Plica kathleenae, Murphy, John C. & Jowers, Michael J., 2013

Murphy, John C. & Jowers, Michael J., 2013, Treerunners, cryptic lizards of the Plica plica group (Squamata, Sauria, Tropiduridae) of northern South America, ZooKeys 355, pp. 49-77 : 60-62

Plica kathleenae sp. n. Kathleen’s TreerunnerFigs 8b, 9b

Holotype.

FMNH 30931. An adult male, 124 mm SVL, tail damaged. Collected by Emmet Reid Blake on the Sewell Avery British Guiana Expedition, in September-October, 1938; Guyana, Boundary Camp, Itabu Creek headwaters (~ 1°42'N, 57°55'W) in the Sierra Acarai Mountains near the Brazilian border, at an elevation of about 549 m).

Diagnosis.

A Plica with dorsal scales in 158 rows at mid-body, 6 suboculars; scales on snout mostly imbricate and slightly pyramidal with asperities; head length 29% of the SVL (other species have heads 17-23% of the SVL); gular fold complete, antegular fold incomplete; dewlap originates in the space between the two folds; throat folds in this species are relatively shallow and do not form the mite pockets seen in other species. Plica plica has fewer scale rows at mid-body (126-140) as well as complete antegular folds. Plica caribeana sp. n. has 92-125 scale rows at mid-body, and scales on snout are keeled and imbricate. Plica medemi sp. n. has 145 scale rows at mid-body; seven suboculars; head length of 23% of the SVL. Plica rayi sp. n. has 181-202 scale rows at mid-body; and flat, juxtaposed scales on the snout. Plica lumaria and Plica pansticta have smooth imbricate scales on snout and one scale between nasal and rostral.

Description of holotype.

Rostral in contact with six post-rostrals; nasals separated from rostral by three scales, internasals eight; scales on snout imbricate, slightly pyramidal, with one or two asperities; canthals single; separated by eight inter-canthal scales; circumorbital scales 12, separated from the occipitoparietal by a row of small scales; occipitoparietal slightly broader than long; supraorbital plates 5/6, separated from the superciliaries by two rows of small scales; superciliaries three layers with about eight scales in each layer; suboculars 7/6, first is largest (fourth almost as large), with serrated keels; upper labials five, fifth is longest; six lower labials; loreal scales slightly keeled, in 8-10 rows between canthal and upper labials; auditory meatus with a spiny tuft on anterior margin, rest of margin with smaller mucronate scales; ventral flap with large tuft of spines; two clusters of spiny tufts on nape; mental small, in contact with four tiny post mental scales; gular fold complete; antegular fold incomplete; dewlap originates anterior to gular fold, transects the antegular fold, mite pockets absent; dorsal crest well developed on anterior body; scales around mid-body 158; ventrals 63; limbs well developed and covered with keeled mucronate scales above, and smooth scales below; lamella under fourth finger 29; lamellae under fourth toe 35. Feet 33% of the SVL.

In alcohol, dark brown dorsum with an irregular row of dark spots with light centers on each side of the mid-line, some of the dark spots are surrounded by smaller white spots; small white spots are also on the front limbs. There is a narrow dark collar that extends laterally. Forelimbs and hind limbs have transverse bands.

Etymology.

Named in honor of Kathleen Kelly, Division of Amphibians and Reptiles, Field Museum of Natural History, for her interest and effort on behalf of herpetology.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality in the Acarai Mountains of Guyana.

Ecology.

Nothing is known about the ecology of this species, but see the discussion.