Pedioplanis huntleyi Conradie, Measey, Branch and Tolley, 2012

Parrinha, Diogo, Marques, Mariana P., Heinicke, Matthew P., Khalid, Farkhanda, Parker, Kelly L., Tolley, Krystal A., Childers, Jackie L., Conradie, Werner, Bauer, Aaron M. & Ceríaco, Luis M. P., 2021, A revision of Angolan species in the genus Pedioplanis Fitzinger (Squamata: Lacertidae), with the description of a new species, Zootaxa 5032 (1), pp. 1-46 : 30-32

Pedioplanis huntleyi Conradie, Measey, Branch and Tolley, 2012

( Figs. 8–9 )

Pedioplanis huntleyi: Conradie et al. (2012b: 105) ; Ceríaco et al. (2016: 56; 2018: 113); Marques et al. (2018: 224; 2019b: 504); Branch et al. (2019b: 92; 2019c: 296)

Pedioplanis haackei: Ceríaco et al. (2016: 37) [part]

Conradie et al. (2012b) described Pedioplanis huntleyi based on specimens collected in the southeastern areas of Namibe Province and western regions of Cunene Province. Additional material reported by Ceríaco et al. (2016) (CAS 254864*, as P. haackei ) and in this study document a northward extension of the known distribution range of Pedioplanis huntleyi . There are no taxonomic or nomenclatural issues with this species.

Diagnosis: A rather large Pedioplanis , with an average SVL of 55 mm (max 59 mm) and a tail length two and a half times the SVL ( Fig. 8 ). It can be distinguished from other species of the genus in Angola and neighboring regions by the following combination of characters: (1) lower eyelid with two enlarged transparent scales, usually with a row of smaller ones below; (2) five (rarely four or six) supralabials anterior to the subocular and three posteriorly; (3) one (sometimes two) row of small granules between the supraoculars and supraciliaries; (4) supraoculars preceded by a group of 6–13 (<12 in 75% of specimens) small granules; (5) ventral scales in ten longitudinal rows; (6) three dark dorsal stripes faded posteriorly. Coloration similar to P. haackei , but less variable. Dorsum greyish brown anteriorly and reddish-brown to brick red posteriorly, with three dark stripes starting behind the head and fading between midbody and two-thirds along the back. The vertebral stripe splits or widens at the neck and is often more faded than the dorsolateral stripes. On the flanks there is a dark lateral stripe that starts behind the eye and usually fades posteriorly, often faint and reticulated, with a series of yellow to blueish circles running along its lower edge. Hind limbs and tail reddish-brown to brick red, with the hindlimbs sometimes covered above by faint pale circles. White ventrally, sometimes reddish at the base of the tail.

Comparison with other Pedioplanis species. Pedioplanis huntleyi is readily distinguished from P. burchelli , P. laticeps , P. breviceps , P. namaquensis and P. husabensis by the presence two enlarged transparent scales on the lower eyelid (versus eight or more opaque to semi-transparent scales in other species); from P. lineoocellata by the presence of an enlarged tympanic shield (versus no enlarged tympanic shield in P. lineoocellata ); from P. inornata , P. rubens , P. gaerdesi and P. branchi by the presence of dorsal stripes (versus no stripes in P. inornata , P. rubens , P. gaerdesi and P. branchi ). P. huntleyi is identical in most morphological characters to P. undata and P. mayeri , from which it can be distinguished based on color pattern (dorsal stripes always faded posteriorly in P. huntleyi versus usually bold and distinct all the way to the tail in P. mayeri and bold or faded in P. undata ) and geographic location ( P. huntleyi restricted to Angola versus P. mayeri and P. undata restricted to Namibia). With respect to other Angolan species, P. huntleyi can be distinguished from P. benguelensis by a lower number of granules anterior to the supraoculars (usually <12 in P. huntleyi versus > 13 in P. benguelensis ), one row of granules between the supraoculars and supraciliaries (versus two in P. benguelensis ) and color pattern (dorsal stripes faded posteriorly in P. huntleyi versus distinct all the way to the tail in P. benguelensis ); it is distinguished from P. haackei by a larger SVL (average 54 mm in P. huntleyi versus 45 mm in P. haackei ), a lower number of granules anterior to the supraoculars (usually <11 in P. huntleyi versus > 12 in P. haackei ) and one row of granules between the supraoculars and supraciliaries (versus two in P. haackei ). It is distinguished from an undescribed species by the presence of two transparent scales on the lower eyelid (versus one, see description below).

Holotype: PEM R 18479*, an adult male collected on the road to Oncocua, 7 km from Iona , Namibe Province [-16.85831°, 12.61275°, 803 m], by Werner Conradie, Eduardo Traguedo, Krystal A. Tolley and William R. Branch on 21 January 2009.

Additional material. 26 specimens: Cunene Province: 26 km SE of Oncocua [-16.86889°, 13.52750°, 846 m] ( PEM R 18483, 18489 , 18490 *) ; NE of Elola village [-16.76251°, 13.24230°, 892 m] ( MHNC-UP / REP 643 ) ;

Namibe Province: 14 km W of Moimba [-16.67944°, 12.97389°, 684 m] ( PEM R 18481, 18487*); 23 km W of Moimba [-16.67444°, 12.88500°, 602 m] ( PEM R 18482, 18488); 16 km E of Iona [-16.79806°, 12.68056°, 785 m] ( PEM R 18480, 18485*); 26 km E of Iona [-16.70056°, 12.82417°, 623 m] ( PEM R 18486); 8 km NE of Iona [-16.82917°, 12.62111°, 743 m] ( PEM R 18484*); Iona National Park [-16.43150°, 12.48930°, 431 m] (MHNC- UP /REP 640–642), [-16.85972°, 12.61111°, 811 m] ( TM 40739); Iona National Park, 50 km S of Curoca River [-16.73367°, 12.40757°, 472 m] ( TM 40596); near Virulundo [-16.28523°, 12.94192°, 718 m] ( INBAC / AMB 10632*), [-16.29485°, 12.94075°, 759 m] ( CAS 264811*–264813*, INBAC / AMB 10645*); road to Espinheira, 40 km S of Omauha Lodge [-16.51164°, 12.44761°, 371 m] ( PEM R 18476); road to Oncocua, 7 km from Iona [- 16.85834°, 12.61275°, 803 m] ( PEM R 18477, 18478*); Pediva Hot Springs, south side of the river [-16.29000°, 12.56219°, 270 m] ( CAS 254864*).

Distribution and habitat. Known records of Pedioplanis huntleyi are restricted to southwestern Angola south of -16° latitude, from eastern Iona National Park in Namibe Province eastwards to the Oncocua region in Cunene Province, between 270 and 892 m ( Fig. 9 ). This species is sympatric with P. haackei in some localities along the northern limits of its range. This species inhabits xeric areas dominated by Mopane forests ( Colophospermum mopane ) ( Grandvaux-Barbosa 1970; Fig. 5 ).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Typical habitats of Angolan Pedioplanis. A. Dry coastal savanna with sparse vegetation at Chimalavera Natural Regional Park, Benguela Province (P. benguelensis). Photo by Luis M.P. Ceríaco. B. Rocky outcrops near Omauha Lodge, Namibe Province (P. haackei). Photo by Ishan Agarwal. C. Mopane dominated shrubland near Capangombe, Namibe Province (P. serodioi sp. nov.). Photo by Luis M.P. Ceríaco. D. Mopane shrubland near Oncocua, Cunene Province (P. huntleyi). Photo by Luis M.P. Ceríaco.

FIGURE 8. Live specimen of Pedioplanis huntleyi (MHNC-UP/REP 643) from the vicinity of Elola village, Cunene Province. Photo by Luis M.P. Ceríaco.

FIGURE 9. Geographic distribution of Pedioplanis huntleyi based on museum vouchers. Localities represented in the phylogenetic analysis are indicated with a black center. White star denotes the type locality. Major cities are represented by a black square.