Lepidothyris fernandi harlani (Hallowell, 1844)

Wagner, Philipp, Böhme, Wolfgang, Pauwels, Olivier S. G. & Schmitz, Andreas, 2009, A review of the African red – flanked skinks of the Lygosoma fernandi (BURTON, 1836) species group (Squamata: Scincidae) and the role of climate change in their speciation., Zootaxa 2050, pp. 1-30 : 9

Lepidothyris fernandi harlani (Hallowell, 1844)

1844 Plestiodon harlani Hallowell, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. , p. 170. Type locality: Liberia. 1885 Tiliqua nigripes Müller, Verh. Ges. Basel , VII, p. 704. Type locality: Gold Coast.

This taxon was described by Hallowell (1844) from Liberia and later regarded as a synonym of L. fernandi by several authors (e.g. Boulenger 1887; Schmidt 1919; Taylor & Weyer 1958). We found differences in colouration, scale counts and genetics and regard it as a valid subspecies of L. fernandi .

Diagnosis: Differs from the nominat form in having more scales around midbody, invariably 34 instead of 31 to 34; head only sparsely set off from body, shorter than in nominate form; and in the very different colouration.

Colouration. Head and back red–brown to orange; colour changing in the first third of the tail to brown; supralabial scales red–orange, sublabial scales black with a white dot on each scale; lateral body colouration between ear opening and forelegs dark without visible bars; in average, nine to ten dark bars between the limbs on the lateral sides of the body (instead of more than ten in L. fernandi fernandi ), some of them ‘V’–shaped, on a red ground colour; dorsum is vividly red to red–orange, without darker shades; throat more or less dark striated, always lighter than in the nominat form; belly also with darker lines but always lighter than in L. fernandi fernandi ; ventral part of the tail creamish white with light black lines, lateral side of tail mottled white and black.

Size. The maximum snout–vent length of the analysed specimens is 154.0 mm, average is 122.8 mm.

Remarks. The species was named by Hallowell after his contemporary Dr. Harlan. The types were collected by the Dr. Goheen expedition and were put in the possession of Mr. J. J. Haldemann, Esq. of Columbia, Pennsylvania.