Bauerius, Lobon-Rovira & Conradie & Pinto & Keates & Edwards & Plessis & Branch, 2022

Lobon-Rovira, Javier, Conradie, Werner, Pinto, Pedro Vaz, Keates, Chad, Edwards, Shelley, Plessis, Anton Du & Branch, William R., 2022, Systematic revision of Afrogecko ansorgii (Boulenger, 1907) (Sauria: Gekkonidae) from western Angola, Zootaxa 5124 (4), pp. 401-430 : 410

Bauerius gen. nov.

( Figs. 2–4 )

Type species. Phyllodactylus ansorgii Boulenger, 1907

Etymology. We name this new genus of gecko after Professor Aaron M. Bauer, renowned herpetologist at Villanova University ( USA), in recognition of his large contributions to African herpetology, mainly to the biodiverse Gekkonidae group. The name is a conversion to the Latin nominative of the name “ Bauer ”.

Definition. Bauerius gen. nov. is distinguished by the other leaf-toed geckos based on combinations of the following characters: moderate size (45 mm maximum SVL), with largely elongated head and body, and slender, rounded, semi-prehensile and non-ornamented tail. Well-ossified skull, elongated, oval (almost egg shaped), which displays no co-ossification with the overlying skin, and wider posterior snout region than postoccipital region. Parietal and fronto-parietal sutures well sealed. Frontal and nasal unpaired. Otostapes imperforate. Maxilla widely overlapping frontal, nasal, and prefrontal bones. Jugal bone reduced, almost vestigial. 14 scleral ossicles. 25–26 maxillary, 10–11 premaxillary and 31 dentary tooth loci. Surangular and compound bone fused. Splenial bone small and uniform, without alveolar foramen. 3 pairs of cervical ribs, 2 pairs of sternal ribs, and 3 pairs of uniform mesosternal ribs. Bauerius gen. nov. has 26 presacral vertebrae (paired Atlas, Axis, 5 cervical, 18 thoracic and 1 lumbar vertebrae) and one pair of well-developed cloacal bones. Digits are free and bear a single pair of dilated terminal adhesive pads (‘leaf toes’); the phalangeal formula is 2-3-4-5-3 (manus)/2-3-4-5-4 (pes); claws greatly reduced but present on all digits. Dorsal scalation consists of small and smooth granular scales, without tubercular scales. Males with 6–8 precloacal pores. One pair of postcloacal spurs. The eye bears a vertical pupil with crenate margins.

Content. Bauerius ansorgii ( Boulenger, 1907)

Figures

FIGURE 2. High-resolution X-ray computed tomographs of skull of Bauerius ansorgii (PEM R23912). Detailed views in (A) lateral, (B) medial, (C) dorsal and (D) ventral.

FIGURE 3. High-resolution X-ray computed tomographies of Bauerius ansorgii (PEM R23911). Views in (A) dorsal and (B) lateral aspects of body. Detailed CT-scan of (C) pelvic and (D) pectoral girdle in dorsal and ventral view, respectively.

FIGURE 4. A—Lateral view of the body of Bauerius ansorgii holotype (BMNH 1946.8.24.52) from Maconjo, Benguela Province, Angola. B—Lateral view in life of the body, C—details of right fingers, D—details of precloacal pores, E—and lateral, dorsal and ventral views (from top to bottom) of head of B. ansorgii from Santa Maria. Photos by Aaron Bauer (A) and Javier Lobon-Rovira (B–E).