Sauresia manicula, Schools & Hedges, 2024

Schools, Molly & Hedges, Blair, 2024, A new forest lizard fauna from Caribbean islands (Squamata, Diploglossidae, Celestinae), Zootaxa 5554 (1), pp. 1-306 : 239-242

Sauresia manicula sp. nov.

Small-footed Four-toed Forest Lizard

(Fig. 88)

Sauresia sepsoides — Schwartz & Henderson, 1988:162 (part).

Sauresia sepsoides — Schwartz & Henderson, 1991:463 (part).

Celestus sepsoides — Hedges et al., 2019:17 (part).

Sauresia sepsoides — Schools & Hedges, 2021:231 (part).

Sauresia sepsoides — Landestoy et al., 2022: 205 (part).

Holotype. ANSP 38667 , an adult from Berry, Ouest Department, Haiti, collected by S. Blair Hedges, Richard Thomas, Elizabeth Rochel, and Eladio Fernandez on 21 November 2009 (18.30795, -72.25389; 1,630 m).

Paratypes (n=3). HAITI. Ouest. ANSP 38668–9 , S. Blair Hedges, Richard Thomas, Elizabeth Rochel, and Eladio Fernandez, Berry, 21 November 2009 ; SBH 268588 , S. Blair Hedges, Richard Thomas, Elizabeth Rochel, and Eladio Fernandez, Berry, 21 November 2009 .

Diagnosis. Sauresia manicula sp. nov. has (1) a dorsal pattern of absent, (2) head markings absent/present, (3) markings in the longitudinal paramedian area present, (4) dots arranged in bars in the lateral band absent, (5) a maximum SVL of 59.6–69.0 mm, (6) ventral scale rows, 121–129, (7) midbody scale rows, 37–38, (8) total lamellae on one hand, 15–17, (9) total strigae on ten scales, 119–150, (10) relative length of all digits on one hindlimb, 11.2– 12.1 %, (11) relative distance between the angled subocular and mouth, 0.168 –0.188 %, (12) relative eye length, 2.29–2.32 %, (13) relative forelimb length, 11.5–11.9 %, (14) relative ear width, 0.604 –0.870 %, (15) relative rostral height, 1.89–1.90 %, (16) relative head length, 13.1–14.3 %, (17) relative mental width, 1.48–1.67 %, (18) relative postmental width, 2.13–2.16 %, (19) relative cloacal width, 5.30–6.41 %, (20) relative prefrontal width, 3.32–3.62 %, (21) relative largest supraocular width, 1.86–2.01 %, (22) relative longest finger length, 2.20–2.21 %, (23) relative distance between the ear and eye, 6.76–7.49 %, (24) relative head width, 72.9–82.8 %, (25) relative frontal width, 81.5 %, (26) relative nasal height, 0.772–1.09 %, (27) relative angled subocular height, 0.923–1.25 %, (28) relative distance between the eye and naris, 2.89–3.17 %, (29) relative canthal iii length, 1.06–1.43 %, (30) relative angled subocular width, 1.81–2.01 %, and (31) relative nasal length, 1.19–1.29 %. The species stem time is 0.78 Ma and the species crown time is 0.00 Ma (Fig. 4).

We distinguish Sauresia manicula sp. nov. from the other species of Sauresia based on a complex of traits. From Sauresia agramma sp. nov., we distinguish S. manicula sp. nov. by the relative distance between angled subocular and mouth (0.168 –0.188 versus 0.217 –0.262), the relative rostral height (1.89–1.90 versus 1.92–2.12), the relative postmental width (2.13–2.16 versus 2.30–2.70), the relative angled subocular width (1.81–2.01 versus 2.07–2.47), and the relative nasal width (1.19–1.29 versus 1.36–1.57). From S. cayemitae sp. nov., we distinguish S. manicula sp. nov. by the adult SVL (59.6–69.0 versus 47.8–58.1), the ventral scale rows (121–129 versus 101–119), the total strigae on ten scales (119–150 versus 84–104), the relative postmental width (2.13–2.16 versus 2.27–2.51), and the relative longest finger length (2.20–2.21 versus 2.36–2.65). From S. gracilis sp. nov., we distinguish S. manicula sp. nov. by the dorsal pattern (absent versus mottled/lineate), the ventral scale rows (121–129 versus 103), the midbody scale rows (37–38 versus 36), and the total lamellae on one hand (15–17 versus 18). From S. habichi , we distinguish S. manicula sp. nov. by the total lamellae on one hand (15–17 versus 18–19), the total strigae on ten scales (119–150 versus 89–113), the relative longest finger length (2.20–2.21 versus 2.26–2.71), the relative frontal width (81.5 versus 71.8–77.5), and the relative nasal width (1.19–1.29 versus 0.942–1.12). From S. pangnolae sp. nov., we distinguish S. manicula sp. nov. by the ventral scale rows (121–129 versus 104–119), the total strigae on ten scales (119–150 versus 78–109), the relative eye length (2.29–2.32 versus 2.56–3.02), the relative prefrontal width (3.32–3.62 versus 3.70–3.83), the relative longest finger length (2.20–2.21 versus 2.29–2.54), the relative angled subocular width (1.81–2.01 versus 2.16–2.39), and the relative nasal width (1.19–1.29 versus 1.38–1.62). From S. sepsoides , we distinguish S. manicula sp. nov. the ventral scale rows (121–129 versus 104–119) and the relative eye length (2.29–2.32 versus 2.46–3.40). From S. synoria sp. nov., we distinguish S. manicula sp. nov. by the midbody scale rows (37–38 versus 34–36), the total strigae on ten scales (119–150 versus 84–111), the relative eye length (2.29–2.32 versus 2.47–2.94), the relative prefrontal width (3.32–3.62 versus 3.01–3.30), and the relative frontal width (81.5 versus 82.0–94.4).

Description of holotype. ANSP 38667. An adult; SVL 69.0 mm; tail nearly cylindrical, broken in life near tip, regenerated, 70.1 mm (102% SVL); axilla-to-groin distance 46.2 mm (67.0% SVL); forelimb length 7.93 mm (11.5% SVL); hindlimb length 13.1 mm (19.0% SVL); head length 9.83 mm (14.2% SVL); head width 8.14 mm (11.8% SVL); head width 82.8% head length; diameter of orbit 1.58 mm (2.29% SVL); horizontal diameter of ear opening 0.60 mm (0.870% SVL); vertical diameter of ear opening 0.57 mm (0.826% SVL); length of all toes on one foot 8.32 mm (12.1% SVL); shortest distance between angled subocular and lip 0.13 mm (0.188% SVL); shortest distance between the ocular and auricular openings 5.17 mm (7.49% SVL); longest finger length 1.52 mm (2.20% SVL); largest supraocular width 1.39 mm (2.01% SVL); cloacal width 4.42 mm (6.41% SVL); mental width 1.15 mm (1.67% SVL); postmental width 1.49 mm (2.16% SVL); prefrontal width 2.50 mm (3.62% SVL); frontal width 81.5% frontal length; nasal height 0.75 mm (1.09% SVL); angled subocular height 0.86 mm (1.25% SVL); shortest distance between the eye and naris 2.19 mm (3.17% SVL); canthal iii width 0.99 mm (1.43% SVL); angled subocular width 1.39 mm (2.01% SVL); nasal width 0.89 mm (1.29% SVL); rostral 1.90X as wide as high, barely visible from above, not in contact with nasals, in contact with 1 st supralabial and anterior internasal (left)/(right); anterior internasals are narrower than posterior ones; frontonasals and prefrontal fused into a single large plate with a straight posterior margin, much wider than long, bordered by posterior internasals, 1 st loreals, 1 st median oculars, and the frontal; frontal longer than wide; a pair of frontoparietals, separated by the posterior prolongation of the frontal and the interparietal plate; interparietal plate slightly smaller than parietals and separating them, posteriorly touching the interoccipital, which is wider than long; parietal separated from supraoculars by 1 st and 2 nd temporals, additional scale posterior to frontoparietal 1 st temporals, and frontoparietal (left)/1 st and 2 nd temporals and frontoparietal (right); nasal single; nostril just posterior to suture between 1 st and 2 nd supralabials (left)/(right); 1 postnasal (left)/(right); 2 loreals (left)/(right); 1 st loreal higher than wide (left)/(right), in contact with postnasal, posterior internasal, prefrontal/frontonasal complex, 1 st median ocular, canthal iii, 2 nd loreal, and 3 rd –4 th supralabials (left)/(right); 2 nd loreal shorter than 1 st, higher than wide (left)/(right), excluded from contact with supraocular by canthal iii (left)/(right); second loreal posteriorly bordering the upper and lower preoculars (left)/lower preocular (right); canthal iii wider than high (left)/(right), contacting 1 st median ocular, anterior supraciliary, upper preocular, and 1 st and 2 nd loreals (left)/1 st median ocular, anterior supraciliary, upper and lower preoculars, and 1 st and 2 nd loreals (right); 10 median oculars (left)/(right), 1 st contacting the prefrontal (left)/(right); 1 upper preocular (left)/(right); an irregular anterior supraciliary (left)/(right); 7 lateral oculars (left)/(right); 6 (left)/7 (right) temporals; 2 (left)/3 (right) suboculars; posterior subocular large and elongate (left)/(right); anterior subocular small (left)/(right); 9 (left)/10 (right) supralabials, 5 to level below center of eye (left)/(right); 8 (left)/9 (right) infralabials, 5 to level below center of eye (left)/(right); mental small, followed by a single, larger postmental; 4 pairs of enlarged chin shields; 1 st pair in contact with one another; 2 nd pair in contact with one another anteriorly, posteriorly separated by one scale; 2 nd –4 th pairs separated by 1–2 scales; 125 transverse rows of dorsal scales from interoccipital to base of tail; 128 transverse rows of ventral scales from mental to vent; 37 scales around midbody; 4 digits; finger lengths 3>2>4>1; 5 lamellae under longest finger (left)/(right); 17 total lamellae on one hand; toe lengths 3>2>4>1; 11 lamellae under longest toe (left)/(right); keelless and striate dorsal body and caudal scales; smooth ventral scales; 150 total strigae counted on ten scales.

Color (in alcohol): dorsal surface of head medium brown with some darker brown mottling; lateral surfaces of head grading from medium brown to orange-tan with cream outlines on the labial scales; dorsal surfaces of the body are paler brown than the head with slightly darker areas on the interiors of scales, giving a lineate appearance; dorsal surface of tail slightly darker brown than the body, patternless; lateral areas grade from dark brown to creamy orange; dorsal surfaces of the limbs are dark brown with some paler brown mottling on the upper limb; lateral and ventral areas of the limbs fade to creamy orange, patternless; ventral surfaces of the head, body, and tail are creamy orange with some medium brown mottling under the throat.

FIGURE 88. (A–F) Sauresia manicula sp. nov. (ANSP 38667, holotype), SVL 69.0 mm.

Variation. The examined material resembles the holotype in having mottling in the longitudinal paramedian area and faint lines extending down the dorsum. Several specimens possess darker outlines on their internasal scales. All specimens lack dots arranged in bars in the lateral area. Measurements and other morphological data for the holotype and other examined material are presented in Table 1.

Distribution. Sauresia manicula sp. nov. is known only from the locality of the type series, which was collected from the east-central region of the Tiburon Peninsula of Haiti at an elevation of 1630 m (Fig. 80). It has an extent of occurrence of ~ 90 km 2.

Ecology and conservation. No ecological data are associated with this species. We consider the conservation status of Sauresia manicula sp. nov. to be Critically Endangered B1ab(iii), based on IUCN Redlist criteria ( IUCN 2023). It faces a primary threat from habitat destruction resulting from agriculture and charcoaling. Haiti, in general, is heavily deforested with <1% of the nation’s primary forest remaining ( Hedges et al. 2018). Secondary threats to this species include predation from introduced predators, including the mongoose and black rats. Studies are needed to determine the health of any remaining populations and threats to the survival of the species. Captive-breeding programs should be undertaken, because eradication of introduced mammalian predators is currently not possible on large islands.

Reproduction. No data on reproduction are available for this species.

Etymology. The species name ( manicula ) is a Latin feminine nominative singular noun meaning small hand, in reference to the relatively small hands and feet in these lizards.

Remarks. Previously, this species was considered to be Sauresia sepsoides . Additional material in museum collections currently catalogued as S. sepsoides from in or near the distribution of S. manicula sp. nov. should be examined to determine if they represent additional material of S. manicula sp. nov.

Sauresia manicula sp. nov. is included in our genetic dataset and has significant support in both Bayesian and ML likelihood analyses at the crown node of the species and the stem node that places it as the closest relative to S. synoria sp. nov. Based on our timetree (Fig. 4), S. manicula sp. nov. diverged from its closest relative 0.78 Ma, consistent with typical species of vertebrates (> 0.7 Ma; Hedges et al. 2015). We recognize S. manicula sp. nov. as a distinct species based on the multiple morphological traits that separate it from its closest relative ( S. synoria sp. nov.). Sauresia manicula sp. nov. was recovered as conspecific with Sauresia synoria sp. nov. in our ASAP analysis.