Editorial Type:
Article Category: Research Article
 | 
Online Publication Date: 01 Mar 2016

A New Species of Abronia (Squamata: Anguidae) from the Sierra Madre del Sur of Oaxaca, Mexico

,
,
,
, and
Page Range: 149 – 156
DOI: 10.1670/14-162
Save
Download PDF

Abstract

A newly discovered species of arboreal alligator lizard of the genus Abronia is described from the Sierra Madre del Sur of Oaxaca, Mexico. It appears to be most closely related to A. mixteca and A. oaxacae, but differs from these species (and others in the subgenus Abronia) in a number of features, including the combination of having two primary temporals contacting the postocular series, the anterior superciliary contacting the cantholoreal, six to eight nuchals in a transverse row across the nape, minimally seven to eight scales between large nuchals and ventral scales on neck, and 32–35 transverse rows of dorsal scales. This new species is the only species of Abronia known from the central and western portions of the Sierra de Miahuatlán in the southern part of the Sierra Madre del Sur, although A. oaxacae occurs to the east in this range. Many of the arboreal and secretive species of Abronia have avoided discovery until relatively recently, with about a third of known species described in the last 3 decades.

Resumen

Se describe una nueva especie de lagartija lagarto arbórea del género Abronia de la Sierra Madre del Sur de Oaxaca, México. Parece estar más relacionada a A. mixteca y A. oaxacae, pero difiere de estas especies y de otras del subgénero Abronia en varios caracteres, incluyendo la combinación de tener dos temporales primarias contactando la serie postocular, la superciliar anterior en contacto con la cantoloreal, 6–8 nucales en hilera transversal sobre la nuca, un mínimo de 7–8 escamas entre las nucales grandes y las escamas ventrales del cuello, y 32–35 hileras transversales de escamas dorsales. Esta nueva especie es la única del género Abronia conocida de las porciones central y occidental de la Sierra de Miahuatlán en la región sur de la Sierra Madre del Sur, aunque A. oaxacae ocurre al oriente de esta serranía. Muchas de las especies de Abronia con hábitos secretos y arbóreos han evadido ser descubiertas hasta hace poco, aproximadamente una tercera parte de las especies han sido descritas en las últimas tres décadas.

Copyright: Copyright 2016 Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles 2016
<sc>Fig</sc> . 1
Fig . 1

Body (A) and head (B) of Abronia cuetzpali, holotype (MZFC 28761), adult male, 108 mm SVL, head length 27.1 mm.

<sc>Fig</sc> . 2
Fig . 2

Abronia cuetzpali, dorsal (A) and lateral (B) aspects of head of holotype (MZFC 28761); head length = 27.1 mm.

<sc>Fig</sc> . 3
Fig . 3

Body (A) and head (B) of Abronia cuetzpali, paratype (UTA R-61670), adult female, 114 mm SVL, head length 23.7 mm.

<sc>Fig</sc> . 4
Fig . 4

Abronia oaxacae, adult female from San Juan Tepeuxila, Oaxaca, Mexico. Image courtesy of Luis Canseco-Márquez.

<sc>Fig</sc> . 5
Fig . 5

Abronia mixteca, adult female from near Tejocotes, Oaxaca, Mexico, 2,377 m (UTA R-12138).

<sc>Fig. 6</sc>
Fig. 6

Variation of lateral neck scales of several species of Abronia in the deppii group. (A) A. cuetzpali, UTA R-61670. (B) A. mixteca, UTA R-19650. (C) A. oaxacae, UTA R-31197, exposed dark interstitial skin with tiny granules below the nuchals is typical of this species.

<sc>Fig</sc> . 7
Fig . 7

Habitat of A. cuetzpali, trail through forest 5.4 km east of Juquila, Sierra Madre del Sur, Oaxaca, Mexico, ca. 1,700 m. Photo by Carl Franklin.

<sc>Fig</sc> . 8
Fig . 8

Accumulation curve for descriptions of new Abronia species.

Contributor Notes

5 Corresponding Author. E-mail: Campbell@uta.edu
Accepted: 28 Jan 2015
  • Download PDF