A new microteiid lizard of the genus Acratosaura (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae) from Serra do Sincorá, State of Bahia, Brazil

Abstract

A new species of the genus Acratosaura is described on the basis of two specimens obtained at the “campos rupestres” (rocky meadows) near Mucugê municipality, state of Bahia, Brazil. Acratosaura spinosa sp. nov., has ear openings and eyelids, pentadactyl limbs lacking a claw on first toe, a single frontonasal, prefrontals, frontoparietals, parietals, interparietals, occipitals, no collar fold, three pairs of genials, three supraoculars and three superciliaries and is further characterized by presenting 28–31 rows of strongly keeled, lanceolate and imbricate dorsal scales, sides of the neck with keeled scales, striate temporal scales, four longitudinal and 17–18 transverse rows of smooth ventral scales, 28–30 scales around the body, 14 and 19–20 infradigital lamellae under finger IV and toe IV, respectively, 13 total preanal and femoral pores in male, absent in female. The new species differs strikingly in color pattern from its only congener A. mentalis. The two species occur sympatricaly in the high altitude open habitats near the type locality.

Description and phylogenetic relationships of a new genus and two new species of lizards from Brazilian Amazonia, with nomenclatural comments on the taxonomy of Gymnophthalmidae (Reptilia: Squamata)

“…It also differs from all other gymnophthalmid genera, except Iphisa, by the presence of only two longitudinal rows of ventrals. The following morphological characters ally Rondonops to Alexandresaurus, Iphisa, Colobosaura, Acratosaura, Stenolepis, Caparaonia, Colobodactylus, and Heterodactylus: interclavicle cruciform, with central area extremely reduced; lateral process of interclavicle long, straight, and pointed; glossohyal fused to basihyal; nasals in narrow contact with premaxilla, wide, divergent, and in contact at midline, but broadly separated anteriorly by the subtriangular lamina of premaxillary; first finger reduced (lost in Heterodactylus and Colobodactylus), without a claw (Rodrigues et al 2009a). As currently defined, the Chirocolini (former Heterodactylini) contains Caparaonia, Colobodactylus, and Heterodactylus, whereas Alexandresaurus, Acratosaura, Colobosaura, Iphisa, and Stenolepis belong to the Iphisini (Rodrigues et al 2009a).…”

“…All species are small-bodied (e.g., Avila-Pires 1995;Vitt & Caldwell 2009) and many have small geographic ranges, such as the sand dunes in the São Francisco Basin in Brazil (Rodrigues 1996). Finally, several species have recently been described from the Atlantic Forest (Rodrigues & Borges 1997;Rodrigues et al , 2009b and Cerrado biodiversity hotspots (Rodrigues et al 2007a(Rodrigues et al , 2008(Rodrigues et al , 2009aTeixeira et al 2013b), as well as from the Amazon basin Rodrigues & Avila-Pires 2005;Teixeira et al 2013a). Among the 246 recognized species of Gymnophthalmidae, 63 (26%) were described since 2000 (Uetz et al 2007).…”

Range extension, new state record and geographic distribution map of Acratosaura mentalis (Amaral, 1933) (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae)

“…The gymnophthalmid genus Acratosaura currently comprises two species (Rodrigues et al 2009): A. mentalis (Amaral, 1933) and A. spinosa Rodrigues, Cassimiro, Freitas and Silva, 2009. Acratosaura mentalis (Figure 1) was described by Amaral (1933) as Colobosaura mentalis based on specimens from the municipality of Vila Novanow Senhor do Bonfim -state of Bahia, Brazil.…”

“…The new records reported here are an important contribution to the knowledge about the distribution and conservation of A. mentalis in the Caatinga region of northeastern Brazil. (Rodrigues et al 2009), 2. Diamantina (Rodrigues et al 2009), 3.…”

“…Cristália (Rodrigues et al 2009), 5. Grão Mogol (Rodrigues et al 2009), 6. Parque Nacional do Peruaçu (Rodrigues et al 2009); Bahia (BA): 7.…”