Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Responsive image
Issue: Vol. 5418 No. 4: 1 Mar. 2024
Type: Article
Published: 2024-03-01
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5418.4.1
Page range: 301-327
Abstract views: 39
PDF downloaded: 3

A new dwarf gecko of the genus Pseudogonatodes (Squamata: Sphaerodactylidae) from the eastern slope of the Andean Cordillera de Mérida in northern South America

Laboratório de Herpetologia; Coordenação de Zoologia; Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi; Belém; Pará; Brazil; Museo de Historia Natural La Salle; Fundación La Salle de Ciencias Naturales; Caracas; Distrito Capital; Venezuela
Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change; Museum Koenig; Bonn; Germany
Departamento de Zoología; Universidad de Sevilla; Sevilla; Spain
Laboratório de Herpetologia; Coordenação de Zoologia; Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi; Belém; Pará; Brazil
Reptilia Gekkota lizard Neotropics new species osteology reptile Venezuela

Abstract

Pseudogonatodes is a poorly known genus of small bodied, diurnal, ground-dwelling geckos widely distributed in northern South America. No additional species have been described in over two decades. Herein we describe a new species from the eastern slope of the Cordillera de Mérida in the Venezuelan Andes. The new species is readily diagnosable morphologically from the other seven recognized species of Pseudogonatodes by having a single postnasal scale—a putative autapomorphy. Furthermore, it is characterized by a unique combination of phenotypic characters that includes granular dorsal scales, three large postrostrals, five to six loreals, mental U-shaped, four to six postmentals, 26–29 ventrals between anterior levels of fore- and hind limbs, third lamella under fourth toe not distinctly enlarged, and subcaudal pattern 1’1”. In addition to characterizing the external morphology, we present a description of the skull, based on 3D digital models reconstructed from high resolution computed microtomography scans. The discovery of this new species highlights the still underestimated diversity of this group of Neotropical dwarf geckos and underscores the need for further studies on its systematics and taxonomy.

 

References

  1. Ataroff, M. & Sarmiento, L. (2004) Las unidades ecológicas de los Andes de Venezuela. In: La Marca, E. & Soriano, P.J. (Eds.), Reptiles de los Andes de Venezuela. Fundación Polar, Conservación Internacional, Codepre-ULA, Fundacite Mérida, Biogeos. Mérida, pp. 9–26.
  2. Avila-Pires, T.C.S. (1995) Lizards of Brazilian Amazonia (Reptilia: Squamata). Zoologische Verhandelingen, 299 (1), 1–706.
  3. Avila-Pires, T.C.S. & Hoogmoed, M.S. (2000) On two new species of Pseudogonatodes Ruthven, 1915 (Reptilia: Squamata: Gekkonidae), with remarks on the distribution of some other sphaerodactyl lizards. Zoologische Mededelingen, 73 (12), 209–223.
  4. Bauer, A.M., Beach-Mehrotra, M., Bermudez, Y., Clark, G.E., Daza, J.D., Glynne, E., Hagyari, D., Harnden, J.M., Holovacs, N., Kanasiro, A., Lofthus, A.J., Pierce, Z.W., Aaliyah, R., Syed, S., Vallejo-Pareja, M.C., Walker, B.A. & Willett, J. (2018) The tiny skull of the Peruvian gecko Pseudogonatodes barbouri (Gekkota: Sphaerodactylidae) obtained via a divide-and-conquer approach to morphological data acquisition. South American Journal of Herpetology, 13 (2), 102–116. https://doi.org/10.2994/SAJH-D-17-00113.1
  5. Castellanos-Montero, M.C. & Rojas-Runjaic, F.J.M. (2022) Mannophryne cordilleriana. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 2022, e.T55243A198637247. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T55243A198637247.en
  6. Daza, J.D., Abdala, V., Thomas, R. & Bauer, A.M. (2008) Skull anatomy of the miniaturized gecko Sphaerodactylus roosevelti (Squamata: Gekkota). Journal of Morphology, 269 (11), 1340–1364. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmor.10664
  7. Dixon, J.R. & Soini, P. (1975) The reptiles of the upper Amazon Basin, Iquitos region, Peru. Part 1. Lizards and Amphisbaenians. Milwaukee Public Museum. Contributions in Biology and Geology, 4, 1–58.
  8. Esqueda, L.F., Lotzkat, S., Hertz, A., Natera, M., Valera-Leal, J., La Marca, E., Rojas-Runjaic, F.J.M. & Rivero, R. (2016) Morphological variation and geographic distribution of Pseudogonatodes lunulatus (Roux, 1927) (Sauria, Sphaerodactylidae) in Venezuela. Saber, 28 (1), 18–29.
  9. Evans, S.E. (2008) The skull of lizards and tuatara. In: Gans, C., Gaunt, S. & Adler, K. (Eds.), Biology of the Reptilia. Vol. 20. Morphology H: The Skull of Lepidosauria. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Ithaca, New York, pp. 1–347.
  10. Gamble, T., Daza, J.D., Colli, G.R., Vitt, L.J. & Bauer, A.M. (2011a) A new genus of miniaturized and pug-nosed gecko from South America (Sphaerodactylidae: Gekkota). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 163 (4), 1244–1266. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.2011.00741.x
  11. Gamble, T., Bauer, A.M., Colli, G.R., Greenbaum, E., Jackman, T.R., Vitt, L.J. & Simmons, A.M. (2011b) Coming to America: multiple origins of New World geckos. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 24 (2), 231–244. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1420-9101.2010.02184.x
  12. GBIF.org (2023) GBIF Home Page. Available from: https://www.gbif.org (accessed 30 November 2023)
  13. Gorzula, S.J. & Señaris, J.C. (1999 “1998”) Contribution to the herpetofauna of the Venezuelan Guayana I. A data base. Scientia Guaianae, 8, 1–269.
  14. Hoogmoed, M.S. (1973) Notes on the herpetofauna of Surinam IV. The lizards and amphisbaenians of Surinam. Biogeographica. Springer, Dordrecht, 425 pp. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-2706-9
  15. Huey, R.B. & Dixon, J.R. (1970) A new Pseudogonatodes from Peru with remarks on other species of the genus. Copeia, 3 (1970), 538–542. https://doi.org/10.2307/1442282
  16. IUCN (2019) Guidelines for using the IUCN Red List categories and criteria. Version 15.4. Prepared by the Standards and Petitions Committee. Available from: http://www.iucnredlist.org/documents/RedListGuidelines.pdf (accessed 31 March 2023).
  17. Koch, C., Venegas, P.J., Santa Cruz, R. & Böhme, W. (2018) Annotated checklist and key to the species of amphibians and reptiles inhabiting the northern Peruvian dry forest along the Andean valley of the Marañón River and its tributaries. Zootaxa, 4385 (1), 1–101. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4385.1.1
  18. Mechler, B. (1968) Les Geckonidés de la Colombie. Revue Suisse de Zoologie, 75, 305–372. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.part.97038
  19. Molina R., C.R. (2001) Geographic Distribution: Pseudogonatodes guianensis. Herpetological Review, 32 (3), 193.
  20. Montes-Correa, A.C., Saboyá-Acosta, L.P., Jiménez-Bolaño, J.D., Angarita-Sierra, T., Briceño-Pérez, V., Núñez, S., Renjifo, J.M., Schargel, W.E., Daza, J.D. & Hoogmoed, M.S. (2021) Extended diagnosis of the type species of Pseudogonatodes Ruthven 1915 (Gekkota: Sphaerodactylidae). Zootaxa, 4915 (1), 041–059. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4915.1.3
  21. Noble, G.K. (1921 “1920”) Some new lizards from northwestern Peru. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 29 (1), 133–139. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.1920.tb55353.x
  22. Parker, H.W. (1926) XL.—The Neotropical lizards of the genera Lepidoblepharis, Pseudogonatodes, Lathrogecko, and Sphærodactylus, with the description of a new genus. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Series 9, 17 (99), 291–301. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222932608633413
  23. Parker, H.W. (1935) The frogs, lizards, and snakes of British Guiana. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 105 (3), 505–530. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1935.tb01678.x
  24. Pyron, R.A., Burbrink, F.T. & Wiens, J.J. (2013) A phylogeny and revised classification of Squamata, including 4161 species of lizards and snakes. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 13, 93. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2148-13-93
  25. Ribeiro-Júnior (2015) Catalogue of distribution of lizards (Reptilia: Squamata) from the Brazilian Amazonia. II. Gekkonidae, Phyllodactylidae, Sphaerodactylidae. Zootaxa, 3981 (1), 1–55. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3981.1.1
  26. Roux, J. (1927) Contribution à l’erpétologie du Vénézuéla. Verhandlungen der Naturforschenden Gesellschaft in Basel, 38, 252–261.
  27. Rueda-Solano, L.A., Rocha-Usuga, A., Eguis-Avendaño, J. & Vargas-Salinas, F. (2014) New records of the Colombian clawed gecko Pseudogonatodes furvus (Ruthven 1915) (Sauria: Sphaerodactylidae) in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia. Herpetology Notes, 7, 609–610.
  28. Ruthven, A.G. (1915) Description of a new genus and species of lizard of the family Gekkonidae. Occasional Papers of the Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, 19, 1–3.
  29. Torres-Carvajal, O., Pazmiño-Otamendi, G., Ayala-Varela, F. & Salazar-Valenzuela, D. (2023) Reptiles del Ecuador. Versión 2023.1. Museo de Zoología, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador. Available from: https://bioweb.bio/faunaweb/reptiliaweb (accessed 30 November 2023)
  30. Uetz, P., Freed, P., Aguilar, R., Reyes, F. & Hošek, J. (Eds.) (2022) The Reptile Database. Available from: http://www.reptile-database.org (accessed 24 March 2023)
  31. Vanzolini, P.E. (1967) Sôbre o gênero Pseudogonatodes, com a descrição de uma espécie nova da Amazônia (Sauria, Gekkonidae). Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia, 21, 1–12.