Herpetologica, 53(3), 1997, 383-389 ? 1997 by The Herpetologists' League, Inc. A NEW SPECIES OF LEPOSOMA (SQUAMATA: GYMNOPHTHALMIDAE) FROM THE ATLANTIC FOREST OF BRAZIL MIGUEL TREFAUT RODRIGUES Universidade de Sao Paulo, Instituto de Biociencias, Departamento de Zoologia, Caixa Postal 11.461, CEP 05422-970, Sao Paulo, Brazil ABSTRACT: A new species of Leposoma is described from the Atlantic rainforests of the State of Bahia, Brazil. The new species has a single frontonasal scale, elongate dorsals, lanceolate ventrals in transverse and diagonal rather than in longitudinal rows, and conical tubercles on the side of the neck. It further differs from all congeneric species by having the lowest total number of femoral pores (six), and fourth finger, and fourth toe lamellae (seven and 10, respectively). The new species was obtained syntopically with Leposoma scincoides. Key words: Leposoma nanodactylus; New species; Gymnophthalmidae; Brazil LIZARDS of the genus Leposoma occur southi ranging from Costa Rica throughout exclusively in tropical forest areas, from Panama to Colombia; L. parietale from the Costa Rica to the Atlantic slopes of eastern Amazonian slopes of the Andes in Peru, Brazil. Among other features, they are Ecuador, Colombia, and adjacent Brazil; characterized by the synapomorphic ab- L. percarinatum and L. guianense from sence of the second process series on the central and eastern Amazonia; and L. os- caudal vertebrae (Presch, 1980). Based on waldoi and L. snethlageae from western overall similarity, the 11 species presently Amazonia of Brazil (Avila-Pires, 1995; Ay- recognized can be separated in two species ala and Harris, 1982; Rodrigues and Bor- groups (Rodrigues and Borges, 1997; Rui- ges, 1997; Uzzell and Barry, 1971). bal, 1952). Species of the scincoides group Although the parietale group is more (Leposoma scincoides and L. baturitensis) species rich than the scincoides group, have elongate dorsal scales and lanceolate field work in eastern Brazil revealed that ventrals that are arranged in diagonal rath- the scincoides group is more diverse than er than in longitudinal rows. Leposoma previously thought. Herein, I describe a scincoides is restricted to the Atlantic for- new species of the scincoides group from ests of eastern Brazil from Terezopolis in the Atlantic rainforests of the State of Ba- the State of Rio de Janeiro to Salvador in hia, Brazil, one of the most threatened for- the State of Bahia. Leposoma baturitensis est habitats in the world. This new species seems to be endemic to Serra de Baturite, was collected almost 10 yr ago, and its de- an isolated forested mountain range in the scription has been waiting for other con- semiarid Caatingas of the State of Ceara, specific specimens. As no additional spec- northeastern Brazil. In species of the par- imens have been obtained, its description ietale group, dorsal scales are wider and follows in order to stimulate further col- shorter, ventral scales range from rectan- lection and to provide a more accurate gular to rhomboid, are keeled and slightly record of biological diversity. mucronate, and are arranged in regular longitudinal rows (Rodrigues and Borges, MATERIALS AND METHODS 1997). Species of the parietale group, all The holotype was collected during a occurring from Amazonia to the north, are survey of the herpetofauna of the Atlantic L. hexalepis from the Orinoco Basin in Co- forests of State of Bahia. During this sur- lombia; L. ioanna from the Valle de Cauca, vey, several specimens of other species of Pacific Colombia; L. rugiceps from the Ca- Leposoma were collected and housed at nal Zone of Panama to Santa Marta and the herpetological collection of the Museu Valle de Rio Madalena in Colombia; L. de Zoologia da Universidade de Sao Paulo 383 384 HERPETOLOGICA [Vol. 53, No. 3 (MZUSP). I obtained data from the liter- ated; such striations also are present in L. ature, preserved specimens at MZUSP, nanodactylus, but they are weak, and ab- and specimens housed in the following sent on the frontonasal. Leposoma scincoi- collections (Appendix I): Universidade des further differs from nanodactylus in Federal do Ceara (UFC), Universidade the following characters (data for nano- Federal da Paraiba (UFPB), Museu Na- dactylus in parentheses): 19-21 ventrals cional do Rio de Janeiro (MN), Chicago (18); femoral pores 12-16 (6); subdigital Field Museum (FMNH), Museu de His- lamellae on Finger IV 11-14 (7); subdigital toria Natural-Universidade de Campinas lamellae on Toe IV 15-21 (10). Leposoma (ZUEC), and the private collection of Ser- nanodactylus can be distinguished from L. gio Potsch Carvalho e Silva (SPCS). Scale baturitensis by the following characters nomenclature and scale counts are accord- (data for nanodactylus in parentheses): ing to Uzzell and Barry (1971). Snout-vent 24-26 (27) scales around midbody; 25-27 length and tail length were measured to (33) dorsals; 9-11 (6) total femoral pores; the nearest 1 mm with a ruler. 11-12 (7) subdigital lamellae under Finger IV; 16-18 (10) subdigital lamellae on Toe SPECIES DESCRIPTION IV. Leposoma baturitensis presents a Leposoma nanodactylus sp. nov. strong dichromatism in color pattern; males being almost black laterally and ven- Holotype.-MZUSP 66.474, an adult trally, and females dorsally brown with a male obtained at Sao Jose do Macuco (Fa- cream venter. The adult male and only zenda Unacau): State of Bahia: Brazil specimen known of L. nanodactylus has a (15009' S, 390181 W); collected by Miguel dark brown to black pigmentation ventro- T. Rodrigues on 15 October 1986. laterally, but the midventral region is Diagnosis. -A Leposoma having a single cream. Adult males of L. scincoides, as do frontonasal scale, lanceolate ventrals in females, have a cream venter. Leposoma transverse but not longitudinal rows, con- nanodactylus also differs from the two ical granules on the side of the neck, six species of the scincoides group by having femoral pores, and very few subdigital la- the first supraocular divided in two small mellae on the digits: seven on Finger IV granules. Table 1 sumarizes data for all and 10 on Toe IV, respectively. As in other species of Leposoma, considering speci- species of Leposoma, the second process mens examined and data from the litera- series on caudal vertebrae is absent. ture. Leposoma nanodactylus differs from all Description of the holotype.-(Figs. 1- other species of Leposoma by having (data 2). Rostral broad, wider than high, con- for L. nanodactylus followed by combined tacting first supralabial, nasal, and fronton- data for all other species) the lowest total asal. Frontonasal single, as large as long, number of femoral pores (six, 8-17), the biconcave posteriorly, just reaching ante- lowest number of subdigital lamellae un- rior supraocular, in broad contact with ros- der Finger IV (seven, 8-14), and the low- tral, nasal, loreal, and prefrontals. Prefron- est number of subdigital lamellae on Toe tals in broad contact. Frontal hexagonal IV (10, 11-21). It can be distinguished with lateral margins slightly concave; ap- from the species of the parietale group by proximately twice as long as wide; poste- its lanceolate ventrals in transverse and di- riorly adjacent to paired frontoparietals. agonal rows. Leposona nanodactylus is Frontoparietals larger than prefrontals, in clearly a member of the scincoides group broad contact. Interparietal as large as by its lanceolate ventrals arranged in di- frontal with almost straight lateral margins. agonal rather than in regular longitudinal Parietals wider than interparietal, posterior rows. Leposoma scincoides differs from L. margins rounded. Supraoculars five; the nanodactylus in having a longitudinally di- fourth largest, second the smallest. First vided frontonasal scale (single in nanodac- supraocular longitudinally elongate, in tylus). In L. scincoides, all scales on the contact with first superciliary; second tri- dorsal surface of the head are heavily stri- angular, lacking contact with superciliaries; Septeniber 1997] HERPETOLOGICA 385 TABLE 1.-Scales around body (SAB), number of dorsal and ventral scales, total number of femoral pores, IV finger, and IV Toe infradigital lamellae in the genus Leposoma. Data were taken from specimens examined (Appendix I) and from Avila-Pires (1995), Ayala and Harris (1982), Ruibal (1952), and Uzzel and Barry (1971). Species SAB Dorsals Ventrals Femoral pores IV finger IV toe baturitensis 24-26 25-27 17-18 9-11 11-12 16-18 guianense 23-26 30-35 19-25 9-12 9-12 14-17 hexalepis 33-35 31-34 23-26 males unknown 13 15-16 ioanna 21-22 28-30 20 males unknown 12-15 17-20 nanodactylus 27 33 18 6 7 10 oswaldoi 26-29 32-34 20-23 10-12 9-11 13-15 parietale 23-27 30-38 19-24 10-17 8-11 10-16 percaninatum 24-27 35-40 22-28 parthenogenetic 10-13 15-20 rugiceps 20-25 27-31 22-24 10 11-13 17-18 scincoides 25-30 29-35 19-21 12-16 11-14 15-21 snethlageae 24-26 31-36 21-23 8-12 8-10 11-14 southi 20-25 28-33 20-24 8 10 13 both granular,corresponding in position to first supraocularof other species of Lepo- soma. Nasal large, longer than wide, en- tire, with the nostril in center. Loreal pos- terior to nasal, long, narrow,and diagonally oriented; anterior to pentagonal frenocu- lar. Infraorbitalgranules four. Supralabials six; first largest. Superciliaries seven, first larger than first supraocular,expanded on lateral surface of head. Eyelid with pal- pebral disc formed by three or four scales. Temporal region covered with slightly keeled, juxtaposed scales, larger than gran- -~~ ules of lateral surface of neck. Ear opening bordered by series of small granules;tym- panum distinct. Dorsal head scales mostly smooth, flat, with weak longitudinal stria- tions (absent on frontonasal).Side of neck covered with conical, sometimes keeled granules. Mental broad, wider than long.