Petracola pajatensis, Rodríguez & Mamani, 2020

Rodríguez, Lily O. & Mamani, Luis, 2020, A new species of Petracola (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae) from Río Abiseo National Park, San Martín, Peru, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (e 227) 14 (1), pp. 140-146 : 141-144

Petracola pajatensis sp. nov.

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Holotype. MUSM 3829 , adult male ( Figs. 1–2 ) from Los Chochos , Rio Abiseo National Park , Provincia Mariscal Cáceres, Departamento San Martín, Peru, approximately 3,230 m asl, 18 km airline from Pataz (7°38’13”S, 77°28’80”W), collected by Lily O. Rodriguez on 12 July 1987.

Paratypes. Three adult females ( MUSM 3830 [ Fig. 2 ], 15986–87), and one subadult male ( MUSM 15985 ), same data as holotype .

Diagnosis. (1) Frontonasal and frontal scales sub-equal; (2) nasoloreal suture present, loreal scale not in contact with supralabials; (3) supraoculars two; (4) superciliaries two, discontinuous, first expanded onto dorsal surface of head; (5) postoculars two; (6) palpebral disc divided in two; (7) three supralabials anterior to the posteroventral angle of subocular; (8) two pairs of genials in contact; (9) dorsal body scales quadrangular, smooth, juxtaposed; (10) transverse dorsal rows 33–35; (11) transversal ventral rows 20–22; (12) a continuous series of small lateral scales separates dorsals from ventrals; (13) posterior cloacal plate scales 2–5; (14) anterior preanal plate scales paired; (15) femoral pores per hind limb in males 6–8, in females three; (16) preanal pores absent; (17) subdigital lamellae on finger IV eight; (18) limbs not overlapping when adpressed against body on adults; (19) pentadactyl, digits clawed; (20) coloration in liquid preservative: in males, dorsum is light-brown with numerous irregular dark-brown spots and venter is dark-brown with some small cream spots on their flanks; in females, dorsum is light-brown with some and irregular dark-brown spots, venter is brown with cream spots that form discontinuous transversal bands from the chest to the anal plate ( Fig. 3 ).

Petracola pajatensis sp. nov. can be distinguished from P. angustisoma by having a robust body, two discontinuous superciliaries, 6–8 femoral pores per hind limb in males, maximum SVL in males 60.5 mm, dorsum is light-brown with irregular dark brown spots not forming longitudinal stripes, venter is brown in preservative (gracile body, three discontinuous superciliaries, nine femoral pores per hind limb in males, maximum SVL in males 43.6 mm, dorsum is brown or olive with seven discontinuous dark brown longitudinal stripes, venter is white with black semicircular black spots on anterior margin of scales); from P. labioocularis by having two supraoculars, absence of precloacal pores, and two pairs of genials in contact (three supraoculars, presence of precloacal pores, and usually three pairs of genials in contact); from P. ventrimaculatus by having 6–8 femoral pores in males, in preservative the venter in males is dark brown with small lateral cream spots, in females it is a combination of cream with brown forming longitudinal bands, and maximum SVL in males 60 mm (2–5 femoral pores in males, in males and females the venter is cream with a bold black transversal band, and maximum SVL in males 71.05 mm); from P. waka by having two discontinuous superciliaries, two genials in contact, and venter in males is a dark brown with lateral cream spots, in females the venter is a combination of cream with brown forming a longitudinal band (four continuous superciliaries, three genials in contact, and the venter in males is white to pale yellow with brown spots).

Description of the holotype. Adult male, snout-vent length ( SVL) 60.5 mm, tail length 76.8 mm, head scales smooth, rounded in lateral and ventral views, without striations or rugosities; rostral scale wider than tall, in contact with frontonasal, nasals, and first supralabials; frontonasal longer that wide, longer that the frontal scale, widest posteriorly, in contact with rostral, nasal, first superciliary, and frontal; prefrontal absent; frontal longer that wide, pentagonal, in contact with first superciliary, first supraocular, and frontoparietal; frontoparietal paired, polygonal (hexagonal), in contact with frontal, supraoculars, parietals, and interparietals; supraoculars two, the first separates the first and second superciliaries, in contact with superciliaries, frontal, frontoparietals, interparietal, and postoculars; parietals longer than wide, polygonal (irregular hexagon), in contact with frontoparietals and supraoculars anteriorly, with interparietal, and temporals laterally, and with postparietals posteriorly; interparietal polygonal (hexagonal), in contact with frontoparietals anteriorly, with parietals laterally, and with postparietal posteriorly; postparietals paired, smaller than parietals, and polygonal. Nasal scale divided, longer than high, in contact with first supralabials; loreal scale present on the left side, nasoloreal suture incomplete on the right side, not in contact with the supralabials; two superciliaries, discontinuous, and first expanded onto the dorsal surface of the head; two preoculars; frenocular fused with the first subocular only on the right side; palpebral disc transparent and divided in two; three suboculars, on the right side the first subocular is fused with the frenocular; two postoculars; temporals smooth, polygonal; three supralabials anterior to posteroventral angle of suboculars. Mental wider than long, in contact with first infralabials and postmental posteriorly; postmental single, polygonal (irregular heptagonal), in contact with the first and second infralabials, and the first pair of genials; 3/2 genials, on right and left sides respectively, all in contact medially, the first genial on right side is divided; three transversal rows of pregular scales; six gular scale rows, polygonal, and smooth. Dorsal scales rectangular, longer that wide, juxtaposed, smooth, 33 transverse rows; 21 longitudinal dorsal scale rows at midbody; a continuous series of small lateral scales; reduced scales at limb insertion region present; 21 transverse ventral scale rows; 10 longitudinal ventral scale rows at midbody, the lateral scales are slightly smaller; anterior preanal plate scales paired; three posterior preanal plate scales, and a small and polygonal scale lies between the anterior and posterior preanal plate scales; scales on the tail rectangular, juxtaposed, and smooth; ventral scales quadrangular, juxtaposed, and smooth. Limbs pentadactyl; digits clawed; dorsal brachial scales polygonal, subimbricate, and smooth; ventral brachial scales rounded, subimbricate, and smooth; dorsal antebrachial scales polygonal, smooth; ventral antebrachial scales polygonal, smooth, smaller than dorsal; dorsal manus scales polygonal, smooth, subimbricate; palmar scales small, rounded, juxtaposed, and domelike; dorsal scales on fingers smooth, quadrangular, imbricate, three on finger I, five on II, six on III, five on IV, and four on V; scales on anterodorsal surface of thigh polygonal, smooth, subimbricate; scales on posterior surface of thigh small, rounded, and juxtaposed; scales on ventral surface of thigh small, polygonal and juxtaposed; six femoral pores on left thigh and seven on right; scales on anterior surface of crus polygonal, smooth, juxtaposed, decreasing in size distally; scales on posterodorsal surface of crus smooth, polygonal, juxtaposed; scales on ventral surface of crus polygonal, enlarged, smooth, and subimbricate; scales on dorsal surface of toes polygonal, smooth, and subimbricate; scales on ventral surface of toes rounded, small, and domelike; dorsal scales of toes smooth, imbricate, two on toe I, five on toe II, seven on toe III, ten on toe IV, and six on toe V.

Coloration

In preservative. Petracola pajatensis sp. nov. exhibits a variable coloration in adults of both sexes. The males ( Fig. 1 ) have a light-brown dorsum with numerous and irregular dark-brown spots, with a cream continuous dorsolateral line on both sides of the body that starts from the back of the eye to the tail. This cream line is bordered on both sides by a continuous dark-brown line; the venter is dark-brown with some small cream spots on their flanks. The females ( Fig. 3 ) have a light-brown dorsum with some irregular dark-brown spots, with a cream discontinuous dorsolateral line on both sides of the body that starts from the back of the eye to the tail; the venter is brown with cream spots that form continuous longitudinal bands from the chest to the anal plate; the neck and chin are a combination of cream and brown.

In life. Based on unvouchered specimens, the dorsal coloration is brown with irregular dark spots distributed irregularly, the dorsolateral lines are obscure, and the flanks have more dark spots than the dorsum ( Fig. 4 ).

Variation

Considerable variation is evident in the position and form of the loreal scale. The loreal scale can be incomplete, tiny, or enlarged; and can be separating, or not, the first superciliary and nasal scale; in the holotype ( MUSM 3829) the right scale is incomplete and the left does not separate the nasal and first superciliary, while in three paratypes ( MUSM 3830, 15985–6) the loreal scale separated the nasal and first superciliary; and in one paratype ( MUSM 15987) the first superciliary and nasal are in contact on both sides ( Figs. 2 , 5 ). Variation in meristic characters is shown in Table 1 . No evidence of sexual dimorphism exists in the scutellation, except for the larger number of and better developed femoral pores in males.

Etymology

The specific epithet is an adjective that recognizes Gran Pajatén archaeological remains, which, like Petracola pajatensis sp. nov., occurs in Río Abiseo National Park.

Habitat, Ecological Notes, and Distribution

The holotype was taken from the ground in grassland, in a rocky area dominated by bunchgrasses of Calamagrostis sp. , Festuca sp. , Cortaderla sp., and Stipa sp. ( Fig. 6 ). The habitat of Petracola pajatensis sp. nov. was previously disturbed through overgrazing and is currently undergoing secondary succession, including scattered shrubs ( Baccharis ). Multiple nest deposition sites contained elliptical egg shells (9.5–11.0 mm). The new species is known only from Los Chochos, a small valley on the western slopes of the Cordillera Oriental, south of the Huancabamba Depression, approximately 100 km south of the localities of P. ventrimaculatus ( Fig. 7 ).

Figures

Fig. 1. Holotype of Petracola pajatensis sp. nov. (MUSM 3829; male, SVL = 60.5, Tail = 76.8 mm, scale bar = 10 mm).

Fig. 2. Dorsal, lateral, and ventral views of head of the holotype (MUSM 3829).

Fig. 3. Dorsal and ventral views of the paratype of Petracola pajatensis sp. nov. (MUSM 3830; female, SVL = 65.1, Tail = 64.3 mm).

Fig. 4. Dorsolateral view of unvouchered living specimen from Los Chochos. Photo by Ken R. Young.

Fig. 5. Drawings of the right side showing the condition of loreal scales in Petracola pajatensis sp. nov. A) MUSM 3829, B) MUSM 3830.

Fig. 6. Type locality of Petracola pajatensis sp. nov. Photo by Ken R. Young.

Fig. 7. Locations of the type localities of the species of Petracola (P. angustisoma = circle, P. ventrimaculatus = square, P. waka = diamond, P. labioocularis = triangle, P. pajatensis sp. nov. = star). Sources: Echevarría and Venegas (2015), Echevarría (2014), Kizirian et al. (2008), and Köhler and Lehr (2004).