Saurodactylus elmoudenii, Javanmardi & Vogler & Joger, 2019

Javanmardi, Soheila, Vogler, Sven & Joger, Ulrich, 2019, Phylogenetic differentiation and taxonomic consequences in the Saurodactylus brosseti species complex (Squamata: Sphaerodactylidae), with description of four new species, Zootaxa 4674 (4), pp. 401-425 : 414-415

Saurodactylus elmoudenii sp. nov. Joger, Vogler & Javanmardi, 2019 (Anti-Atlas clade)

Distribution. Central part of the Anti-Atlas (Tafraoute basin).

Derivatio nominis. This taxon is named in honor of our dear colleague, El Hassan El Mouden. The name was latinized as El Moudenius and then placed into the masculine singular genitive.

Diagnosis. Dorsal color light to dark brown, with large light spots with dark margins. Two pattern types: 1) Spots are arranged in two parallel rows; they are smaller and more numerous than the transverse spots in the southeast clade; tail yellowish with dark bands; light bands on head go to neck or shoulder. 2) Spots are distributed irregularly (similar to the southern clade); tail yellow or light brown with dark marble marks; light bands on head do not reach neck ( Fig. 3D ). Internasals large, broadly in contact. 4 or 5 plates in contact with nostril; i.e., internasals separated from 1 st labials by one or two plates. This is an intermediate state between S. slimanii sp. nov. (5 plates bordering nostril) and S. splendidus sp. nov. (4 plates bordering nostril).

Holotype. SNMB-N 60869 ; collected by Sven Vogler on 10 June 2017 from Tafraoute Valley (29°42’21” N, 8°59’39” W), Morocco.

Description of holotype. Adult male; SVL = 32.04 mm; HL = 9.05 mm; HW = 5.9 mm; HD = 3.45 mm; ED = 1.72 mm; FL = 9.02; HdL = 13.04 mm; TL = 33.47 mm.

Mental shield large, round, not pointed behind. Two pairs of postmentals, first pair larger, not in contact; 6 supralabial and 5 infralabial scales on each side. Rostral shield large with deep posterior notch. One large postnasal; one additional scale lying between postnasal and internasal. Nostril bordered with four scales: the rostral, internasal, postnasal and first supralabial. Dorsal scales of head homogenous, smooth, minute and granular; 26 interorbital and 10 loreal scales. Dorsal scales of body small, smooth and juxtaposed, slightly larger on the lateral sides. Ventral scales of body large, plate like and sub-imbricate; 15 longitudinal rows of ventrals at midbody; 32 ventrals from level of axilla to level of groin; 11 precloacal scales. 66 dorsals between axilla and groin; 44 longitudinal rows of dorsals at midbody. Tail tapering and cylindrical; scales on the dorsal surface of the tail larger than those of the body, homogenous and sub-imbricate. Subcaudals slightly smaller than supracaudals; median row of subcaudal scales larger. Ventral scales of head homogenous, small and flat; 40 scales at the broadest width of head; 46 scales between mental shield and gular line. Digits minute and short, slightly bent, without any ornamentation; 17 subdigital lamellae under the fourth toe.

Color pattern. Holotype with dorsum brown, with several white rounded spots of medium to large size, lying between nape and sacral region, each surrounded with a dark shade; labials shaded with brown; dorsal surface of the head brown, with a whitish narrow stripe extending dorsolaterally from top of rostrum, through supraocular region, to the occiput at the right side, followed by one small and another large dash-like spot; on the left side, this stripe ends at the level of ear opening due to a skin injury; venter grayish cream with scattered dark dots becoming dense on flanks; dorsal surface of tail mostly brown, mottled with white and cream; some background scales dusted with black; subcaudals cream with their posterior margins dusted with brown; fore- and hindlimbs brown, speckled with small white dots which are larger on hindlimbs ( Fig. 10 ).

Paratype. SNMB-N 60870 ; collected by Sven Vogler on 10 June 2017 from Tafraoute Valley (29°42’21” N, 8°59’39” W), Morocco .

Description. Adult male; SVL = 29.98 mm; HL = 8.76 mm; HW = 6.3 mm; HD = 3.93 mm; ED = 1.7 mm; FL = 8.36; HdL = 12.44 mm; TL = 30.61 mm (original, detached).

Mental shield large, pointed behind. Two pairs of postmentals, first pair larger, (mid-point) in contact; 5 supralabials and 5 infralabials on each side. Rostral with a deep posterior notch. One postnasal; two internasals. Nostril surrounded by 4 scales: the rostral, internasal, postnasal and first supralabial. Dorsal scales of head smooth, homogenous, small and granular; 25 interorbital and 8 loreal scales. Scales on the dorsal surface of the tail larger than those of the body, homogenous and sub-imbricate. median row of subcaudal scales larger. Ventral scales of head small and flat; 40 scales at the broadest width of head; 41 scales [in an imaginary line] between mental shield and gular line. Ventral scales of body large, plate like and sub-imbricate; 18 longitudinal rows of ventrals at midbody; 39 ventrals from level of axilla to level of groin; 11 precloacal scales; 78 dorsals between axilla and groin; 49 longitudinal rows of dorsals at midbody. Digits minute and short, slightly bent, without any ornamentation; 15 subdigital lamellae under the fourth toe.

Color pattern. Coloration mostly same as that of holotype. Dorsal spots without darker margins. Labials whitish, dusted with black; a white transverse band on sacral region, at the base of the tail; dorsolateral stripes extending from internasals up to the nape, broken one time on the right and three times on the left side, not meeting at tip of snout; tail cream, mottled with brown ( Fig. 10 ).

Figures

FIGURE 3. continued

FIGURE 10. Holotype (top) and paratype (bottom) of Saurodactylus elmoudenii sp. nov. Photos by S. Javanmardi.