Short Communications

SALAMANDRA 43 1 49-51 Rheinbach, 20 February 2007 ISSN 0036-3375

Th e hemipenis of Opipeuter xestus (: )

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 and Gymnophthalmidae, the hemipenis has the 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 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, 6084, 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 884, 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 3002) 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

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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 3002 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 3002 (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 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: 99-25. 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 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 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, DDepartmentepartment ooff ZZoology,oology, FFacultyaculty ooff NNaturalatural SSciences,ciences, PPalackýalacký UUniversity,niversity, tѓtѓ.. SSvobodyvobody 26, CR-77146 Olomouc, Czech Republic.

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