Proctoporus machupicchu, Mamani & Goicoechea & Chaparro Abstract.-We & Sanctuary & Picchu, 2015

Mamani, Luis, Goicoechea, Noemí & Chaparro, Juan C., 2015, A new species of Andean lizard Proctoporus (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae) from montane forest of the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu, Peru, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (e 96) 9 (1), pp. 1-11 : 2-8

Proctoporus machupicchu sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:216381E4-4C4B-4C3C-99AE-0DCEFEC45352

Figures 1–3 .

Proposed standard English name:

Machu Picchu Andean Lizard

Proposed standard Spanish name:

Lagartija Andina de Machu Picchu

Holotype: ( Fig. 1 ; 2 A–C ; 3 A–B ), adult female, MHNC 13362 (field number LM 834), Peru, Department of Cusco, Province Urubamba , District Machu Picchu, from Aobamba (13° 14′ 17″ S; 72° 33′ 15″ W), 2,760 m, collected by Luis Mamani, Frank P. Condori, and Juan C. Chaparro on 16 June 2013.

Paratypes: MHNC 13373 , field number LM 845, ( Fig. 3 E–F ), immature male, same data as holotype ; MHNC 13513 , adult female (field number LM 637, Fig. 2 D–F ; 3 C–D ), Peru, Department of Cusco, Province Urubamba, District Machu Picchu , from Wiñaywayna (13° 11’ 33.72” S; 72° 32’ 18.66” W), 2,800 m, collected by Luis Mamani, Kateryne Pino, Alexander Pari, Andres Garcia, and Gerardo Ceballos on 11 September 2012 .

Diagnosis: (1) Frontonasal length equal to the frontal length; (2) nasoloreal suture present in all specimens; (3) Loreal scale present, not in contact with supralabials; (4) supraoculars three; (5) superciliaries four, first not expanded onto the dorsal surface of the head; (6) postoculars two; (7) palpebral disc made up of a single, undivided scale; (8) four supralabials anterior to the posteroventral angle of the subocular; (9) three pairs of genials in medial contact; (10) dorsal body scales quadrangular, keeled; (11) transverse rows of dorsals 38–39; (12) transverse ventral rows 21; (13) a continuous series of small lateral scales separating dorsals from ventrals; (14) posterior cloacal plate made up of six scales in both sexes; (15) anterior preanal plate scales paired; (16) femoral pores present or not in males, when is present six per hind limb ( Fig. 3 G ), absent in females; (17) preanal pores absent; (18) subdigital lamellae on toe IV 16–17; subdigital lamellae on finger V 10–11; (19) limbs overlapping when adpressed against body in adults; (20) limbs pentadactyl, digits clawed; (21) dorsal and lateral surfaces of head dark brown; lip irregularly yellow or orange-cream stripes; ventral surface of head and pregular region cream or orange, with or without irregular black blotches; venter black or dark gray with cream or creamorange spots on the posterior margin of some scales, in male juveniles is orange with black blotches.

All specimens of Proctoporus machupicchu have an undivided palpebral eye disc, a putative synapomorphy of the genus Proctoporus (Doan and Castoe 2005; Uzzell 1970). Proctoporus machupicchu can be distinguished from all other species of the genus, except for P. iridescens , by the presence of three pairs of genials in medial contact (two in all other species of Proctoporus ). It can be distinguished from P. iridescens by having four supralabials anterior to the posteroventral angle of the subocular, by the presence of a loreal scale and a nasoloreal suture (three supralabias, loreal scale, and nasoloreal suture absent in P. iridescens ). It can further be differentiated from P. pachyurus by having three supraoculars not fused with superciliaries (four supraoculars in P. pachyurus , first fused with first superciliary), and 38–39 transverse dorsal scale rows (47–60 in P. pachyurus ); from P. sucullucu by having a frontonasal scale equal in length to the frontal scale (frontonasal scale longer than the frontal scale in P. sucullucu ), and loreal scale not in contact with the supralabials (in contact in P. sucullucu ); from P. bolivianus by having frontonasal length equal to the frontal length (frontonasal longer than frontal scale in P. bolivianus ); first superciliary not fused with first supraocular (fused in P. bolivianus ); from P. unsaacae and P. guentheri by the absence of a series of continuous lateral ocelli, loreal scale not in contact with supralabials, and the absence of a pair of enlarged pregular scales in contact (present in P. unsaacae and P. guentheri , loreal scale in contact with supralabials in P. unsaacae and a pair of enlarged pregular scales in medial contact in P. sucullucu ); from P. carabaya and P. kiziriani by having a first supraocular not fused with the first superciliary, (fused in P. carabaya and P. kiziriani ) and limbs overlapping when adpressed against body (not overlapping in P. carabaya and P. kiziriani ); from P. lacertus by having first supraocular not fused with the first superciliary (fused in P. lacertus ), and the presence of a loreal scale (absent in P. lacertus ); from P. xestus by the lack of prefrontal scales (present in P. xestus ) and the existence of keeled dorsal scales (smooth in P. xestus ); and from P. chasqui by the lack of prefrontal scales (present in P. chasqui ), supraoculars three (four in P. chasqui ), and femoral pores absent in females (present in females of P. chasqui ).

Description of holotype: Adult female, snout-vent length (SVL) 41.2 mm, tail length 60.8 mm; head scales smooth, rounded in dorsal and lateral view, without striations or rugosities; rostral scale wider (1.9 mm) than tall (0.9 mm), meeting the supralabials on either side at the top of the supralabials, becoming higher medially, in contact with frontonasal, nasals, and first supralabials; frontonasal longer than wide, equal in length with frontal, widest posteriorly, in contact with rostral, nasals, anterior most supraocular, and frontal; prefrontals absent; frontal longer than wide, roughly polygonal, not in contact with superciliaries, in contact with frontonasal, first two supraoculars, and frontoparietals; frontoparietals polygonal (right scale divided on the right anterior side), in contact with frontal, second and third supraoculars, parietals, and interparietal; supraoculars three, middle scale divided on the posterior corner (in contact with frontoparietals on both sides), all in contact with superciliaries, third in contact with frontoparietal, parietal, and postocular; interparietal longer than wide, polygonal, in contact with frontoparietals anteriorly, with parietals laterally, and with occipitals (or postparietals) posteriorly; parietals polygonal, lateral suture in contact with temporals and postoculars, diagonally with temporals, posteriorly with occipitals, anteriorly with third supraoculars and frontoparietals; three occipitals, smaller than parietals, medial pentagonal, smaller than the laterals. Nasal divided, longer than high, in contact with first and second supralabials; loreal present, not in contact with the supralabials, in contact with nasal, first superciliary, and frenocular; four superciliaries, first not fused with the first supraocular; two preoculars, upper in contact with the first superciliary and loreal scales, lower in contact with frenocular, and first subocular; frenocular roughly pentagonal, in contact with the second and third supralabials, lower preoculars, first subocular, and loreal scales; palpebral disc made up of a single transparent scale; three suboculars; two postoculars; temporals smooth, polygonal; four supralabials anterior to the posteroventral angle of the suboculars. Mental wider (1.9 mm) than long (1.05 mm), in contact with the first infralabial and postmental posteriorly; postmental single, pentagonal, in contact with the first infralabials and the first pair of genials; three pairs of genials in medial contact, anterior pair in contact with the first and second infralabials on the right side and in contact with the second on the left side; second pair of genials in contact with the second and third infralabials; third pair of genials in contact with the third and fourth infralabials laterally; one pair of chin shields, separated by four smaller median pregulars; eight gular scale rows; small lateral neck scales, round and smooth. Dorsal scales rectangular, longer than wide, juxtaposed, slightly keeled, in thirty-nine transverse rows; twentythree longitudinal dorsal scale rows at midbody; continuous lateral scale series, smaller than dorsals, and partially hidden in lateral fold; reduced scales at limb insertion regions present; twenty-two transverse ventral scale rows; ten longitudinal ventral scale rows at midbody; anterior preanal plate scales paired; six posterior preanal plate scales, lateralmost scales small; scales on the tail rectangular (fewer square), juxtaposed; dorsal and dorsolateral caudal scales slightly keeled anteriorly, smooth posteriorly; ventrolateral caudal scales smooth; midventral subcaudal scales wider than the adjacent scales, almost square, anteriormost midventral subcaudal scales subimbricate. Limbs pentadactyl; digits clawed; dorsal brachial scales polygonal, subequal in size, subimbricate, smooth; roundish ventral brachial scales, subimbricate, smooth; dorsal antebrachial scales polygonal, subequal in size, smooth; ventral antebrachial scales polygonal, smaller than dorsals; dorsal manus scales polygonal, smooth, subimbricate and arranged in three rows; palmar scales small, rounded, and juxtaposed, domelike; dorsal scales on fingers smooth, quadrangular, covering dorsal half of digit, and overhanging subdigital scales, two on finger I, four on II, six on III, six on IV, and four on V; scales on anterodorsal surface of thigh polygonal, smooth, subimbricate; scales on posterior surface of thigh small, rounded, and juxtaposed; scales on ventral surface of thigh small, enlarged, and smooth; femoral pores absent; preanal pores absent; scales on anterior surface of crus polygonal, smooth, juxtaposed, decreasing in size distally; scales on anterodorsal surface of crus rounded, juxtaposed; scales on ventral surface of crus polygonal, enlarged, smooth, flat, and subimbricate; scales on dorsal surface of toes polygonal, smooth; overhanging supradigital lamellae, two on toe I, five on II, nine on III, twelve on IV, seven on V; subdigital lamellae single, four on toe I, eight on II, eleven on III, sixteen on IV, ten on V; limbs overlapping when adpressed against the body.

Coloration in preservative: Dorsal and lateral surfaces of head dark brown; ventral surface of head cream with clusters of light and dark brown, and scales with black spots inside. Gular region similar to the head, the macules in anterior side are light brown and diffuse, on posterior side are thick. Lip irregularly barred with cream coloring. Dorsal surface of the trunk same color as head. Lateral surface of trunk of the same coloration as dorsum, fading to paler brown near venter. Ventral surface of the trunk black with cream spots at posterior margin of each scale. Color of limbs similar to body. Dorsal tail coloration like that of body; ventral surface of tail dark brown with cream spots.

Coloration in life: The coloration is similar to that in preservative, but with orange spots along the ventral surface of the body.

Variation: Scalation and morphometrics of the paratypes are similar to the holotype ( Table 1 ). The coloration in females is variable, the ventral surface of the head and gular region are orange and pale yellow with brown and black spots. In the sub-adult male the coloration in the ventral surface of the head and gular region is an intense orange and extends posteriorly to the ventral surface of the trunk.

Etymology: The specific epithet is an indeclinable word that refers to the distribution of the new species in the Natural Protected Area of the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu, in the Cordillera of Vilcanota, one of the most important formations in the Andes of southern Peru.

Distribution: Proctoporus machupicchu is known only from Aobamba (type locality), and Wiñaywayna, both inside the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu between 2,760 –2,800 m ( Fig. 4 ). With the addition of the new species, the genus Proctoporus contains 12 species from Peru; six of them ( Proctoporus guentheri , P. kiziriani , P. lacertus , P. machupicchu sp. nov., P. unsaacae , P. sucullucu ) located in the Department of Cusco.

Habitat and ecology: Individuals were found during the day under rocks in the montane forest, of the eastern slope, of the Cordillera Oriental of the Andes ( Fig. 5 ).

Conservation: The status of this species is unknown. More herpetological surveys and population studies are needed to adequately assess its status.

Figures

Figure 3. Dorsal and ventral views of living specimens of Proctoporus machupicchu. A–B adult female (MHNC 13362); C–D adult female (MHNC 13513); and E–F inmature male (MHNC 13373); and G not collected of immature male showing femoral pores.

Figure 4. Map showing the distribution of Proctoporus species known from southeast of Peru, based on species listed inAppendix I and in Uzzell (1970), Doan and Castoe (2003), Doan et al. (2005), Chavez et al. (2011), and Goicoechea et al. (2013). Green circle, Proctoporus machupicchu sp. nov.; blue triangle, P. bolivianus; blue square, P. carabaya; red square, P. chasqui; blue circle, P. iridescens; blue pentagon, P. kiziriani; red circle, P. lacertus; red triangle, P. unsaacae; and red pentagon P. sucullucu.

Figure 5. Type locality of Proctoporus machupicchu: (A, C) Montane forest, (B) Urubamba River, (D) Habitat of Proctoporus machupicchu. Photo: (6 A–C) Luis Mamani; 6 D (Javier Farfan).

Fig. 1. Holotype of Proctoporus machupicchu (MHNC 13362; SVL 41.2 mm).

Fig. 2. (A, B, C) Head of the holotype of Proctoporus machupicchu (MHNC 13362), lateral, dorsal, and ventral view; and (D, E, F) Paratype (MHNC 13373) lateral, dorsal. and ventral view of the head. Scale bar 5 mm.