anterior supraoculars are preceded by a cluster of five smaller keeled scales, the posterior supraocular is followed by three smaller keeled post-supraocular scales, the two supraoculars are separated from the supraciliaries by a single row of nine small keeled scales. Five supraciliaries, the first two much longer than the others and forming a long oblique suture. Lower nasal in contact with the rostral, first supralabial, and anterior loreal (narrow contact on left side); postnasal small, in contact with the other two nasals, anterior loreal, and frontonasal. Two loreals, the posterior one much larger and divided below; four supralabials anterior to the subocular, whose lower border on the lip is much shorter (3 ×) than the upper border; three supralabials posterior to subocular; temporal scales strongly keeled; a narrow tympanic shield on the upper anterior corner of the vertically elongate ear opening. Lower eyelid scaly with a median series (4–5) of vertically elongate scales. Six infralabials; five pairs of large chin shields, the first three pairs in median contact; gular scales imbricate; no collar.

Dorsal scales rhombic, strongly keeled and imbricate; laterals smaller and feebly keeled, passing gradually into the smooth, rounded ventral plates, which are broader than long; 39 scales around the middle of the body; ventral plates in nine longitudinal and 30 transverse rows between the fore- and hind limbs; preanal scales irregular; scales on upper surfaces of limbs rhombic, strongly keeled, and imbricate; 12 / 10 femoral pores on each side; subdigital lamellae pluricarinate and spinulose, 22 under the 4 th toe; caudal scales strongly keeled above and below, except those just posterior to the vent, which are smooth.

Colouration.

(In life, breeding colouration; Fig. 24 A ): The dorsum varies from grey on the head and nape to reddish-brown on the dorsum and grey on the tail. The side of the body has a dark black band that originates on the snout and run posteriorly to the tail, where it disappears at the tip. Below this black band is a white stripe that originates on the snout, runs below the eye to the front limb, is less distinct between the fore- and hind limb, and then fades onto the tail. Below this white line is another black stripe that originates on the snout, running along the edges of the supra- and infralabials to the front limbs. The white stripes on the sides of the head and the gular region are pale yellow. Below the black band and white flank stripe (that appears as scattered white and grey spots in places) is an orange band. Limbs are brick red and grey. Chin shields and gular scales have scattered black blotches of varying sizes. The venter is white with scattered black specks. Colouration (in preservative; Fig. 25 ): Above pale grey-brown; a well-defined broad (covering 3–4 scales at midbody) black dorsolateral band extends from the tip of the snout to the groin; below this black dorsolateral band is a narrow white band (covering one scale at midbody) which extends from the tip of the snout to just posterior to the front limb, fading towards the groin and tail base. Below this white band is another narrow black band extending from the mental, along the edge of the jaw (edge of supra- and infralabials) to just posterior to the forelimb insertion. Flanks bear a light brown band (two scales wide); gular and chin shields with scattered black spots or blotches; limbs dorsally brown and ventrally white; 2–3 white spots on the anterior surfaces of the legs; venter white with scattered black specks.

Paratype and additional material variation.

The paratypes are in agreement with the holotype in scalation, with only minor variation: Prefrontal always separate from the anterior supraocular by one scale (except PEM R 19905 on right side); frontonasal always separate from the 1 st supraciliaries (except in PEM R 23409 and PEM R 23506 ); two (rarely three) scales separating anterior supraocular from the posterior loreal; cluster of 3–9 scales in front of the anterior supraocular; single row of 6–9 scales separating the supraoculars from the supraciliaries; 1–4 post-supraoculars; four supraciliaries; 4–5 supralabials; 6–7 infralabials; five chin shields, with first three in contact ( PEM R 23505 has six chin shields, with the first four in contact on the left side); 9–10 transverse ventral plates; 25–31 longitudinal ventral plates; 34–41 midbody scale rows; 19–24 subdigital lamellae under the 4 th toe; 10–13 femoral pores on each thigh. PEM R 23409 exhibits some aberrant head scalation in that the anterior loreal seems to be divided, forming a supraloreal that separates the anterior loreal from the frontonasal and the parietal, and the posterior loreal is divided into two scales. Size: Adult specimens varied from 62.7–71.2 mm (mean: 65.3 mm) SVL and 117.0–160.0 mm (mean: 141.2 mm) TAIL. Largest female: 65.1 mm SVL ( PEM R 19905 – Camp Chiri, Angola); largest male: 71.2 mm SVL ( BE_ RMCA _Vert.R.17492 – Dundo, Angola). Colouration of all males are in agreement with the holotype. The paratype female ( PEM R 23531 ; Fig. 24 B ) is duller in colouration, almost uniformly reddish-brown dorsally and grey laterally, with no white stripes or black bands.

Distribution.

Only recorded from the headwaters of the Lungwebungu and Cuando Rivers in central Angola, northwards to the DRC border (Fig. 19 ). Some specimens from Mabwe River, Upemba National Park, DRC ( IRSNB 7895 , 7897, 7907–9, 78728), exhibit the same distinct dark brown to black gular markings and might be assigned to this species. If confirmed, this new species could be more widely distributed than currently thought.

Habitat and natural history.

This species was not found to be sympatric with any other Ichnotropis species, but it occurs in close geographical proximity to I. capensis sensu lato and I. robusta sp. nov. This species is associated with wet Miombo woodland.

Figures

Figure 19. Geographic records of the Ichnotropis capensis group, based on all literature records (open circles), examined material (closed circles) and genetically analysed material (white centres). Respective type localities are indicated by arrows: Ic – I. capensis, Ilc – I. longicorpa sp. nov., Ilp – I. longipes, and Im – I. macrolepidota.

Figure 24. Photographs in life of Ichnotropis longicorpa sp. nov. Photographs of A adult male (PEM R 23410) from Lungwebungu River camp bridge crossing, Angola, and B adult female (PEM R 23531) from Sombanana village, Angola. Photographs: Werner Conradie.

Figure 25. Holotype (PEM R 23410) of Ichnotropis longicorpa sp. nov. from Lungwebungu River camp bridge crossing, Moxico Province, Angola. Photographs of body in A ventral and B dorsal views, and head in C dorsal, D lateral and E ventral views. Scale bars represent 10 mm. Photographs: Werner Conradie.