TEIID LIZARDS OF THE GENUS IN ST T , EI SAURIA) -THOMAS M. UZZELL, JR. 32'ARTICLE5 NE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BULLETIN OF THE, AMERICAN MUSEUM 'OF NATURAL HISTORY VOLUME 13 A W YORK 1966 TEIID LIZARDS OF THE GENUS NEUSTICURUS (REPTILIA, SAURIA) THOMAS M. UZZELL, JR. The University of Chicago Chicago, Illinois BULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOLUME 132: ARTICLE 5 NEW YORK: 1966 BULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY Volume 132, article 5, pages 277-328, figures 1-6, tables 1-12 Issued August 19, 1966 Price: $2.00 a copy INTRODUCTION RECENTLY I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY to ex- des Bayerischen Staates. Dr. W. E. Duell- amine seven small lizards from southern man, Dr. Richard Etheridge, Hno. Nic6foro Costa Rica. In their general appearance, Maria, Dr. Juan A. Rivero, Dr. Rodolfo these delicate, attractive lizards reminded me Ruibal, Dr. Jay M. Savage, and Dr. Wake of the genus Echinosaura. Closer study provided important observations on the hab- showed that they were a species of Neusti- its of these lizards, or data on specimens curus, members of a genus not otherwise critical for zoogeographic interpretations. known from Costa Rica or Panama. The Mr. Bogert, Dr. B6hlke, Miss Margaret R. nearest locality is some 1200 kilometers to the Bullitt, Dr. Hartweg, Dr. Inger, Mr. Hymen southeast, in southern Colombia. The iso- Marx, Mr. Malnate, Mr. Benjamin Shreve, lated Costa Rican population is separated and Dr. Walker extended courtesy and hos- from the main range of the genus Neusticurus pitality to me during visits to their institu- by the range of the closely related genus tions. The excellent figures of the new Costa Echinosaura. As background for discussing Rican species are the work of Miss Suzanne the new Costa Rican form, I have examined Runyan. Dr. George B. Rabb kindly read most of the specimens of Neusticurus avail- the manuscript and offered many suggestions. able in North and South American collec- Abbreviations used in referring to speci- tions. mens examined are: ACKNOWLEDGMENTS A.M.N.H., the American Museum of Natural His- Many people have aided me in this study, tory A.N.S.P., Academy of Natural Sciences of Phila- and it is a pleasure to acknowledge their delphia help. Mr. Charles M. Bogert, Dr. William E. B.M.(N.H.), British Museum (Natural History) Duellman, Dr. Jean Guibe, the late Dr. Nor- C.N.H.M., Chicago Natural History Museum man Hartweg, Dr. Robert F. Inger, Dr. Fred (now Field Museum of Natural History) Medem, Dr. Gustavo Orces-V., Dr. James A. D.Z.S.P., Departamento de Zoologia, Sao Paulo Peters, Dr. Janis Roze, Dr. Paulo Vanzolini, E.P.N., Escuela Politecnica Nacional, Quito Dr. David Wake, Dr. Charles F. Walker, Dr. L.A.C.M., Los Angeles County Museum E. E. Williams, and Dr. Richard G. Zweifel M.B.U.C.V., Museo de Biologia, Universidad provided me access to material in their Central de Venezuela charge or in their private collections. Mr. M.C.N., Museo de Ciencias Naturales, Caracas Bogert, Dr. James E. Bohlke, Dr. Dirk M.C.Z., Museum of Comparative Zoology at Har- Hillenius, Dr. A. Holm, and Mr. Edmund V. vard College Malnate made it possible for me to examine M.N.H.N., Museum National d'Histoire Nat- material of of urelle, Paris type eight the named forms. I O.V., private collection of Gustavo Orc6s-V. wish particularly to thank Dr. Holm, Dr. U.K.M.N.H., University of Kansas Museum of Sven 0. Horstadius, and Dr. L. Hedstr6m Natural History for their consideration and efforts in enabling U.M.M.Z., University of Michigan Museum of me to study the holotype of Lacerta bicarinata. Zoology Mr. Malnate and Dr. Walter Hellmich an- U.S.N.M., United States National Museum, swered questions about type material previ- Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C. ously in the Academy of Natural Sciences in U.U.L., Uppsala Universitet Linn6samling Philadelphia and the Zoologische Sammlung Z.M.A., Zoologisch Museum, Amsterdam 279 SYSTEMATIC SECTION NEUSTICURUS DUM RIL AND BIBRON have examined 310 specimens and have rec- Neusticurus DUM]RIL AND BIBRON, 1839, p. 61. ognized seven species, one of which is divis- DEFINITION: Tongue with imbricate, scale- ible into two subspecies. Several species show like papillae. Nostril pierced in a single nasal; much geographic variation that has not been nasals separated usually by paired or single recognized nomenclatorially. All the taxa frontonasals, occasionally by irregular scales; that I recognize are included in the following prefrontals paired or irregular; interparietal key. Lizards of this genus vary so extensively usually bordered by a pair of parietals lat- that identifications made by means of the erally, by a series of three to nine, usually six key alone and not confirmed by comparison or seven, smaller scales posteriorly; temporal with the data presented for each taxon will and occipital scales small, irregular; rostral often be incorrect. Some of the individual large; mental and postmental single, followed variation that I observed has been tabulated, by several paired chin shields, usually first both as an aid to solving certain taxonomic pair in contact on midline. Gular and pregular problems and as a caution to workers who scales flattened, convex, or spinose, generally are studying these animals. in longitudinal rows radiating from between KEY TO THE SPECIES AND SUBSPECIES OF chin shields; median postgulars often larger Neusticurus than others; gular crease feeble or absent. 1. Tympanum deeply recessed within an external Collar fold well developed. Lower eyelid de- auditory meatus'; tail strongly compressed2 veloped, with an undivided, divided, or di- (Venezuela, the Guianas, Brazil) . 2 vided and pigmented disc. Tympanum at Tympanum not or but slightly recessed; tail surface of head, slightly recessed, or deeply slightly or moderately compressed. 3 2. Body with several longitudinal rows of tubercu- recessed and overhung by surrounding scales late scales; temporal scales keeled, keels of surface of head. Dorsal scales uniformly parallel and longitudinal; frontonasal-frontal small, or heterogeneous, with large, keeled area usually with regular scales; two scales tubercles intermixed with small flat or convex along side of tail for each two median ventral scales. Ventral scales usually flat, rectangular caudal scales (Brazil, the Guianas, Venezuela) or rounded posteriorly, imbricate, in trans- . .N.bicarinatus . verse and longitudinal rows; lateral rows Body with at most a posterior dorsolateral ser- keeled in some species. Limbs pentadactyl, ies of enlarged scales; temporal scales coni- digits clawed; forefoot with enlarged, plate- cal; frontonasal-frontal area usually with like scales along inner margin between thumb irregular scales; three to five scales along side and wrist; under side of third and fourth of tail for each two median ventral caudal scales (Venezuela) . N. tatei toes with paired scales proximally, inner 3. Tympanum slightly recessed; body with irregu- scale a rounded tubercle. Tail slightly to lar rows of dorsal tubercles; disc in lower strongly compressed; a double caudal crest, eyelid divided into sections by vertical feebly to strongly developed. Total femoral grooves; three to five scales along side of tail and preanal pores: 22 to 72 in males; one to for each two median ventral caudal scales 47 in females. Males with or without conspic- (Venezuela, the Guianas) . N. rudis uous, white-centered, black-bordered ocelli Tympanum slightly or not recessed; body with in pattern. Hemipenis without basal hooks; regular or irregular rows of tubercles, or no flounces with or without minute calcareous tubercles present; disc in lower eyelid di- vided or not; two or three scales along side of spinules. tail for each two median ventral caudal REMARKS: Fourteen names are available scales (Costa Rica; Amazonian Andes). 4 for lizards of the genus Neusticurus, including 4. Tympanum slightly recessed; enlarged dorsal two proposed here. I have examined the type scales on body in four regular rows; lateral material for eight of the 12 previously pro- 1 The holotype of Neusticurus tatei does not have the posed names; one holotype was destroyed tympanum recessed. during World War II, and another is lost. 2 The tail is less strongly compressed in younger While preparing the following account, I specimens. 280 1966 UZZELL: TEIID LIZARDS 281 scales uniform, small; no tubercles on head vided. There are 3-3 large supraoculars; or sides; tail short, 1.1 to 1.5 times body anterior to these is a triangular space filled length; nostril surrounded by brown or black on the left by four, and on the right by five, spot (Ecuador) ..... N. cochranae granules. The disc in the lower eyelid is di- Tympanum not recessed; tubercles, if present, in regular or irregular rows; if tubercles pres- vided into three or four sections by vertical ent, lateral scales heterogeneous; tail 1.4to grooves. The tympanum is deeply recessed. 2.1 times body length . 5 There are five posterior preanals, the parame- 5. Upper lateral nuchal scales small, uniform, not dian pair larger, the median and the lateral forming longitudinal rows; two large poste- pair smaller. Anterior to these is a large me- rior preanals; no conspicuous light areas on dian scale. The ventrals are in 28 transverse upper forelimbs. 6 and 10 longitudinal rows; the scales of the Upper lateral nuchal scales conical, forming outer two longitudinal rows on each side are one or more longitudinal rows of tubercles; apparently angulate, although this angular- two to five posterior preanals. 7 ity may be a result of dessication. There 6. Tubercles absent (Ecuador, northern Peru). are 16-16 lamellae under the fourth fingers, ........... N. s. strangulatus Tubercles present (central Peru). 24-25 under the fourth toes. The tail is ............ N. s. trachodus compressed, with a continuous double crest 7.