Atlantolacerta, Published, 2007

Published, First, 2007, Systematics of the Palaearctic and Oriental lizard tribe Lacertini (Squamata: Lacertidae: Lacertinae), with descriptions of eight new genera, Zootaxa 1430, pp. 1-86 : 63-64

Tribe Eremiadini Shcherbak, 1975

Atlantolacerta gen. nov.

Type species. Lacerta andreanskyi Werner, 1929 [= Atlantolacerta andreanskyi (Werner, 1929) ].

Etymology. A feminine name derived from the Latin adjective atlanticus, which refers to the Atlas Mountains where the genus occurs, and lacerta, a lizard.

Synonymy.

— Lacerta Linnaeus, 1758 (part); Werner, 1929. Sitzungsb. Acad. Wiss. Abt. 1, 138 (1–2): 4. [ Lacerta andreanskyi ].

S pecies included. Atlantolacerta andreanskyi (Werner, 1929) comb. nov. Distribution. Western and central parts of the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco ( Fig. 25g).

Diagnosis. Member of the Eremiadini distinguished from nearly all others by lacking a derived condition of the ulnar nerve, an armature and folded lobes in the hemipenis and from all except Omanosaura in possessing a clavicle loop that is sometimes interrupted behind, and A and B-type caudal vertebrae. Other features that in combination help to distinguish it from other genera of Eremiadini and of Lacertini include the following: small body size, often high numbers of presacral vertebrae (26–28 in males, 29 in females), sternal fontanelle sometimes weakly heart-shaped, edge of parietal scale reaching lateral border of parietal table both posteriorly and anteriorly, one postnasal scale, supranasal scale contacting anterior loreal above nostril; narrow light supraciliary stripes often present; no blue spots on outer ventral scales; outer sulcal lips on lobes of hemipenis large. Other more widely distributed features in Eremiadini and Lacertini include: head and body not strongly depressed and supraocular osteoderms complete in adults, seven premaxillary teeth in adults, inscriptional ribs often present, tail brightly coloured in hatchlings, hemipenial microornamentation of hookshaped spines.

Description.

Size and shape. Small Eremiadini up to about 55 mm from snout to vent; adult females often larger than males; head and body not strongly depressed.

Skull. Seven premaxillary teeth in adults; pterygoid teeth absent; nasal process of premaxilla slender; postfrontal and postorbital bones separate, subequal in length; maxillary-jugal suture not stepped. Supraocular lamellae complete in adults.

Postcranial skeleton. Number of presacral vertebrae 26, 27 or 28 in males and 29 in females; six or seven posterior presacral vertebrae with short ribs; medial loop of the clavicle continuous or interrupted posteriorly; lateral arms of interclavicle more or less perpendicular to the sagittal axis; sternal fontanelle oval or weakly heart-shaped; inscriptional ribs often present; pattern of tail vertebrae A- and B-type.

Scaling. Rostral separated from frontonasal scale; row of supraciliary granules complete; outer edge of parietal scale reaching lateral border of parietal table both posteriorly and anteriorly. One postnasal scale; supranasal scale in contact with anterior loreal above nostril; four upper labial scales in front of subocular; first upper temporal large, masseteric scale usually well developed. Dorsal scales small and smooth, about 36 to 42 in a transverse row at mid-body. Collar fairly smooth; six longitudinal rows of ventral scales; preanal scale broad and of moderate size, borderd by a semicircle of smaller scales; scales under toes smooth or tubercular; whorls of scales on tail subequal in length.

Colouring. Often with a clear pattern of longitudinal stripes, including a dark vertebral stripe and flanks and narrow light dorsolateral stripes, although pattern may be reduced to spots in some adult males which may be faintly reticulated. Background colour brown or greyish. No blue ocelli in shoulder region. Underside whitish sometimes with a greenish tinge, the throat not differentiated, some dark spotting often present; no blue spots on outer ventral scales. Juveniles have greenish-blue tails.

Distinctive internal features. Partial thoracic fascia present; insertion of retractor lateralis anterior muscle in front of vent lateral, away from mid-line.

Hemipenis. Lobes with plicae, apical section of each not longer than basal one, their sulcal lips large; no armature, or folding of lobes in retracted hemipenis; microornamentation consisting of recurved spines.

Chromosomes. Diploid number (2n) = 38; 36 single-armed macrochromosomes and 2 microchromosomes; sex chromosomes ZW-type; position of nucleolar organizer unknown.

Reproduction. Males bite flank of females during copulation; clutches consisting of 1–3 (usually 2) eggs.

Ecology. Mainly ground-dwelling in a variety of mountain situations: screes and areas with boulders, meadows, among low clump-forming shrubs, and in places without plant cover; frequently found in the vicinity of small watercourses.

Remarks. The relatively large and apparently disjunct range of Atlantolacerta with populations occurring on isolated ‘mountain islands’ suggests it may not be a single species. The correct spelling of the name of the one species of Atlantolacerta recognised to date is andreanskyi , as used in the type description (Werner 1929), rather than andreanszkyi (with a “z”). This latter spelling is closer to the real name of the Hungarian botanist, Baron Gábor Andreánzsky (1895–1967), to whom the species was dedicated, and was used subsequently by the describer (Werner 1931), but it does not have priority. Also, it is clear that andreanskyi is not a lapsus calami, as Werner uses this spelling more than once in his original paper and misspells Andreánszky’s name in a similar way.