Herpetology Notes, volume 8: 625-628 (2015) (published online on 20 December 2015)
Reptilia, Squamata, Gymnophthalmidae, Potamites erythrocularis Chávez & Catenazzi, 2014: Distribution extension
Juan C. Chávez-Arribasplata1,*, Vilma Duran2, and Germán Chávez3
The neotropical family Gymnophthalmidae Merrem, 1820 comprises 36 genera that occur from Mexico to Argentina (Goicoechea et al., 2012). This highly diversified family includes the semi-aquatic lizard genus Potamites Doan & Castoe, 2005, which currently comprises eight species distributed from western Costa Rica and Panama to the Amazonian forests of Bolivia (Chávez and Catenazzi, 2014). Likewise, with five species Peru is the country with the highest diversity within this genus: P. flavogularis Altamirano-Benavides, Zaher, Lobo, Grazziotin, Sales Nunes and Rodrigues, 2013; P. ecpleopus Cope 1876, P. montanicola Chavez y Vasquez, 2012; P. strangulatus Cope, 1868; and P. erythrocularis Chavez and Catenazzi, 2014. Most of them are distributed in the Amazonian lowlands (Doan and Castoe, 2005; Chávez and Catenazzi, 2014; Chávez and Vásquez, 2012; Uzell, 1996). Only two species: P. montanicola and P. erythrocularis have been recorded in montane streams above 2000 meters of elevation, being this, an extreme environment condition for lizards due to the relatively low temperatures of the water bodies (Chávez and Catenazzi, 2014; Chávez and Vásquez, 2012) inhabited by both species. Rapid surveys carried out during 2013-2014 at the foothills of the Inambari river drainage (tributary of Madre de Dios river) three
Centro de Ornitología y Biodiversidad (CORBIDI). Av. Santa Rita 105, Urb. Los Huertos de San Antonio, Surco, Lima 33, Peru. 2 Centro de Ornitología y Biodiversidad (CORBIDI). Av. Santa Rita 105, Urb. Los Huertos de San Antonio, Surco, Lima 33, Peru. 3 Centro de Ornitología y Biodiversidad (CORBIDI). Av. Santa Rita 105, Urb. Los Huertos de San Antonio, Surco, Lima 33, Peru. 7 * Corresponding author e-mail:
[email protected]
individuals of Potamites erythrocularis were recorded, representing the first record outside of the localities where the type series was collected. A young female of Potamites erythrocularis (CORBIDI 13548) was found at El Parador, Inambari, 8.64 Km SE of Puerto Carlos (S 12.9699, W 70.2323; 266m) at 21:30 on 30 September 2013 by José Malqui and Germán Chávez. It was catched in the leaf-litter alongside a slow flowing stream 2-2.5 m in width. The stream drained a closed canopy primary forest with riparian vegetation of ferns, lichens, plants of the family Heliconaceae and Asteraceae and trees of the family Fabaceae. An adult male (CORBIDI 15152) was also found at the locality of El Parador (S 12.9804, W 70.2362; 253m) at 00:32 on 5 November 2014 by Juan C. Chávez-Arribasplata and Vilma Duran. It was detected under a piece of dry
1
Figure 1. Map of south-eastern Peru showing the new distribution records (red dot) compared with the type locality of Potamites erythrocularis (green dots) reported by Chávez and Catenazzi (2014).
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Table 1. Morphometric and pholidosis data of the P. erythrocularis specimens examined by Chávez & Catenazzi, 2014 in comparison to the newly found specimens.
Character
Type series (Chavez & Catenazzi, 2014) n=15
CORBIDI 13548 (female)
CORBIDI 15152 (male)
CORBIDI 15153 (juvenile)
SVL (mm)
male 84.3–83.6 (74.7 ± 8.0) females 61.1–70.9 (66.8 ± 3.2)
42.9
81.2
35.0
Head length / Head width
males 1.5–1.8 (1.5 ± 0.1) females 1.6–1.8 (1.7 ± 0.1)
1.7
1.5
1.66
Number of femoral pores
males 20–21 (20.33 ± 0.51) females 0 (0.00 ± 0.00)
0
20
0
Scales between tympanum
24–29 (25.7 ± 1.3)
24
23
23
Number of supralabials
5–6 (5.1 ± 0.2)
6
6
6
Number of infralabials
4–5 (4.1 ± 0.2)
5
5
5
Number of supraoculars
4 (4.00 ± 0.00)
4
4
4
Number of superciliars
4–5 (4.2 ± 0.4)
4
4
5
Number of scales around midbody
42–45 (43.3 ± 1.2)
46
45
46
Longitudinal dorsal count
30–33 (31.7 ± 0.9)
30
29
35
Number of longitudinal ventral scales rows
22–24 (23.4 ± 0.6)
24
23
24
Lamellae under fourth toe
20–24 (21.8 ± 1.2)
23
24
24
wood on the beach of a low flowing stream with clear water and a sandy riverbed with some big rocks covered with moss. The stream was surrounded by secondary forest, with well developed shrubs, ferns and shaded by a dense forest canopy. At a nearby spot (240 m distance), a juvenile was detected (CORBIDI 15153) at 10:28 on 7 November 2014 by Juan C. Chávez-Arribasplata and
Figure 2. Habitat where the third juvenile specimen (CORBIDI 15153) was found.
Vilma Duran. The lizard was hiding under a rock at the bottom of the stream. At this spot, the stream follows a small curve surrounded by a rock and mud wall of about 3 meters height covered in mud, ferns, lichen, moss, with abundant leaf litter on each side of the stream, and 80% canopy cover. All specimens were collected on rainless days, however, heavy rains fell for at least 4 hours the days preceding our observations. Specimens have been deposited in the herpetological collection of the Centro de Ornitología y Biodiversidad (CORBIDI), in Lima, Peru. All specimens collected during our surveys agree with the description of Potamites erythrocularis presented by Chávez & Catenazzi (2014) showing the following typical characters: male having 20 femoral pores, scattered keeled scales, frontonasal undivided, female is lacking femoral pores. Furthermore, male (CORBIDI 15152) is bearing a red ring around the eye like the holotype (MUSM 28057) and shows a similar body length (SVL in male CORBIDI 15152=81.22 mm) as the specimen of the type series. Details of specimens’ measurements and squamation are presented in Table 1. Our new records extend the distribution range of Potamites erythrocularis by approximately 145 km southeast of the type locality in the Kosñipata valley
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Figure 3. Individuals of Potamites erythrocularis collected during the surveys: dorsal and ventral view of the adult male specimen CORBIDI 15152 (A, B), dorsal and ventral view of the young female specimen CORBIDI 13548 (B, C), and dorsal and ventral view of the third specimen CORBIDI 15153 female (E, F).
near Manu National Park, Cusco Region, and confirm the occurrence of this semi aquatic lizard in the Inambari river drainage, Tambopata, Madre de Dios Region, Peru. Furthermore, it provides a new altitude record for the species, 750 m below the minimum altitude reported by Chávez and Catenazzi, 2014 (1000m). Further studies should be undertaken to determine whether the species
also occurs in Bahuaja Sonene National Park, which is only about 16 Km far from the new localities, presented herein. Acknowledgments. We thank to Asociacion para la Conservacion de la Cuenca Amazonica (ACCA) and Asociacion para la Resiliencia del Bosque frente a la Interoceanica (ARBIO) by all
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logistic support for the fieldworks. GC is indebted to Tatiana Espinosa (ARBIO´s staff) by her trust for the fieldworks. As well, we thank to Caterina H. Cosmópolis for her value help with geographical data and designing the map. This project was funded by Gordon and Betty Moore fund and USAID.
References Chávez, G. and A. Catenazzi. (2014): A new Andean lizard of the genus Potamites (Sauria, Gymophthalmidae) from Manu National Park, southeastern Peru. Zootaxa 3774 (1): 045-056. Chávez, G. and D. Vasquez. (2012): A new species of Andean semiaquatic lizard of the genus Potamites (Sauria, Gymnophthalmidae) from southern Peru. Zookeys 168: 31–43. Goicoechea, N., J. Padial, J. Chaparro, S. Castroviejo-Fisher and I. De la Riva. (2012): Molecular phylogenetics, species diversity, and biogeography of the Andean lizards of the genus Proctoporus (Squamata, Gymophthalmidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 65: 953 – 964. Doan, T. and T. Castoe. (2005): Phylogenetic taxonomy of the Cercosaurini (Squamata, Gymophthalmidae), with a new genera for species of Neusticurus and Proctoporus. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 143: 405-416. Uzell, T. (1996): Teiid lizards of the genus Neusticurus (Reptilia: Sauria). Bulletin of the American Museum of the Natural History 132: 227–377.
Accepted by Mirco Solé
