Occasional Papers of the Museum of Zoology University of Michigan Annarbor, Miciiigan
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OCCASIONAL PAPERS OF THE MUSEUM OF ZOOLOGY UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN ANNARBOR, MICIIIGAN THE SPHAERODACTYLUS (SAURIA: GEKKONIDAE) OF MIDDLE AMERICA INTRODUCTION Splzaerodactylus is one of the most speciose genera of gekkonid lizards. It is confined to the Neotropics, and the majority of its divers- ity is found in the West Indies where approximately 69 species, and an additional 74 subspecies, have been well-documented (King, 1962; Schwartz, 1964, 1966, 1968, 1977; Schwartz and Garrido, 1981; Schwartz and Graham, 1980; Schwartz and Thomas, 1964, 1975, 1983; Schwartz, Thomas, and Ober, 1978; Thomas, 1964, 1975; Thomas and Schwartz, 1966a,b). The mainland radiation was poorly understood until 1982 when Harris published his revision of South American sphaerodactyls. No comprehensive study has yet been at- tempted for Middle American forms, and it remains the last area of taxonomic confusion in the genus. The number of taxa currently recognized in Middle America is not great (10 species according to Peters and Donoso-Barros [1970], Schwartz [1973], and Smith and Taylor [1950b, 19661); however, their geographic distribution and variation, and status as species or subspecies remain to be con- vincingly demonstrated. The Middle American sphaerodactyl fauna appears to be divisible into two geographical-historical components. Most of the taxa may be thought of as belonging to an endemic group because the sister taxon *Division of Amphibians and Reptiles, Museum of Zoology, The University of Michi- gan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1079 U.S.A. 2 Harris and Kluge Orc. P~I~P):) of each species also exhibits a mainland distribution. Only two, S. arg-us Gosse (1850) and S. rosaurae Parker (1940), belong to wide- spread West Indian species or species-groups. The mainland distribu- tion of S. argus is largely coastal and on off-shore islands, where it exhibits no obvious differentiation from presumed conspecifics in the West Indies. Sphaerodactylus rosaurae is restricted to the Islas de la Bahia of Honduras, but it is considered a member of the Greater Antillean "copei" species-group (Schwartz and Garrido, 1981). Other Caribbean sphaerodactyls, S. anthracinus, S. cinereus, S. fantas- ticus, and S. sputator, have been reported from Middle America. In fact, Cope (1862a:500) claimed that the holotype of S. anthracinus was from "Mexico," and Giinther (1885-1902) restricted its origin to Jalapa (Veracruz was added later by Schwartz and Thomas, 1975). However, Barbour (1921:258) found the male holotype (ANSP 7558, not "types" as per Taylor [1947]), "to be absolutely identical with examples from Andros Island in the Bahamas," which were the syn- types of S. asper (MCZ 6222), and he concluded that the mainland locality "is certainly erroneous." Wilhelm Peters' (1869) record of S. anthracinus from Puebla was overlooked by Barbour (1921), and it may give credence to a mainland origin for the species (Parker, 1940). Boulenger's (1885) specimen from San Domingo, West Indies was incorrectly interpreted by Taylor (1947) to be from Mexico. Thomas (1968) regarded S. anthracinus as a nomen dubium because of its uni- color pattern which is unlike that of any other Antillean sphaerodac- tyl, its questionable geographic origin, and because similar specimens have not been retaken from Andros Island. The Antillean pop- ulations which had been referred to S. anthracinus (Schwartz, 1961) have come to be called S. copei by Schwartz and Thomas (1964) and Thomas (1968) though it is not apparent that either author examined the type of S. anthracinus. The three other species said to have been collected in Mexico appear not to have been retaken there since the original references: S. cinereus (Troschel, 1865), S. fantasticus (Hal- lowell, 1861), and S. sputator (Cope, 1865). All of these seem to be based on erroneous geographic attributions or misidentifications. The following 14 names have been given to the Middle American endemics: S. carinatus Andersson (1916), S. casicolus Cope (1862a), S. continentalis Werner (1896), S. dunni Schmidt (1936), S. glaucus Cope (1865), S. homolepis Cope (1886), S. imbricatus Andersson (1916), S. inornatus W. Peters (1873), S. lineolatus Lichtenstein and von Martens (in Lichtenstein, 1856), S. mertensi Wermuth (1965), S. millepunctatus Hallowell (1861), S. pacificus Stejneger (1903), S. rosaurae Parker (1940), and S. torquatus Strauch (1887). The names S. casicolus, S. No. 706 Sphar~rodactykrsof Miclcllc Anlei-ica 3 hornolepis, and S. 1ineolalu.s have also been applied to South American populations (Harris, 1982). In the present study we review those sphaerodactyls found on mainland Middle America. The highly distinctive, insular S. rosaurae and S. pacificus (Isla del Coco, Costa Rica) are only treated in the diagnostic key to the species (pp. 50-51). METHODS AND MATERIALS We follow Harris' (1982) character anti character state definitions to insure the comparability ofthe two revisions. I'l~eseusages do not entirely conform to studies on Caribbean sphaerodactyls, and we redescribe those characterizations that are especially different. Dorsal scales were counted micldorsally, between the axilla and the groin, with the limbs extended laterally froni the body (the count was not made dorsolatel-- ;illy). The internasal count is the minimum number of scales sepal-ating the supranasals, which does not necessarily also include those in contact with the rostral. Interorbital witltll (IOW), or the shortest tlisranre across the frontal bone, was used to standardize scale sizes. Three IOW means that a diagonal series of three scales is as wide as the narrowest part of the frontal bone. The snout angle is a ~r~easurcmentof the ton- vergence of the sides of the snout, as viewed dorsally. The angle cannot be cletermincd thr ;dl specimens because snout shape is affected by different tnethotls of PI-eservation. Adult males wcrc distinguishetl on the basis of an escutcheon (hypertrophied sub- fen~oraland/or abdominal scales). Etlually large specimens lacking an escutcheon were considerctl to be fkmales. In the lists of specimens ex~nnined,we have freely altered invoice data to reflect generally accepted form and spelling of place names. ln somc itlstanccs comments ancl reititerpt-etations appear in brackets. The followi~lgabbreviations ;we ~~sctlto denote the sources of the material we examined. AMNH American Museum of Natural History ANSP Academy of Natur;~lSciences of Philadelplli;~ ASFS Albert Schwartz Fieltl Series BMNH British Museum of Narur-al History CAS California Ac;~clemyof Sciences CAS-SU Stanford University Collection at (:AS <:M Carnegie Museum CRE Costa Rica Expetlitions; formerly at University of So~trtliet-nCalifornia, now at University of Miatni EAL Ernest A. I.irler, personal collection FMNH Field Museurr~of Natural Histol-y GMI. Corgas Mernol-ial Laboratory CN M G6tcborgs Naturhistoriska Museurn I(:N Itlstituto de Cietlcias Naturales, Universidacl National, Eogoti INDR Instituto de Recursos Naturales Rcnov;ibles y del ilmbiente, Bogoti K U University of Kansas Museum of Natu~alHistory I.ACM Los Angeles County Museurn of Natural History LSUMZ Louisiana State University Museum of Zoology G Harris and Kluge Orr. I'ciprl:~ tylus graptolaemus differs from S. millepunctatus and S. argus by having a single supranasal per side. Unlike S. graptolaemus, S. glaucus has smooth scales and two supranasals; S. dunni has large body scales and alternating median subcaudals. The S. graptolaemus color-pattern, dark-bordered dorsolateral light stripe from eye onto trunk and throat stripes, is approached by some specimens of S, millepunctatus; otherwise it is unique among Middle American sphaerodactyls. DES~:RI~~-~.ION.-UCR3592, 3589, and UMMZ 174004, respectively. A moderately large sphaerodactyl, 28.0, 16.1 and 31.7 mm. SVL. Snout-ear distance 7.0 mm., head length 4.2 mm. and head width 3.4 mm. in UMMZ 174004. Snout moderately long, its length equals distance from ear to posterior third of eye. Sides of snout converge at angles of 40°, 48" and 42"; tip rounded. Rostra1 with long median cleft, small posterior indentation in- truded by part of one small scale. Supranasal single. Postnasals one or two. Space between supranasals narrower than supranasal scale width. Internasal single. Snout scales flat, keeled, juxtaposed; nine, ? and 10 from orbits. Parietal surfaces and nape with keeled granules; 6-7 per IOW, fourth supralabial lies below anterior half of eye; fourth infralabial below center of eye; first infralabial largest, its length equals 1.5 IOW. Mental large, its rear border with foreward slanting lateral edges. Postmentals polygonal, slightly elongated; two border mental. Gular scales smooth, granular, about six per IOW. Dorsal scales of trunk oval, flat, keeled, imbricate, four per IOW; 5 1, 58 and 63 along middorsum between axilla and groin. No zone of middorsal granules. Lateral scales like dorsals. Ventrals round, thin, smooth, imbricate, two per IOW; 33, 36 and 37 axilla-groin. Ventral counts 58.7-64.7% of dorsal counts. Scales around midbody 75, ? and 77. Escutcheon of holotype five scales long and nine wide, about 29 total. Supracaudals rhomboid, flat, imbricate, keeled at tail base (for a head length), smooth distally; in diagonal and transverse series; 2.5 per IOW. Subcaudal scales smooth, four times wider than supracaud- als, though not transversely expanded; forming a continuous median series. Male may have about six swollen granules lateral to vent. Limb squamation similar to that of trunk. Digit scales keeled, imbricate, 14, 11 and 13 lamellae below fourth toes. The preserved male, female (Fig. 1A) and juvenile do not differ substantially in color. Tan with fine dark brown (raw sienna) mark- ings. A bold cream stripe with dark edges extends from eye to tail; dark edge breaks up on trunk, forming series of spots. Dark streaks on canthus and longitudinally between eyes and occiput. Dark spot over pelvis, flanked by light-centered ocelli. Additional streaks begin NO. 706 Sphaerodccctylus of Middle America 7 at eye and corner of mouth and run below and on side of neck. Infralabials blotched with brown; center of throat and other un- derparts light, immaculate.