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Short Communications SALAMANDRA 43 1 49-51 Rheinbach, 20 February 2007 ISSN 0036-3375 Th e hemipenis of Opipeuter xestus (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae) Gunther Köhler & Milan Veselý Abstract. Th e everted hemipenis of Opipeuter xestus is described and illustrated. At the median welt se- veral enlarged spines are present, a feature absent in the known hemipenes of the other gymnophthalmid genera. Key words. Reptilia, Squamata, Gymnophthalmidae, Opipeuter xestus, hemipenis morphology. Uzzell (969) described the new genus and Gymnophthalmidae, the hemipenis has the species Opipeuter xestus from “Incachaca, potential to be a rich source of data for taxo- Cochabamba, Bolivia”. He diff erentiated his nomic and possibly also for phylogenetic in- new taxon from all other gymnophthalmids formation. Th e available data on gymnoph- (=microteiids) by the combination of smooth thalmid hemipenis variation indicates a wide body scales, the large, nearly circular, undi- range of interspecifi c variation and little in- vided transparent disc in the lower eylid, traspecifi c variation (Presch 978, Kizirian and the distinctive hemipenis morphology. 996, Köhler & Lehr 2004). Uzzell (969) had no specimen of O. xestus We have started a study on the morpho- with everted hemipenis at hand, so he had to logical variation and distribution of O. xestus rely on information generated from the dis- and have examined 24 Bolivian specimens section of inverted hemipenes. Since its origi- of this species from the following museum nal description, O. xestus has received little at- collections: Florida Museum of Natural His- tention and is only mentioned briefl y in some tory, University of Florida: UF 30008-20, checklists and accounts (Köhler et al. 995, Departamento de Cochabamba, 6 km NNE Dirksen & De la Riva 999, Pincheira- Puna, 2800 m; Zoologische Staatssammlung Donoso 2002) and in a recent paper dealing München: ZSM 5/940-, Departamento with the taxonomy of the supposedly closely de Cochabamba, Yungas del Palmar; Zo- related genera Euspondylus and Proctoporus ologisches Forschungsmuseum A. Koenig: (Köhler & Lehr 2004). Cei (993) provided ZFMK 5784-42, 6084, Departamento data on the external morphology and natu- de Cochabamba, Sehuencas, 2200 m; For- ral history of Opipeuter xestus in northern schungsinstitut und Naturmuseum Senck- Argentina, as well as drawings of a portion enberg: SMF 884, Departamento de Santa of the inverted hemipenis based on photo- Cruz, Remates, 2300 m. Th is study is an on- graphs in Uzzell (969). Descriptions of the going eff ort and its results will be published hemipenial morphology for eight gymnoph- elsewhere. In the collection of the Florida thalmid species were provided by Presch Museum of Natural History, University of (978), and Kizirian (996) described and Florida, we came across an adult male of O. illustrated the hemipenes of most Ecuadori- xestus (UF 3002) with almost completely an species of Riama (formerly Proctoporus). everted hemipenes. To provide a description However, the everted hemipenis of O. xestus and illustration of the hemipenis, we sepa- has not been described nor illustrated. In the rated one of them, along with its retractor 49 Short Communications Fig. 1. Left hemipenis of Opipeuter xestus (UF 130012): (a) sulcate view, (b) asulcate view. Scale bar = 1.0 mm. muscle, from the specimen. Terminology for truncus, on the median welt, are four large hemipenial morphology follows that of Sav- hard spines arranged in a single row on each age (997). side of the sulcus spermaticus, the spines in- UF 3002 has a snout-vent length of 43 creasing in size laterally. Th e tips of the two mm and fi ts well the description for O. xes- outer spines bear a small fl ap-like membrane. tus given by Uzzell (969). It has a large, On the asulcate side of the basal part of the nearly circular, undivided transparent disc in apex there is a bulging processus with a patch the lower eyelid; smooth dorsal scales, 44 in of fl ounces bearing calcifi ed spinules; the a longitudinal count at midbody; some mid- fl ounces are oriented vertically and are ar- dorsal scales irregularly arranged; complete ranged in three horizontal rows. Th ere are longitudinal ventral count 28; eight longitu- fi ve rows of fl ounces on each lobe; the lower dinal ventral scale rows at midbody; 24 scales two obliquely encircling the lobe, the other around midbody; 4 subdigital lamellae un- three more or less oriented longitudinally. der fourth fi nger; 20 subdigital lamellae un- Our observations diff er in several details der fourth toe; two anterior preanal plates; from the description Uzzell (969) provided three posterior preanal plates; fi ve femoral from an opened inverted hemipenis. Uzzell pores on each thigh. (969:0) described and illustrated two sets Th e almost completely everted, left hemi- of fl ounces forming two chevrons. Th e diff er- penis of UF 3002 (Fig. ) is a stout capitate ent arrangement of fl ounces in our specimen organ with a medial welt; the apex consists probably refl ects the everted versus invert- of two lobes, only one of which is fully evert- ed condition of the organ. Our description ed. Th e single sulcus spermaticus is bordered agrees with that of Uzzell (969) in the pres- by well-developed sulcal lips and ends at the ence of a series of enlarged spines on the me- base of the apex. On the upper portion of the dian welt. In Uzzell’s specimen those spines 50 Short Communications are more numerous (“three spines along the Dirksen, L. & I. De la Riva (999): Th e lizards lateral edge of the sulcus, fi ve along the me- and amphisbaenians of Bolivia (Reptilia, Squa- dial edge”; Uzzell 969:3) and arranged in mata): checklist, localities, and bibliography. two rows. More research is needed to evaluate – Graellsia, 55: 99-25. whether these diff erences refl ect individual Kizirian, D. A. (996): A review of Ecuadorian or geographic variation in this taxon. Th ere Proctoporus (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae) remains the possibility of cryptic species with descriptions of nine new species. – Her- petological Monographs, 0: 85-55. among the various populations of Opipeuter. As far as is known, the presence of enlarged Köhler, G. & E. Lehr (2004): Comments on Eus- spines is a unique characteristic of Opipeuter pondylus and Proctoporus (Squamata: Gymno- phthalmidae) from Peru, with the description and absent in other gymnophthalmid gen- of three new species and a key to the Peruvian era (Uzzell 969, Kizirian 996, Köhler & species. – Herpetologica, 60: 0-8. Lehr 2004). Köhler, J., L. Dirksen, P. L. Ibisch, G. Rauer, D. Rudolph & W. Böhme (995): Zur Herpeto- fauna des Sehuencas-Bergregenwaldes im Car- Acknowledgements rasco-Nationalpark, Bolivien. – Herpetofauna, 7 (96): 2-25. For the loan of or access to specimens we thank W. King and K. Krysko (UF), W. Böhme (ZFMK), Pincheira-Donoso, D. (2002): Lista sistemática F. Glaw and D. Fuchs (ZSM). T. Uzzell provi- de los reptiles de Bolivia. – Noticiario Mensual ded helpful comments on a previous version of the del Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, Santi- manuscript. ago, Chile, 350: 8-27. Presch, W. (978): Descriptions of the hemipenial morphology in eight species of the microteiid References lizards (family Teiidae, subfamily Gymnoph- thalminae). – Herpetologica, 34: 08-2. Cei, J. M. (993): Reptiles del noroeste, nordeste Savage, J. M. (997): On terminology for the de- y este de la Argentina: herpetofauna de las sel- scription of the hemipenes of squamate repti- vas subtropicales, puna y pampas. Museo Regi- les. – Herpetological Journal, 7: 23-25. onale di Scienze Naturali, Torino. Monografi e XIV. Uzzell, T. (969): A new genus and species of tei- id lizard from Boliva. – Postilla, 29: -5. Manuscript received: 26 June 2006 Authors’ addresses: Gunther Köhler, Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum Senckenberg, Sektion Herpetologie, Senckenberganlage 25, D-60325 Frankfurt a.M., Germany, E-Mail: gkoehler@senckenberg. de; Milan Veselý, DepartmentDepartment ofof ZZoology,oology, FacultyFaculty ooff NNaturalatural SSciences,ciences, PPalackýalacký UUniversity,niversity, tѓtѓ.. SSvobodyvobody 26, CR-77146 Olomouc, Czech Republic. 51.